Our Day 8 in South Korea is departing from Danyang to the Korean Folk Village in Yongin, Gyoenggi Province. It is about 130km so it takes about 1.5 to 2 hours.
We reached the Korean Folk Village at around 11 am. We didn’t know that the Korean Folk Village is located in a mountain right behind of the hustle and bustle of the city.
There is a huge car park right outside the folk village and the entrance is only 3000 won (SDG3) for the whole day.
There are several traditional Korean restaurants and food stalls within the village where you can savor authentic Korean cuisine. You can try popular dishes like bibimbap, bulgogi, kimchi, and traditional rice cakes. We chose what we wanted and paid at the vending machine. Food is not overcharged here and the dishes are delicious.
Korean Folk Village (한국민속촌)
The Korean Folk Village (한국민속촌) is an open-air museum, it is designed to showcase traditional Korean culture and offers visitors a glimpse into the country’s rich folk heritage. The village is spread over a vast area and features various types of traditional Korean houses, cultural artifacts, performances, and hands-on activities.
Traditional houses
The village is home to around 260 traditional houses from different regions and periods in Korean history. These houses represent the architectural styles and lifestyles of the past. You can explore various types of houses, such as thatched-roof cottages, aristocratic residences, and farmer’s houses.
Cultural Performances
The Korean Folk Village offers a wide range of cultural performances that highlight traditional Korean music, dance, and theater. Visitors can enjoy performances like traditional folk music, farmer’s music, tightrope walking, martial arts demonstrations, and traditional wedding ceremonies. Please check the timetable and go to the venue before the shows start.
Craftsmen Workshops
You can observe and interact with skilled craftsmen practicing traditional Korean crafts like pottery, blacksmithing, traditional papermaking (hanji), weaving, and more. This gives visitors a chance to learn about the traditional techniques and processes used to create these crafts. I love how they are all wearing their traditional outfit, looking super authentic.
Traditional Games and Activities
The village provides opportunities for visitors to engage in various traditional Korean games and activities. You can try your hand at archery, traditional board games, kite-flying, and traditional swings, among other activities. These activities offer an interactive experience for both children and adults.
Seasonal Festivals
The Korean Folk Village hosts various seasonal festivals throughout the year, such as the Spring Flower Festival, Harvest Festival, and Winter Festival. These events feature additional cultural performances, exhibitions, and activities related to the specific season or theme.
There is also a theme park where kids and adults can enjoy themselves with all sorts of rides free as the ticket is also inclusive of the rides. We started to explore the theme park at around 2 plus and luckily most rides do not need to queue too long.
Tips for you
If you purchase the ticket online with Klook, you can save about SGD10. We didn’t plan ahead and bought the ticket at the counter so we have to pay an extra $10 for each ticket.
Incheon China town
We left the theme park at around 4 pm and headed toward Incheon China town.
Since we are staying in Incheon for the night, we went to Incheon Chinatown for dinner. We are leaving the next morning for Singapore so Incheon is the closest place to stay.
It took us more than a 2-hour drive from Folk Village to Incheon Chinatown due to heavy traffic on the highway. Driving near Seoul is never a good idea at all, the traffic is heavy on the paid highway too.
We were quite lucky to have found a place to park our car in Chinatown.
Red Gate (Chinatown Gate)
You see the the Red Gate is the entrance to Seoul’s Chinatown and serves as a symbol of the neighborhood. It is a traditional Chinese-style gate with intricate designs and vibrant red colors.
Walking through the streets of Chinatown, you’ll notice the Chinese architectural influences in the buildings and structures. The buildings are adorned with colorful decorations, traditional Chinese symbols, and red lanterns. The atmosphere is lively, and the streets are bustling with shops and restaurants.
We dine in one of the Chinese restaurants and ordered a set menu that include a variety of dishes, such as sweet and sour pork, Tangsuyuk, dim sum, and Jajangmyeon (noodles with black bean sauce). This is a great place to indulge in Chinese food. While Korean Chinese food is influenced by Chinese cuisine, it has evolved and adapted to suit Korean tastes and preferences over time. These adaptations result in a distinct style of cuisine that blends Chinese flavors with Korean influences. Many restaurants and shop owners here speak both Chinese and Korean.
Where to stay? Days Hotel & Suites by Wyndham Incheon Airport, Incheon
The hotel is about 10 mins drive to the airport. It is located in Incheon City.
The hotel is conveniently located near the shopping area. In the morning, you see lots of cabin crews from different airlines queuing for breakfast. The breakfast range is huge and the restaurant is very spacious.
It has all the basic facilities with clean rooms and towels but you do need to purchase shampoo and soap at the counter when you check in. 1000 won (SGD 1)for a mini shampoo and soap. There is also car park which is linked to the shopping mall carpark. Do inform the check-in staff that you have a car with you so that they make some arrangements in their system so that you can park your rental car overnight here.
It was almost 10 pm when we arrived at the hotel and most stores are about to close so we don’t go out anymore.
Oh, the entrance to the Hotel car park is a bit tricky, it is actually a shared car park with the shopping mall next door. We have missed a few times and finally got it after making the 3 and 4th rounds back.
Final thought
What I love about the Korean Folk Village is the cultural performance, the dancers have very close interaction with the visitors which is a good experience.
There are also time schedules to join some Kimchee lessons or other traditional art and craft. Don’t forget to go explore all the fun rides, bumper cars, pirate ships, and the haunted house.
The Incheon Chinatown is pretty quiet when we were there at around 6 pm. Luckily most restaurants are still open for business. Well, we could have just gone straight to our hotel in Incheon to have our dinner there as there is more happening there. Day Hotel is a great choice to stay if you are departing the next morning.
