Jeonju Hanok Village: A Disappointing Trip
I had some time off, but unfortunately couldn't travel abroad and didn't really have anything to do. While wondering how to spend my time, I decided to take a day trip to Jeonju with a friend who was on paternity leave. And his little daughter came along, too!
I figured visiting Jeonju Hanok Village (traditional Korean village) would be educational for her, and since I'd never properly explored it myself, it seemed like a win-win. I picked them up early in the morning and headed to Jeonju. On the way, we had a delicious lunch at Eruhwa and grabbed some really good pastries at Bake and Chill before officially starting our tour of the Hanok Village.
My first impression was that it felt a lot like Hoi An in Vietnam. It looks like it's filled with highly traditional buildings, but in reality, it's mostly lined with shops selling junk food, with historical sites sprinkled in between. It was a somewhat disappointing first impression, and spoiler alert: that feeling of disappointment lasted until the very end.
Our first stop was Jeondong Catholic Church. It's a church built on the site where persecuted Catholics were martyred during the Joseon Dynasty, but when we arrived, the exterior was under renovation. It makes sense to do repairs during COVID when there are fewer tourists, but why did it have to be exactly when I visited? Still, the interior is absolutely beautiful. The church's signature stained glass and antique bricks stirred up a sense of faith I didn't even know I had. I've been feeling guilty about not going to church lately, and this made me feel even more ashamed. Regardless, I said a quick prayer for a restful and safe trip before heading out.
We walked a bit more and passed in front of Gyeonggijeon Shrine. This is where the royal portrait of King Taejo (founder of the Joseon Dynasty) is kept. It's also pretty much the only place that charges an admission fee. Which means we just took photos out front and practically ran away. Foreigners might find it fascinating, but we were just kind of indifferent. I thought it might be somewhat educational for the baby to see, but thanks to her "true father" who flatly stated she wouldn't remember it anyway and turned right around, we just skipped Gyeonggijeon entirely.
After that, we tried our hand at ppopgi (dalgona candy making) and splashed around in the water flowing next to the street, but I didn't really feel like we "saw" much. However, it is a fantastic place for a walk. A foreign tourist might spend all day having a blast here, just like we do in Hoi An, but for us, it was simply a place to take a long, enjoyable stroll.
When night fell, we had a delicious dinner of bibimbap, then bought some yukjeon (pan-fried battered meat) and makgeolli (Korean rice wine) to bring back to our room. I don't know about anything else, but this Namwon Makgeolli is seriously delicious. The fact that they sell stuff like this at convenience stores means people in Jeonju have no choice but to become heavy drinkers. It was the day of the Korea vs. Japan baseball game, so we got our yukjeon and makgeolli ready, but ended up getting dizzy over pitcher Go Woo-suk's "tap dance" blunder on the mound. As an LG Twins fan, I truly have no words...
