Unlike Koreans visiting their hometowns, foreign people have nothing special to do on the Chuseok holidays. Also, busy foreign Postechians have little time to look around Korea even though they spend several years at POSTECH. Now, a three-day holidays comes to you. The Postech Times recommends you take a trip in Korea rather than pay the fee for transportation home. The Postech Times chose several places to travel where you can explore Korean culture.
Andong Hahoe Folk Village
Need cultural experiences to keep as a memory of Korea? For you, Andong Hahoe Folk Village should be the destination. Hahoe village, designated as national folklore treasure No. 122, shows Korean culture and local character simultaneously. Some noble families have lived there for hundreds of years, and even these days, their successors are still keeping their houses. A preserved village with real villagers shows the old Korean lifestyle before modernization. In addition, you can see the famous local folk dance, the Hahoe Maskdance. The Hahoe Maskdance was first performed 500 years ago, and it has settled as an annual celebration to pray for the safety of villagers. Now the Korean government selected it an intangible cultural asset. Primarily, the Andong International Maskdance Festival is held annually, but this current year it was canceled because of the inflow of the influenza virus from overseas. To reach Hahoe Village, take an intercity bus to Andong, and transfer to an urban bus. Visit http://english.visitkorea.or.kr and search for Hahoe Village for more information.
Haeundae Dalmaji Hill
Some people need a mood of quietness and the crowd of a city at the same time. The second city of Korea, Busan is waiting for them. Dalmaji Hill huddles up along the famous Haeundae Beach. Long ago, it was one of the eight scenic locations of Busan with hot springs; recently, it has transformed into an entertainment complex full of joys like springs, hotels, seafood restaurants, pubs, etc. Looking for the full moon of Lunar August, you can walk along Dalmaji Street after enjoying the variety of a big city. Furthermore, Haeundae is the most famous beach in Korea and there is the world’s largest department store, Sinsagae Centum City. To reach Haeundae, take the intercity bus to Nopodong Bus Terminal. You can use various forms of transportation inside Busan. Visit http://tour.haeundae.go.kr/culture/main/index.asp (Haeundae-gu office) for more information about Haeundae.
Gyeongju World Culture Expo Park
If you want something to see, rather than being in a crowded city, your choice is the Gyeongju World Culture Expo Park. The Gyeongju World Culture Expo Park displays a combination of Korean culture, foreign culture, history, and nature. Gyeongju City has promoted The World Culture Expo annually since 1998, and it built the Expo Park after the success of the 2007 Expo. Gyeongju was once the capital of the ancient dynasty Shilla; these days, Gyeongju has become a successful touristic city. Inspect the culture of Shilla and relax your body at the same time in the Expo Park. Meanwhile, you can spend the rest of the time at the sights of Gyeongju like Bulguksa and Seokguram. They have been added to the World Cultural Heritage list since 1995. In addition, the amusement park Gyeongju World is ready to deal with your stress. Take an intercity bus, and transfer to an urban bus. Visit http://www.cultureexpo.or.kr/ for more information about Expo Park. http://www.gyeongju.go.kr/eng/main/index.asp is also ready for more about Gyeongju.
