Korean Job Discussion Forums

[teecee]

Anyone interested in going? Can't convince any of my alcoholic, oops, English teacher friends, to skip a weekend of partying to go and get some culture. Anyone going down from Seoul or wanna meet up? If you're unaware of what I'm talking about, check out www.tourandong.com and to learn about the Andong Mask Festival, check out www.maskdance.com.

[BoholDiver]

I'd be more interested in something like that if it were going all year round, even if it were on a smaller scale. Festivals tend to get crowded and motels jack up their prices.

[n8shac]

Your description sounds awesome but I'm having trouble with your websites.


I'm kinda desperate for some alcohol-free culture, please keep me informed!

[the ireland]

I stayed in Andong last week for a night during chuseok. The motels aren't that great, they are okay though. Average cost is around 40,000 for a night.

They were setting up the festival area around the river, it was looking pretty good. We also took a spin out to the soju museum. It's pretty small. In fact it's just a couple of rooms next to the factory but it had some great, powerful soju. The stuff was 45% or so and it did actually smell like real alcohol, not like the cr*p in the green bottles for 1,000won. I didn't drink any because I was driving (and I don't drink) but I did buy a couple of bottles for friends.

[rumdiary]

I went with a group of friends a few years ago and we had an amazing time. Andong soju is the best booze in the country. There were tons of interesting things going on all day and night and lots of cool outdoor spots to relax. We spent the first night in Andong walking around the festival drinking samples of soju and playing odd carnival games that involved mudfish and then saw some Russian dancers. The next day we went to the folk village, caught a few shows, ate at an amazing outdoor restaurant and found a really old traditional guest house. That night we laid next to a river, had a campfire, watched fireworks and passed around several bottles of Andong soju. Don't sleep on this. Its probably the best festival in Korea.

[Rutherford]

I just came back from Andong. The festival is very big and interesting but was very crowded last Saturday.

Especially if you have a car or bike, get out into the countryside around Andong. It has the highest number of preserved traditional homes in Korea and many of them have been turned into bed and breakfasts.

I stayed in this one: http://chilgyejae.gotaek.kr/coding/gotaek/chilgyejae.asp

50,000 per night for a double, and for 10,000 each you get a very nice traditional breakfast with organic food the ajumma grew in her garden.

There are also plenty of minbaks in Hahoe village near Andong. These rooms will probably sell out during the festival so try to get a Korean friend to book one for you in advance.

[Sergio Stefanuto]

I went to this almost exactly three years ago and really liked it. Just a day trip would be enough though, I think. You might not need to stay for the weekend. Trying to arrive before noon and leaving in the evening is the course of action I would recommend here

[teecee]

Thanks everyone for your advice. Went to Andong and Hahoe. In Andong perused the festival there, including a large number of food vendors, many booths in which one could make one's own mask, saw many game booths. There were many information booths also where most spoke (adequate) English. They even had a booth where one could get an alcoholic drink for 2000 won-I know, cheap alcohol in Korea, shocking, right? There were lots of locally made products above and beyond simply masks and related parephenalia. Had the good fortune to come up on the bus next to a man whose wife is an artist whose exhibition on masks was showing during the Mask Festival. His wife even came and picked us up from the bus station, took us to her exhibition, and gave us free postcards of some of her impressive work. (www.monicacheon.com)

Then headed down to Hahoe to see the old village there. It's well worth your time. As one of the posters above stated, there are dramatic performances which are very cool, some fantastic soju, and the village is set in a very pastoral, scenic area. I enjoyed getting out of Seoul and to a more relaxed, rural locale. Well worth taking this trip. One could easily spend two days here-come down on the bus on Sat, spend plenty of time perusing the Andong Mask Festival and enjoying some tasty food-then head to Hahoe on Sunday. There is plenty of walking to be done there. Anyway, again, thanks to all for your comments, they shaped the decisions made in forming my itinerary.

[rumdiary]