Andong travel guide

The heart of a trip to Andong is Hahoe Village, where the Nakdonggang River curves around the village in an S shape. For a general admission of ₩5,000 you see the head houses of the Pungsan Ryu clan together with the riverside scenery. According to the Korea Tourism Organization, sights around Hahoe Village include Bongjeongsa Temple (founded in the Silla period), Gosan Seowon, Gwiraejeong Pavilion, Gyemyeongsan and Hakgasan Natural Recreation Forests and Waryongsan Mountain, and the Andong International Mask Dance Festival is held every autumn. Hahoe Village is open 9:00–18:00 from April to September and 9:00–17:00 from October to March, with no closing days; guided tours with a culture and tourism commentator must be booked 7 days ahead. Parking is free, and activities such as a traditional wedding experience and writing family mottos are offered in the village.

Hahoe Village is a single-clan village where the Pungsan Ryu family has lived for generations. According to the Korea Tourism Organization, it was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List on July 31, 2010, together with Yangdong Village in Gyeongju, as the Historic Villages of Korea. The scenery is formed by the Nakdonggang River in front of the village, the sheer Buyongdae Cliff, long stretches of white sand and a dense old pine forest.

The storytelling commentary presents it as a village where every old house has a story. The walk leads through the tall gate of Bukchondaek, Yangjindang and Chunghyodang, Okyeon Jeongsa (where the Jingbirok was written) and the Mansongjeong pine forest, all within one village. The detailed route is in our Hahoe Village guide (in Korean).

Times and fees are based on Korea Tourism Organization tourist information.

Check before you plan your Andong day

• Book the guided tour online 7 days ahead and be on time for the start.
• From October to March, entry ends at 16:30, so don't leave an afternoon visit too late.
• Check the discount and free-admission conditions (residents of Andong and Yecheon, aged 65 and over).
• In autumn, check the dates of the Andong International Mask Dance Festival.

Guided tours leave only on the hour and must be booked online 7 days before your visit, so fix your itinerary first and then choose a time. After walking through the village, you can take the ferry boat across the water in front of Buyongdae when the crossing is open, according to the official information. Free parking is available.

The Korea Tourism Organization lists Bongjeongsa Temple, said to have been founded in the Silla period, Gosan Seowon and Gwiraejeong Pavilion as nearby sights. For nature, there are Gyemyeongsan Natural Recreation Forest, Hakgasan Natural Recreation Forest and Waryongsan Mountain. Admission fees and opening hours for these places are not in this source, so check them separately before you go.

You can see mask dance in two settings: in the village and at the autumn festival. Hahoe Village holds regular performances of the Hahoe Byeolsingut Mask Dance, and the Andong International Mask Dance Festival is held every autumn. You can also combine it with Yangdong Village in Gyeongju (in Korean), the other historic village, for a trip through the Historic Villages of Korea.

According to the storytelling commentary, Hahoe Village held a byeolsingut rite once every 5 to 10 years, when disasters struck the village one after another. The mask dance is the part of that rite meant to entertain the village deity, which turned into a play; its eight acts unfold with humor and satire.

Among the Hahoe masks, only the Imae mask has no jaw, and the legend of Heo Doryeong explains why. When disaster struck the village, the village deity appeared in a dream and told him to make twelve masks and hold a rite, warning that anyone who watched the masks being made would die. A woman who loved Heo Doryeong secretly peeked through a crack in the door, so he could not finish the jaw of the Imae mask. Today there are regular performances, and in autumn you can continue to the historic village in our Gyeongju guide for a trip through Korea's historic villages.

Good for:

• Hanok village trips: head houses, board-fenced houses and thatched cottages line one village.
• Seeing a performance: there are regular performances of the Hahoe Byeolsingut Mask Dance.
• Autumn visits: the Andong International Mask Dance Festival takes place.