Andong Folk Museum
13 Minsokchon-gil, Yongsang-dong, Andong, Gyeongsangbuk-do
Situated within Andong Dam Folk Village, Andong Folk Museum is dedicated to preserving and showcasing the traditional folk cultures behind everyday life in the Andong region of Korea, from births to funerals. Learn about the region’s Buddhist and Confucian influences and see how people used to eat, work, and marry throughout past and present eras—from the Confucian coming-of-age ritual known as Gwanrye to jerye ceremonies, meant to honor one’s departed ancestors. The outdoor section is home to more than 20 perfectly-preserved thatched-roof hanok houses.
The basics
Andong Folk Museum contains some 3,700 artifacts and a video screening room. You’ll find life-sized ethnographic dioramas depicting life in past centuries, from traditional foods and clothing to everyday rituals and transactions. You can learn about the traditions that once followed Koreans of Andong, from birth and childhood to adulthood, marriage, death, and mourning. (For example, Korean women used to pray to phallic-looking rocks to help with conception.) Koreans and non-Koreans alike can find much to appreciate in the museum’s meticulous documentation of Korean cultural heritage.
Things to know before you go
- While exploring Andong Dam Folk Village is free, expect to pay a modest admission fee to enter Andong Folk Museum. Children under 6 and seniors aged 65 or older can enter for free.
- Visitors who don’t speak Korean can still understand the displays in both indoor and outdoor sections of the museum through plaques with English translation, as well as into Japanese and Chinese.
- Besides the displays, the museum also offers workshops in traditional crafts such as hanji (Korean papermaking) and metalworking or Korean cooking classes. Get in touch in advance of your visit to inquire about the schedule.
- If you work up an appetite, you can head to an on-site snack bar and restaurant. You’ll also find a souvenir shop.
How to get there
Andong Folk Museum is a 20-minute drive outside downtown Andong. If you don’t have a private car, you can take Bus 3 from the Andong bus terminal, which runs every 20 minutes. If you prefer to visit with a guide, guided day trips are available from Busan.
When to get there
The museum is open year-round, every day except for Jan. 1 and during the Korean harvest festival of Chuseok, celebrated at the end of summer or early fall. In general, most visitors head to Andong from May to September. The spring and summer have pleasant daytime temperatures, although July and August can get rainy.
Dosanseowon Confucian School
Learn more about Andong’s Confucian heritage during a visit to Dosanseowon, a school established in 1574 to teach Confucian tenets. While it is no longer active as an educational institution, Dosanseowon still commemorates Confucian history and scholarship. It is reachable by public bus from Andong’s city center. If you have a private car, consider combining it with a stop at Andong Folk Museum.
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