Hahoe Village
Hahoe Village has been the clan village of the Pungsan Ryu family for about 600 years, and traditional Korean houses have been well preserved until now. Especially, this village is well known as the hometown of both the famous scholar Ryu Unryong and Prime Minister Seoae Ryu Seongryong during the Joseon Dynasty.
Because of the shape of the river encircling the village, it is called Hahoe (river, encircling) Village. It is known as one of the best places to live according to geomancy theory. The village has the 271-meter-high Whasan Mountain to its east, and a 600-year-old zelkova tree is located in the middle of the village.
Most houses in the village face different directions because they have the old zelkova tree to their back and the river to their south. This is quite a unique house layout in Korea, considering that most Korean people prefer to have their houses facing south due to geomancy theory. Most thatched-roof houses, which were the houses of the servant class, surround the tiled-roof houses, which were the houses of the nobility. The village has preserved Korean traditions and old architectural styles very well.
Samsindang Shrine
Located in the middle of the village, this 600-year-old zelkova tree, which was said to have been planted by Ryu Jonghye, who founded Hahoe Village, has been a sacred place among villagers. It is the site for shaman rites on the first full moon day of the lunar calendar year, in the hope of prosperity for the village. The Hahoe mask dance performance started here as part of the shaman rites.
Andong Hahoe Masks
As a form of mask dance drama, the Hahoe Byeolsingut mask dance began in Hahoe in the mid-12th century and was conducted during Byeolsingut, a ritual held every 10 years to pray for peace and good harvests for the entire community. Wearing masks, performers satirized the hypocrisy of the aristocracy and corruption in Buddhism, as well as conveyed the pain and sadness of the common people.
Made of wood, the Hahoe Mask, with its realistic facial expressions and artistic value, is considered one of the best of its kind in the world and is protected as National Treasure No. 121.
Yangjindang
Yangjindang is the head house of the Pungsan Ryu family in Hahoe Village. The name plaque of the men’s quarters of the house, “Ipam Gotaek,” represents the father of Gyeomam and Seoae. The house name “Yangjindang” was derived from the pen name of Ryu Young, who was the 6th generation descendant of Gyeomam. So the house is called either “Ipam Gotaek” or “Yangjindang.”
Chunghyodang
This house was built after Seoae passed away. He lived in a small house after he retired as a prime minister in the early 17th century. It has the typical layout of a noble class house during the Joseon Dynasty. In the Youngmogak, the commemoration hall of Seoae, you can find the relics Seoae used during his time. In front of the house, Queen Elizabeth II planted a fir tree to celebrate her visit to Hahoe Village.
Binyeonjungsa Pavilion
Over the Whacheon stream, Buyongdae and Geomamjungsa come into view. Geomam served as Jinbo governor and retired when his mother got sick. While staying in Hahoe Village, he used this place as a study house. This place has a rather large wooden floor considering the somewhat small room. “Binyeon” refers to the deep clear pond in front of the Buyongdae cliff.
Pinewoods of Mansongjeong Pavilion
This pine grove is located on a broad sedimentary sand layer of the Nakdonggang River at the point where it winds around Hahoe Village. It was created during the reign of King Seonjo of the Joseon Dynasty by Ryu Un-yong (1539-1601), who planted 10,000 pine trees here in the hope of mitigating the wild energy of Buyongdae, a cliff on the other side of the river. Mansongjeong, meaning “The Grove of Ten Thousand Pines,” creates a beautiful scene along with the village, sandy beach, river, and cliff. It has great scenic, historical, and cultural value.
Seonyujulbulnori
Seonyujulbulnori is a traditional folk play enjoyed by the noble people in Hahoe Village on the 16th day of the 7th month in the lunar calendar. They enjoyed dropping fire flakes like snow from many charcoal-filled paper bags hung along several rice straw strings between the peak of Buyongdae and the Mansongjeong forest pavilion.
The whole play consists of boat riding while composing classical poems, dropping fires off the cliff, egg fires, and fire strings between Buyongdae and Mansongjeong. As a way of preserving this precious tradition, it is still performed annually during the Andong Mask Dance Festival in September. It is considered an essential traditional play for the noble people during the Joseon Dynasty, reflecting a high level of dignity and nobility.
