Traditional Korean Clothing (Hanbok)
The hanbok has been the Korean people's unique traditional costume for thousands of years. The beauty and grace of Korean culture can be seen in photographs of women dressed in the hanbok. Before the arrival of Western-style clothing one hundred years ago, the hanbok was worn as everyday attire. Men wore jeogori (Korean jackets) with baji (trousers) while women wore jeogori with chima (skirt). Today, the hanbok is worn on days of celebration such as weddings, Seollal (Lunar New Year's Day) or Chuseok (Korean Thanksgiving Day).
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Traditional Korean Houses
A traditional Korean house is called hanok. Hanok sought to create a living space based on the coexistence of nature and humans. Accordingly, the natural aspects of traditional Korean houses range from the structure's inner layout to the building materials which were used. Another unique feature of traditional houses is their special design for cooling the interior in the summer and heating the interior in the winter. Since Korea has such hot summers and cold winters, the ondol gudeul, a floor-based heating system and daecheong, a cool wooden-floor style hall, were devised long ago to help Koreans survive the frigid winters and to make the sweltering and humid summers bearable. These primitive types of heating and air-conditioning were so effective that they are still in use in many homes today.
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Korean Cultural Performances
No matter which time of the year you visit South Korea, there would always be cultural performances / programmes taking place. Tourists can just watch and enjoy or even choose to participate in the workshops organized alongside. The famous ‘Miso’ performance at the Chongdong Theater in Seoul features Korea’s traditional performing arts, including Pansori (narrative song), which has been designated an intangible cultural asset by UNESCO world heritage. The Nanta Theater is another must-attend. It introduces five characters: a manager, head chef, a female chef, the sexy guy and the manager’s nephew. They constantly beat rhythms on pots, pans and all kinds of kitchen implements, while racing against time to prepare food for a wedding banquet. Infact even some major palaces in Seoul such as Gyeongbokgung Palace and Gyeonghuigung Palace are offering various programs to visitors, such as the re-enactment of traditional ceremonies, taekwondo classes and the chance to try on traditional costumes.
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Korean Festivals
Attending / participating in the various Korean festivals is perhaps the best way of understanding the country’s culture and tradition. Tourists can enjoy the very popular Korean New Year ‘Seollal’ which falls between January and February every year as per the lunar calender. Around April, the blossoming of flowers on trees is indication of the arrival of spring in Korea and a number of flower festivals are held across Korea in this season, for example the Namsan Cherry Blossom Festival. The Lotus Lantern Festival celebrating the Buddha’s birthday is another much looked-forward-to annual event. Over one lakh lanterns in various shapes and colours are carried by devotees in a parade and traditional folk events are held alongside. In June, the very eco-friendly Muju Firefly Festival is held at Muju in South Korea. Apart from seeing the firefly museum and attending firefly hunts and firefly lectures, people can also enjoy a variety of folkloric and traditional events.
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Unesco World Heritage Sites In Korea
Korea is home to seven World Cultural Heritages, one World Natural Heritage, six Documentary Heritages and three World Intangible Heritages. While a lot of people are aware about Korea’s long history and rich traditions, they are still amazed to see upon visiting the profound beauty of the country’s natural, historic and culture relics which exist even to this day. The very famous Jeju Island is much loved by locals and visiting tourists alike for its natural beauty. There is also the city of Gyeongju often referred to as the Museum Without Walls as its full of remnants belonging to the Silla Kingdom as well as relics pertaining to Buddhism. Especially worth visiting are Seokguram Grotto and Bulguksa Temple. Then there is the Tripitaka Koreana, a collection of Buddhist scriptures meticulously collected from throughout East Asia and carved into over 80,000 woodblocks by the people of Korea’s Goryeo Dynasty. The Tripitaka Koreana is preserved in a place called Janggyeong Panjeon, located on the grounds of the Haeinsa Temple in Suwon. One should also see the Dolmens, or large burial monuments from ancient times.
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