Nicknamed the “Capital City of Korean Spiritual Culture”, Andong is a picturesque city on the Nakdong River. More than 250 designated cultural landmarks are found around the city and its surrounds, including folk villages, museums and Buddhist temples.
Things to do in Andong
Spend a day explore the living museum of the Heritage-listed Andong Hahoe Folk Village, which is home to descendants of the Ryu clan. Wander amidst the carved totem poles and thatched houses that are nestled at the base of Hwasan Mountain, before enjoying the traditional masked dance performances.
The Andong Hahoe Folk Village is surrounded by a landscape of spectacular natural beauty, including white sandy beaches and verdant pine forests. Take a boat trip across the Nakdong River and hike to the top of Buyongdae Cliff to admire the village below.
Witness one of South Korea’s oldest wooden buildings at the 7th-century Bongjeongsa Temple, the largest of its kind in Andong. It features a three-storey Stone Pagoda and trees adorned in Buddhist sutras, while religious hermitages are scattered throughout the property.
Visit the Andong Folk Museum to see re-enactments of traditional weddings and ancestral worship that reflect Confucian beliefs. Learn how to play local games and manufacture textiles according to long-established traditions, with historic stone houses, mud huts and watermills displayed in an outdoor exhibit.
Getting around Andong
Andong is three hours’ drive from Seoul and is connected to Busan, Daegu and Gwangju by regular train services. Buses access all corners of the city and link Andong to the surrounding towns and villages.