Andong is one of the last living vestiges of old Korea, a
treasure-trove of Confucian tradition. Visitors are
charmed by the ancient homes of yangban, or
noblemen. Old gentlemen dressed in ancestral attire
including horse-hair hats are commonly seen on
Andong's streets. T'osan Sowon, a Confucian academy
founded by the scholar Yi T'oe-Gye in the 16th
century, is nearby.
Hahoe is a small village near Andong, with a delightful
blend of thatched-roof peasant houses and tiled-roof
yangban villas, Hahoe has been designated by the
government as a historic preservation site. The village
is known for a special form of mask dance drama,
Hahoe T'alchum, and is the site of a famous
sharmanistic ceremony, the Pyolshin Kut. |