Traditional Village: Jeonju, South Korea

Jeonju feels like a festival. People dress up, and wear flower crowns, and there’s a simple excitement about being there in the atmosphere.

(Cover Image by Byeonghoon Jeon)

Youngins trying on traditional culture: hanbok-style

Why Go? Traditional Architecture

There are ways to fortify traditional culture within Seoul itself. It’s popular to done hanboks which you can rent to wear for a day around the old temples. There, you take photos and it’s a whole scene. If however, you’re interested in more, more large-scale or village-scale immersion, a traditional village visit is up your alley.

Temples and pagodas scattered throughout

Men playing games and shoot the breeze

Jeonju.

Getting There

Closely located to Seoul, Jeonju is visitable by train being just under 2 hours from Seoul. It’s conducive to a full-fledged day trip. Or, an overnight in the architecture of old will grant an even more charming in-depth breather from the soju-soaked streets of Seoul city.

There is a sweetness about the bustle of Jeonju as compared to its larger counterpart. There are more Korean tourists in Jeonju than foreigners and it’s an accessible alternative perspective of a Korean place beyond Seoul. Especially if you’re not ready to embark on somewhere further like Busan or Jeju, Jeonju is an easy and fun getaway.

I particularly recommend scoping the Lotus Festival in July which is an elevated way to experience Jeonju and this annual bloom of the mud flower.

Activities

Motorbiking

A motorbike is a fantastic way to whiz around the village to stop at places at your whim and venture to streets all around the central as well as outskirts village area. Jeonju is a very concentrated hub of Korean architecture, the Hanok style. Some of the buildings are renovated to cleanly depict the traditional style for visitors. Many buildings are hundreds of years old.

Image by Jens-Olaf Walter

Jeonju is also the culinary capital of Korea: the "Food Capital" of Korea, and a testament to its gastronomic strength. The traditions are firmly rooted and have been passed down throughout generations.

Hanjeongsik…!

Hanjeongsik is a traditional Korean banquet. It’s a feast of a meal that showcases Korean dishes from the royal times. It’s a set menu and features a balance of diverse flavors, colors, and textures, towards a full-bodied and comprehensive culinary enrichment.

Jeonju Bibimbap

The notoriously famous dish is associated with Jeonju, "Jeonju Bibimbap" and is originated from Jeonju. Bibimbap is a globally adored Korean dish that is made up of rice and topped gracefully with a selection of pickled and various cooked vegetables, meat, an egg, and Gochujang. Jeonju Bibimbap is renowned for the style of its preparation and utilization of Jeonju soy sauce and Jeonju beef.

Street Food Delights

Jeonju is also famous for the nature of its experimental street food. The city's Hanok Village flourishes as the heart of street food. The weekend evening night market occurs boasts playful representations of what’s Korean familiar with stalls and a range of classic Korean to hybrid and utterly unique treats.

Hanjeongsik meal, Image by Republic of Korea

Culinary Preservation

The city also has a Jeonju Bibimbap Festival, an annual event devoted to its iconic dish. At the festival, visitors can participate in bibimbap-making and even bibimbap competitions, tasting others’ regional variations of the dish, and learning further nuances of this premier Korean favorite. It occurs in early October.

The city also boasts delightful mandu or large dumplings for snacking

There are a handful of versions of bibimbap in Jeonju outside of the festival. Family House serves the Jeonju specialty bibimbap with tartare beef and raw egg instead of cooked. Hankookjib is a classic style and the city’s oldest bibimbap restaurant. And Jeonju Hyundaiok is a local locale featuring spicy bibimbap and other tasty casual fare.

Overall, Jeonju's food encompasses its commitment to preserving Korean cuisine and perpetuating traditional Korean culture…be sure to savor its historic dishes.

*Safety tip

If traveling via train, it’s popular to get snacks for the ride. Forewarned, if you’re sensitive to caffeine, the bottled coffees sold at stations are so strong.

Also, much of the food in Jeonju includes meat, and vegetarians be notified.

Overlooking Jeonju, Image by Colline Omogdae

Bottom line

Korea has developed to become a cosmopolitan area reflected in the lights of Seoul. It feels like a young city, led by young people even though the demographic is inclusive to Boomer and Gen X gens. However, what’s special about Jeonju is that you can experience more blatantly the subtleties of Korea’s old-guard culture. This is the history of Korean empires, what the dynasties were before the messy geopolitics of colonization and development. From a cultural standpoint, as a Millennial, it’s touching to see the younger generations mixed with the old immersed in its old-style streets. In Jeonju, there’s an active appreciation for taking in and keeping alive the culture from which it stems.