Introduction
Andong is the largest city in the northern part of Gyeongsangbuk-do. Although it had been growing rapidly since the 1970s, like the rest of the country, it has recently seen a decline in population as thousands of people moved to Seoul and other cities in search of higher education and better jobs. Still, Andong has been known as the cultural and folk center of the region since the Shilla Dynasty. During the Joseon Dynasty, the town attracted many Confucian scholars since it had the largest number of Confucian schools in the country. Even today, there are dozens of private Confucian schools that were established during those years.
The city gained international fame when Queen Elizabeth II celebrated her 73rd birthday here in 1999. In preparation for her visit, the city government improved the roads and even expanded the highway that runs through it (road 34) to two lanes both directions. East of the city center, the 600-year-old Folk Village (Hahoe Maeul) is Andong's biggest...
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Pungsan Hanji Factory
Hanji, paper made from mulberry bark, is one of South Korea's most beautiful traditional products. You can see how the paper is made -- a painstaking...
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Hahoe Mask Museum
Located near the entrance to the Hahoe Folk Village, this museum displays masks from Korea and around the world. A variety of Hahoe tal (masks),...
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- Museums
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Jirye Art Village (Artists' Colony)
This artists' colony houses some cultural assets, like traditional houses and stone monuments, that were moved here due to the damming of the Imha...
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