Jeonju Hanok Village [Slow City]

Jeonju Hanok Village is the largest traditional hanok village in Korea, with about 700 hanok houses clustered in the Pungnam-dong area of Jeonju. It is the only urban hanok cluster in the country. First established in 1910, it is an important space reflecting the development process of modern residential culture in Korea. Major cultural properties such as Gyeonggijeon Shrine, Omokdae, and Hyanggyo Confucian School, along with about 20 cultural facilities, are scattered throughout the area. Strolling along Hyanggyo-gil, Choi Myeong-hee-gil, and Gyeonggijeon-gil allows visitors to experience the beautiful alleyways and the ambiance of hanok houses. When night falls over Jeonju Hanok Village, the Cheonsa Chorong lanterns illuminating Taejo-ro and the lighting that highlights the hanok walls create a charming night view. Additionally, unique travel spaces such as Jeonju Nanjang, Jaman Mural Village, the night market, and Cheongnyeon Mall can be explored.

The beauty of hanok lies in the roof lines. The eaves gently curving upward toward the sky are a characteristic and charm of hanok. The structure of a hanok is largely divided into the anchae (inner quarters) and sarangchae (men's quarters). The anchae, where women stayed, includes a gyubang (maiden's room), while the sarangchae, used by men, features a seonbi-bang (scholar's room). Hanok separates male and female activities, each with its own features. Among these, the anchae is located in the most private and secluded area as it was the women's living space. Another characteristic of hanok is the ondol room. Since Koreans traditionally lived sitting on the floor, ondol (underfloor heating) is installed. The ondol structure involves creating a furnace (hamsil) outside the room and heating the floor by burning fire under the gudeul (the area inside the furnace). The biggest feature of ondol is that it keeps the room cool in summer and warm in winter.