Last Morning in Muju Deogyusan Ski Resort

Our tummies begging for food after one hour refreshing ourselves in hot tubs at St Hue Club jjimjilbang.

  

Grabbed some gimbap, bread and banana milk...

 

from big convenience shop at Muju Festival Street.

After had our breakfast, we slowly stroll back to hotel

 to get our luggage and check out... 

Muju Wine Gallery

Calm and chilly morning view from Kookmin Hotel.

skiing slopes blanketed with white snow~!

Welcome Center looks like European-style castle.

You have to Check-in and Check-Out here during off-peak seasons.

Super love the high ceiling with the big chandelier lighting

and still Christmas atmosphere although it's already Feb ^^

Grand and good quality of wooden furniture

and long and big staircases...

 Weather Forecast at Receptionist Area.

But, were quite disappointed with Kookmin Hotel, as the room is really small and squeezy. We hardly have place to walk after laying 2 mattresses and our 2 luggage. 

The room with super simple desk, wardrobe, small TV and fan. Small bathroom with shower head and toilet bowl. No toiletries provided except for 2 towels and toilet rolls. Therefore, I didn't take any photo because it's totally different from the photo from their website.

The room is with ondol floor, but when you on the ondol it's so stuffy and I'd to wake up to turn on the fan... but still not helpful that I woke up again to slightly open the window to supply fresh air to the room.

I don't recommend this hotel... The plus points only the location inside Muju resort and easy online room reservation and they accept foreign credit card (most of the online booking only accept Korean credit cards or bank transfer).

But, frankly this is the worst room that we ever stayed in Korea. However, because we opted for Winter Wonderland package, we enjoyed some discounted rate for ski equipments rental, free ski lift and sauna.

Actually with the rate you can stay in Minbak or pension houses with nicer bigger rooms and more amenities. We saw few pension houses on the way from Muju bus terminal to resort, which you can consider if you're not going there for skiing. Or choose other hotels inside this resort with the package if you're going for winter activities, so you can save on rental of equipments and ski lift.

Hhhmmm... Reindeer and Santa's 'Sliegh' bus?!

We're waiting for the taxi outside the reception area, after we asked the receptionist to call the taxi driver that drove us here as he gave us his name card.

Let me drive you to Muju Winter Wonderland with this 

X'masie bus ^^

하나... 둘... 셋... 김치~!^^

 

 Let's check whether the taxi is here already?

 Leaving Muju Deogyusan Resort around 10:30 am. 안녕~!!!

Wish everyone a Happy New Year!
새해 복 많이 받으세요~!^^

Related Posts:

~ Mansun House (만선하우스)

~ Let's hit Ski Slope and Slide down the Snowy Hill~!
~ Fun with White Snow

~ [Muju Ski Resort ] - Saint Hue Club Sauna and Jjimjilbang

[Yeongju] Quaint Museom Hanok Village (영주 무섬마을) Part 3

Did I mentioned that this village is Seonbi's hometown. Seonbi means "virtuous scholar" who passed up positions of wealth and power to lead lives of study and and following the rightful path, even though they come from yangban class .

Great and really thankful to our taxi driver for accompanying  us, else we wouldn't have so much fun exploring this village for about 2 hours. He assured and showed us around so we're totally worry free...

We even went in to some of the houses and even tried to operate some of traditional machines. You know, it won't be that case if we're there by ourselves. Do you think it's polite to just go in without permission?! I think it's impolite. Do you know that most of the residences here are scholars?! Wah... just couldn't imagine if the owner suddenly come out from the house?! What should we do? Must we greet and converse in very formal and polite Gyeongsang dialect like those in historical drama?!

Hahaha... maybe I think too much. We only saw two elderly villagers. Maybe the rest of the owners were resting inside the houses as it's quite cold outside or preparing food for dinner...

Anyway, you can really tell that you're in scholars village from their beautiful Chinese calligraphy house's plague (written by seonbis / owners?), Chinese wordings hang on the gates or wall inside their houses.

Ok, let me share some unique hanoks and eccentric and interesting things found in this village ...

Nongdang Cottage (농당고택 / 农堂古宅)

Is the owner of the house a farmer?

Traditional Grain Grinder @농당고택

Demonstration on how to use it by our expert taxi driver~^^

My hubby got difficulty to pull himself up (너무 뚱뚱해 :P), but when I tried it's so easy, not even use much strength to pull myself up using my hands. Then, my husband figured out, that stand further in (not at the end) as this grinder works like seesaw. 재미 있다~! Super duper fun~!!! ㅋㅋ

Manual Foot-Operated Paddy Thresher @농당고택

Check the video below on how to operate it...

  Nice wide front porch (대청) @농당고택

Imagine myself live in this hanok and having a sip of tea~

Gorgeous Oheon (오헌고택 / 吾軒古宅) 

Hanok next to 농당고택!

Plague Stone direction to 오헌고택 / 吾軒古宅

This Widang Cottage (위당고택) is 마당 넓은 집 민박 

(please check previous post for minbak details)

Chiryujeong (치류정 / 峙流亭)

You need to climb the stairs to access to 치류정,

as it's the only hanok sit on higher slope...

(check the video below 1:24)

 剑溪古宅?

KT Skylife (KT스카이라이프) satellite broadcasting

Sigh~! so embarrassed that I don't even know how to read them. 

But I love their handwriting! Feel like to knock on their doors and 

ask whether I can learn calligraphy from them. I mean it! 

Wow~! I found treasures!!!

so many rows of large earthen pots (옹기 = Onggi) for  my few years supply of
Soybean paste (된장 = Doenjang), Soy Sauce (간장 =Ganjang), Kimchi (김치)
and  Hot pepper paste (고추장 =Gochujang)~^^

 Museom Village Exhibition Hall (무섬 자료전시관)

This exhibition hall has 5 themes permanently exhibit 

Museom history and background, life and culture of the villagers.

Check this blog for more information of exhibition hall, hanok houses and photos of Museom village (in Korean language).

Super recommended for family or friends to stay overnight here.

I love the unspoiled beauty of this old-world village~^^ 

It's kinda therapeutic to stroll around... 

Tranquil atmosphere and fresh air~!

You can see the Single log bridge from here, 

but it seemed far away~~~!

Museom Sudo Bridge.

At that point of time, I knew that one day I'll miss Museom!

I miss this humble village now after looking at all the pictures!

Travel Information: 

This village is very popular for hanok minbak (bread and breakfast) stay. 

For  Travel / Minbak Information:

www.무섬마을.com

www.sunbichon.net

Add: 경북 영주시 문수면 수도리

Culture Tour Guide: 054 636-4700

Related Posts:

~ Museom Single Log Bridge (무섬외 나무다리)

~ Seonbichon Village (선비촌)

~ Sosu Seowon Confucian Academy (소수서원)

~ Sosu Museum (소수박물관)

~ Legends of Buseoksa Temple (부석사)

[Yeongju] Quaint Museom Hanok Village (영주 무섬마을) Part 1

Museom is surrounded by water on three sides which flowing down from Mt. Sobaek and Mt. Taebaek. Naeseongcheon Stream (the upstream of Nakdonggang River) and Yeongjucheon Stream converge and loop around the village. It looks like lotus flower floating on the water, therefore it's called Museom (水岛里 / Sudori =  floating island).

In order to access to the village, Single Log Bridge (link to my previous post) was built. This S-shape (looks like Yin and Yang in Korean flag) is a famous attraction besides 40 over traditional hanok houses in this village.

There are 9 cultural assets in Museom Village:

* Haeudang (해우당 고택) - Folklore Material No. 92

* Manjukje (만죽재 고택) - Folklore Material No. 93

  (Haeudang and Manjukje are two of the most historical and beautiful old homes that exhibit the 

  humble formality of old nobles).

* Kim Deok-Jin's house (김덕진 가옥) - Folklore Material No. 117

* Kim Roe-Jin's house (김뢰진 가옥) - Folklore Material No. 118

* Kim Wi-Jin's house (김위진 가옥) - Folklore Material No. 360 

* Kim Yu-Jin's house(김유진 가옥) - Folklore Material No. 361

* Kim Jeong-Gyu's house (김정규 가옥) - Folklore Material No. 362

* Bak Deok-Woo's house (박덕우 가옥) - Folklore Material No. 363

* Bak Cheon-Rip's house (박천립 가옥) - Folklore Material No. 364

Let me roughly introduce some of the these beautiful hanok houses. There are 2 types of the houses: 'Giwajip' and 'Chogajip'...

~Widang Cottage (위당 고택)~

 Yangban (upper class) houses mostly with Giwa (tiled roof) that emphasized
not only the function of the house but also possess great artistic value.


 마당 넓은 집 민박

The above Giwajip is Traditional Hanok Minbak (Bread and Breakfast).

Let's forget about busy city life and just enjoy the moment! You can buy ice cream, drinks and snacks from this minbak, and sit inside the tavern hut (원두막) in front of the hanok house.

Chogajip (thatched houses with plaited rice straw) of the 

commoners were built in a more strictly functional manner.

If you walked around, you can see that a lot of houses have stacked firewood beside or under their houses. Traditional way of transferring heat from wood smoke from stove (아궁이 = agungi) to ondol (underfloor heating) instead of modern technology heating system and cooking using firewood are still common here.

~*~*~*~*~

Haeudang (해우당 고택 / 海愚堂古宅 )

This spacious 5 kan Haeudang was built by Yeonggak (1809-1876), 

the grandson of Kim Dae's third son in 1836, and later it's 

remodeled by Kim Nakpung (1825-1900).

This village still preserving Korean Confucianism, and the feeling of 

the 'Seonbi' (leaders with scholarly enthusiasm and extreme integrity in ancient Korea).

Susinjega (수신제가 / 修身齊家) refers to moral training and home management. 

You can realize the classical scholars’ self discipline amidst the 

ancient buildings, and experience the traditional Korean

 educational system in person from this house.

You can get Yeongju map and travel information in front of Haeudang.

Wanna stay in this hanok house, please check this link.

We noticed that they like to stick Traditional Chinese characters of

Tiger (虎) and Dragon (龍) on their doors.

Add: 경상북도 영주시 문수면 무섬로 238-2 (수도리 244)

You can see this 2 storey pavilion, Cheongtoejeong (청퇴정 / 清退亭) from Haeudang.

Should have great view of the whole Sudori from up there...

~*~*~*~*~

Kim Jeong-Gyu's House (김정규 가옥) 

골동반(骨董飯) traditional restaurant 

www.museomfood.com

Add: 경북 영주시 문수면 수도리 268

Ph: 054-634-8000, 070-8815-8008

Bamboo sun shade and wide front porch (대청 = daecheong). 

Shooting location for Love Rain (사랑비) 

to be continued...

Related Post:

~ Museom Single Log Bridge (무섬외 나무다리)

~ Seonbichon Village (선비촌)

~ Sosu Seowon Confucian Academy (소수서원)

~ Legends of Buseoksa Temple (부석사)