On my 5-week family trip to Seoul, South Korea, I asked to visit Korean historical sites. Although my photography focuses on the American Revolution, I enjoy learning about history everywhere. On this trip, I was fortunate to see two Colonial Williamsburg-type historical-themed villages. I'll review in this blog Jeju Folk Village (Jeju Minsokchon) on Juju Island, known as the 'Hawaii of Korea'. In next month's blog, I'll review my visit to the Korean Folk Village in the Seoul suburbs.

The first restoration we visited was Jeju Folk Village (Jeju Minsokchon) on Jeju Island in the Korea Strait, about 50 miles south of the South Korean mainland. An underwater volcano's eruption approximately 2 million years ago created the island. We took a short, less than one-hour plane flight from Inchon airport to the island. We stayed for three days and two nights. The weather didn't cooperate, and it rained at some point every day.

It was a warm, muggy weekday, so not crowded with visitors. Unlike Colonial Williamsburg, there were no interpreters providing tours. Instead, we were strolling the grounds and reading occasional educational information on posted signs.

For this trip, I took my compact and light Panasonic/Lumix Mirrorless DMC-GF6 camera for this trip abroad with a 14-42 mm lens.  Photographers know this, but it takes a lot of work to focus on photography when you're with family. They don't understand why you're taking so long in one place and want to take the same shot from different angles and perspectives. Creating a photo must be done quickly. That's what happened here with these stone figures. I don't know what they symbolize but it makes for an interesting photo. 

Their site map/ brochure describes the Jeju Folk Village as a vivid and faithful re-creation of Jeju Island's traditional culture and history during the late Joseon Dynasty. It is committed to informing international visitors about Jeju's folk culture. 

This Dynasty was the last dynastic kingdom of Korea, lasting just over 500 years. It was founded by Yi Seong-gye in July 1392 and replaced by the Korean Empire in October 1897. A critical element of Korean culture is an earthenware pot called onggi, which has been used for tableware and food storage since prehistoric times. They vary in size. The photo shows how big they can be.

This door was the entrance to the village. The colors were so vibrant I knew this would make a good photo.

My one-and-a-half-year-old- son enjoyed "meeting" this golden ox. He was in awe. In the stone homes, there were also mannequins dressed in traditional clothing. That way, you would feel what living in that period would be like.

Thank you for reading! In next month's blog I'll review my visit to the Korean Folk Village in the Seoul suburbs.

Blog # 65 will be posted in November 2023. Be safe & well!

Ken Bohrer