Riverhill Hotel is comprised of 147 rooms and various banquet halls that can accommodate up to 700 people, as well as a wedding hall. It is close to Geumgang River and Saemangeum.
Tohyang Gotaek (The Old House of Tohyang) is one of the many historic houses in Bonghwa-eup that are full of the charming features of a hanok house, including a cozy pond, the subtle scent of ink and clay, and a quiet environment. It is run by a calligrapher-potter and his wife, an ex-Korean teacher.
Baraemi Village in Bonghwa, where noblemen of the Yeongnam region lived for many generations, contains many old hanok houses. Notably, Tohyang Gotaek is the only house to provide guests with an opportunity to experience traditional Korean culture and creative arts activities. The house was originally inhabited by the owner’s great-grandfather. The owner returned from Seoul to his hometown in 1977 and entered the hanok stay business in the summer of 2012.
The most popular hands-on program is the pottery making program which allows visitors to try their hand at making pottery with the potter’s wheel. The pottery space is set apart from the accommodation and consists of the wheel room, glazing room, and kiln room. The pottery program allows participants to make and glaze pottery, after which it is baked by the owner and then packed separately and sent to the participants. The House also provides other experience programs including Reading Experience, Debate, Poetry Composition, Sijo (traditional three-verse Korean poem) and Calligraphy programs.
Situated next to the Pottery Workshop is a pine grove that surrounds the rear side of the hanok building like a folding screen. One of the most impressive features of the house is its tall gate (soseuldaemun), which rises higher than the roofs of the anchae (women’s quarters) and sarangchae (men’s quarters) thus, allowing a nobleman’s sedan chair or horse to enter the house easily.
Passing through the tall gate, the keun sarangchae and jageun sarangchae are situated at the front, and there is a small passageway linking (them?) to the daemunchae along the wall. Entering the passageway, there is a square-shaped anchae along with a small lotus pond with a fantastic atmosphere.
Tohyang Gotaek is packed with the owner’s artworks including ceramic and calligraphic works. Moreover, the owners’ smiling faces and warm-hearted services attract many guests all year round.
Cheongsong-gun in Gyeongsangbuk-do is a small village blessed with a spring flowing with natural mineral water, a beautiful valley with a majestic waterfall, and a mountain densely covered with pine trees. Thanks to this superb natural environment, Cheongsong-gun was designated as a 'Slow City' in 2011. Songjeong gotaek (The Old House of Songjeong) is located in the village of Deokcheon in Cheongsong-gun, which is one of the three richest and most prestigious families in the region.
These three wealthy families are said to have produced millionaires for nine generations - from Sim Cheon-dae during the reign of King Yeongjo of Joseon (r. 17224-1776) to the 1960s. In particular, it was a seventh-generation grandson, Sim Ho-taek (pen-name: Songso), famous as one of the richest men in Joseon, who built Songso gotaek (Old House of Songso) along with three houses for his three sons, including Songjeong gotaek for his second son Sim Sang-gwang (pen-name: Songjeong) around 1880. As the Cheongsong Sim Clan has lived in the area for many generations, Cheongsong is known as the village of the Cheongsong Sim family.
Covering a total area of about 10,000m2, Songjeong gotaek has a tall and grand front gate that symbolizes the wealth of the family. Upon entering by the gate, the large outer courtyard comes into view, followed by a gate connecting to the Old House of Songso on the right, and a walking path connecting to a well and a pine grove on the left. The square-shaped structure consists of a sarangchae (detached building), chaekbang (library), and daecheongmaru (main floored room). Passing through the entrance, there are the main building and the inner courtyard. Notably, the chaekbang has retained its original appearance from the time when it was used by Sim Sang-gwang.
Although the house is very large, its interior is simply and modestly designed according to the virtues favored by classical scholars. The rooms are floor-heated in the traditional way (by ondol) using wood, decorated with traditional hanji (Korean paper), and equipped with traditional bedding.
Songjeong gotaek offers visitors a variety of experience programs designed to promote the form of Korean classical music known as Gukak. It holds three major musical events each year including a pansori folksong program and a fusion gukak concert, attracting an audience of anywhere from 200 to 800 people to the courtyard of the house. Sometimes, families hold parties to celebrate their parents’ 60th, 70th, and 80th birthdays.
The low hill situated behind the house has a quiet walking path.
Changsil gotaek (The Old House of Changsil) was originally built by Sim Ho-taek, the owner of Songso Old House, for his brother’s couple. Built in March 1917, the house is a square shaped structure measuring 27-kan (a unit of measurement referring to the distance between two columns) and consisting of the anchae (women’s quarters), sarangchae (men’s quarters), and busokchae (outbuilding). The name of the house ‘Changsil’ originated from the brother’s wife, who came from Changnyeong and was called ‘Changsil daek’ in Korean.
The anchae and the sarangchae are arranged in parallel, with the chaekbang (study) and the gobang (storeroom) situated in between them, together forming the ㅁ-shaped structure of the house. The first building, or ‘sarangchae,’ consists of a sarangbang and a chaekbang between the daecheong (wooden floor). The sarangbang with 2-kan is relatively large. The haengrangchae (servants’ quarters) is a gable roofed building that used to be inhabited by domestic servants.
This thatched hanok house also has a red clay room (hwangtobang) for guests.
Dojeongseowon Confucian Academy (142th Cultural Heritage Material of North Gyeongsang Province), located in Yecheon, North Gyeongsang Province, has been reborn as a unique Hanok stay destination. Originally established to commemorate Yakpo Jeong Tak (1526-1605), a man who saved the life of Admiral Yi Sunsin during his imprisonment, Dojeongseowon is located on the middle of a mountain surrounded by Naeseongcheon Stream. There are 4 rooms in total, namely the Lecture Hall, Euphojeong Pavilion, and Dongjae and Seojae dormitories. The Lecture Hall building is built upon a stone pedestal and has an expansive hall with a great view over the Naeseongcheon Stream. Breathing in the clear air of Yecheon brings one back to the days when the lecture hall rang out with the discussions of the scholars. With a floor area of about 100㎡, there are three rooms in total, making the unit an optimal choice for workshops and other group trips. The most exclusive and beautiful room is the Euphojeong Pavilion, built upon a cliff overlooking the Naeseongcheon Stream. It was the place reserved for guests of the academy, and it is also the best place in the complex to hear the sounds of water rushing down the stream below the cliff. Dongjae and Seojae units include a bathroom, but guests staying in the Euphojeong Pavilion and the Lecture Hall must use a public bathroom outside the building. Ipdeokru Pavilion, which functioned as something akin to the gate to the entire complex, is a seminar room which can host up to 30 people. Standing on the 2nd floor of the pavilion brings one to the view of the Naeseongcheon Stream flowing in an arc around the mountain. Outdoor barbecue grills are located to the back of the Dongjae and Seojae units.
Yecheon is a city brimming with scenic sights and historic heritages. Choganjeong Pavilion, the filming site of the K-drama Mr. Sunshine, is located 30 minutes away by car. Other sights like Hoeryongpo Meandering Stream, Geumdangsil Traditional Village, and Yongmunsa Temple are located 30 minutes by car.
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