Jeonju is a city known for – besides its food – a rich display of culture and history. Its plentiful attractions is what keeps it at one of the top cities in South Korea visited by tourists, and because of the small size of the city, makes many things easy to access on foot or a quick bus or taxi ride.

Jeonju has a complex backstory, and the location where the start of the Joseon Dynasty was founded. The Joseon Dynasty would continue rule over Korea for half a millennia, developing much of what would later be considered traditional Korean culture until its gradual weakening by Japanese rule. Thanks to its strong ties to the Royal Families of Korea, it is regarded as a cultural centre that is highly regarded.

The city has many cultural sites open to the public to increase awareness of Korea’s crafts and history. Possibly one of the most well-known sites for visitors is the Hanok Village. Hanok refers to traditional Korean-style houses, of which there are 800 within the village area, some of which are available for hire as accommodation. While the houses have since undergone some modern refurbishments, it makes for an interesting immersion into the lifestyle, art, and architecture of Korea in the past.

Jeonju PungNamMun Gate (전주 풍남문)

As a central location for royalty, Jeonju was once home to Jeonju Castle, which was guarded by a fortress with 4 gates. Each gate stood at the compass points – North, South, East, and West. While the original fortress and gates were destroyed multiple times throughout history, first by the Japanese occupants during a war in the 1500s, and then, following a rebuild of the Southern Gate, by a fire in 1767.

The final structure stands after a 3-year restoration project of the Southern Gate which took place in 1978. The pillars that form the structure of the top half of the gate run all the way down to the ground, a style of architecture that is uncommon in gate towers in Korea. Its name is the PungNamMun, or the PungNam Gate (풍남문), standing neatly closed off in a roundabout just a couple minutes’ walk outside of the Jeonju Hanok Village.

You can enter the small roundabout walk onto the island within which the gate sits. A path allows you to cross the grass to approach it closely to take photos, but it is fenced off from entry both through the gate and up the stairs onto the upper level.

JeonDong Catholic Church (천주교 전동 성당)

It is fairly well-known that many Koreans follow a Christian faith, but there stands a church within the Jeonju Hanok Village area built in honour of Roman Catholic martyrs. Construction of the church occurred between 1908 and 1914, a period within which Korea was under Japanese rule. Though it was commissioned by the French Priest Baudenet, its design was the work of Priest Poinel, whose other work famously includes the MyeongDong Cathedral in the MyeongDong neighbourhood of Seoul.

The construction of the church involved the use of bricks and other materials from the fortress which one stood alongside the PungNamMun. This includes the cornerstone, significant in the building of churches as its role as the first stone to be set, and as such acts as a reference to the remaining stones used in construction.

The Church boasts features of Romanesque architecture, indicated by the thick stone walls, small windows, proportional design, and the round arches, with some Byzantine characteristics, indicated by the rounded dome structures supported by a square base. The resulting structure is an incredible homage to both eastern and western influences, and as its status as the first site of martyrs in Korea, holds incredible significance to the Catholic community.

Please be advised that the Church still functions as a place of worship – be mindful when taking photos, and do not bother others who may be in prayer.

Jeonju Hanji Paper Museum (전주한지박물관)

It’s fairly common knowledge that paper was likely first developed in China, produced through a complex process of milling wood and plant fibres and forming a thin sheet on a mat. Paper revolutionised reading culture and literature in China, compacting texts down to books that could be easily held. For centuries, China led the world in book collections and libraries, until the globalisation of paper eventually saw the rest of the world catch up. South Korea has its own style of paper production, resulting in a paper called hanji (한지). Hanji is made from paper mulberry and the secretions of the hibiscus manihot flower, whose starchy mucilage is crucial to the process.

Jeonju Hanji Museum, located in the north-western corner of the city, specialises in the subject. Both a factory and museum, its exhibits are completely free to enter and have extensive information on the history and production of hanji. This is accessible on foot or by taxi, or is a few minutes’ walk from the main road that runs through Jeonju where buses may pass.

As the grounds also contains a factory, it is important to abide by the rules as provided by the staff to avoid accidents, including the path to walk from the gates to the entrance of the visitor’s centre.

First, all visitors must sign in at the gate before being directed to follow the marked path to the centre. This is common for factories to prevent accidents with large vehicles. Visitors will then be greeted and directed upstairs, and recommended to follow the exhibits in a specific order for the best experience.

The museum contains three neatly divided exhibitions: firstly is the history of hanji paper; secondly is the future of hanji, including modern uses; the third is a special exhibition featuring hanji paper. At the exit of the third section is a directed path which leads back to the bottom floor of the museum, showcasing the materials and tools involved. The experience finishes with a demonstration of the final process of forming a sheet of hanji, which you can then stamp and take home to keep as a souvenir.

With its information written in both Korean and English, it’s easy for visitors to understand the art of paper-making. It’s incredibly informative, and even compares traditional paper usage and paper-making processes of China and Japan, too. The gift shop in the foyer of the museum offers an impressive number of hanji-based products, which vary in price to include some very affordable souvenirs, both practical and ornamental.

Though it’s a little out of the way and our experience was rushed due to our arriving close to closing time (unknowingly!) we loved the experience and would even look to return to spend more time in the exhibits. Despite having no entrance fee, it is a full experience that you could easily spend a couple of hours doing. We recommend it to anyone who loves culture and art, or even those just looking for something a little different.