Andong: what to see, where to stay and how to get around
For five centuries Andong was the heartland of Korean Confucianism, and its great families built academies and clan villages along the Nakdong River. This drive links the two most famous scholars of the region, Yi Hwang and Ryu Seong-ryong, and the village where Ryu's family still lives. Allow a full day by car; Hahoe alone deserves three hours. The village roads are closed to cars, so park at the entrance and take the shuttle.
A short history of Andong
Andong, in eastern South Korea, was for centuries a centre of Confucian scholars and is regarded as the capital of traditional Korean culture. In 1574 Dosan Seowon was founded here in memory of the scholar Yi Hwang, whose portrait appears on the 1,000-won note. In the nearby village of Hahoe, where the Ryu clan has lived for centuries, houses with thatched and tiled roofs have been preserved, as well as mask dramas that are still performed today. In 1999 Queen Elizabeth II visited the village, and in 2010 it was declared a World Heritage Site.
The ten best sights in Andong
1Hahoe VillageA living clan village in a bend of the river, UNESCO-listed since 2010; people still live in the houses, so keep voices down
2ByeongsanseowonConfucian academy facing a cliff over the river; the long wooden pavilion is the reason to come
3DosanseowonThe academy of the scholar Toegye Yi Hwang, the face on the 1,000-won note; 30 minutes north by car
4BongjeongsaMountain temple whose Geungnakjeon hall is the oldest wooden building in Korea
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5Imcheonggak
Old noble house, birthplace of the independence leader Yi Sang-ryong; ten minutes' walk from the bridge
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6Seven-storey Brick Pagoda of Beopheungsa
The tallest brick pagoda in Korea, standing alone next to the riverside road
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7Andong Folk Museum
Weddings, ancestor rites and farm life of the region; a good hour before the villages
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8Hahoe World Mask Museum
Hahoe masks plus masks from all over Asia and beyond, at the village entrance
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9Andong Soju & Traditional Food Museum
The story of the town's strong rice spirit, next to a working distillery
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10Yi Yuksa Literature Museum
Museum of the poet and resistance fighter in his home village near Dosan
Scan with your phone camera to open the map there
What is an audio walk?
Tours in Andong →A guide in your headphones: open the walk on our site, walk from stop to stop, and at each one your phone tells its story. No guide, no group, and free. This is the first walk in Andong:
Free walking tours in Andong
The scholars' river
For five centuries Andong was the heartland of Korean Confucianism, and its great families built academies and clan villages along the Nakdong River. This drive links the two most famous scholars of the region, Yi Hwang and Ryu Seong-ryong, and the village where Ryu's family still lives. Allow a full day by car; Hahoe alone deserves three hours. The village roads are closed to cars, so park at the entrance and take the shuttle.
- Dosanseowon · The academy was founded in 1574 by the pupils of Yi Hwang, four years after his death, around the small school he had built here himself. A painting of the place by Jeong Seon is printed on the back of the 1,000-won note.
- Byeongsanseowon · Built to honour Ryu Seong-ryong, the prime minister during the Japanese invasions of the 1590s. It is one of the nine Confucian academies listed together by UNESCO in 2019.
- Hahoe Village · Hahoe means 'river turning', after the S-bend of the Nakdong that wraps around the village. Queen Elizabeth II came here in 1999 and was given a birthday meal in one of the clan houses.
- Okyeonjeongsa · In this small retreat across the river Ryu Seong-ryong wrote Jingbirok, his account of the Imjin War, so that later generations would learn from the mistakes.
- Buyongdae Cliff · On festival nights the villagers stretch burning ropes from the top of this cliff to the far bank, and fire drops onto the river below. The tradition is called seonyu julbulnori.
- Hahoe World Mask Museum · The original Hahoe masks, carved from alder wood in the Goryeo period, are a National Treasure. The museum opened in 1995 and keeps copies beside masks collected from dozens of countries.
Bridge, pagoda and dam
Andong's own riverbank holds more than most visitors expect: a noble house, a Silla pagoda and the bridge that is now the symbol of the town. Further up, the dam that flooded whole valleys in the 1970s also explains why there is a village of rescued houses on the hill. About three hours, partly on foot along the river and partly by short drives. Finish at the bridge after dark, when it is lit.
- Imcheonggak · In 1911 Yi Sang-ryong sold the family lands and left for Manchuria to raise an independence army; he later headed the Korean Provisional Government. The colonial authorities then ran the railway line straight through the yard of his house.
- Seven-storey Brick Pagoda of Beopheungsa · About 17 metres high and built in the Unified Silla period, it is the tallest brick pagoda in Korea. The temple it belonged to has disappeared completely.
- Andong Folk Village · When Andong Dam was built in the 1970s, the rising water covered whole villages. Some of their old houses and pavilions were taken apart and rebuilt here.
- Woryeonggyo Bridge · In 1998 a letter from 1586 was found in the tomb of a man named Yi Eung-tae, written by his young widow, and with it a pair of sandals woven from her own hair. The bridge's shape is meant to echo those sandals.
- Andong Dam · The dam holds back the Nakdong, the longest river entirely in South Korea, which then flows past Daegu to the sea at Busan.
- Andong Soju & Traditional Food Museum · Andong soju is distilled from rice, not diluted like the green bottles, and the traditional bottling is 45 percent alcohol. The technique is said to have arrived with the Mongols in the 13th century.
Temples and a poet
North of the town the hills hide some of the oldest timber in Korea and the houses of men who shaped its history. This loop climbs to a mountain temple, stops at a clan head house and follows the lake to a poet's village. Half a day by car on quiet roads. End back in the old market, where Andong's best-known dish was invented.
- Bongjeongsa · Repairs in 1972 uncovered a record showing that the Geungnakjeon hall had been rebuilt in 1363, which makes it the oldest wooden building in Korea. The temple was listed by UNESCO in 2018 among seven mountain monasteries.
- Hakbong Jongtaek · Head house of the family of Kim Seong-il, who went to Japan as an envoy in 1590 and reported that Hideyoshi would not invade. Two years later he did, and Kim spent the war trying to make up for it.
- Andong Lake · Before the dam, this valley held farming villages and the old county town of Yean; its scattered houses now lie under the water you drive beside.
- Yi Yuksa Literature Museum · The poet Yi Won-rok took his pen name from his prison number, 264, given to him by the Japanese police. He died in a Beijing prison in 1944, a year before liberation.
- Dosanseowon · Yi Hwang's portrait is on the 1,000-won note, and his academy kept training scholars for more than three centuries. In 1792 King Jeongjo even held a special state examination here in his honour.
- Andong Gu Market · Andong jjimdak, chicken braised with glass noodles, chilli and soy, was first cooked by the chicken sellers of this market, and the alley still has dozens of places making it.
Getting to Andong and getting around
- Andong Station · Moved here, west of the centre, in 2020; KTX-Eum trains from Seoul Cheongnyangni take about two hours
- Andong Bus Terminal · Right beside the station; country buses to Hahoe and Dosan Seowon run only a few times a day, so check the times first
Cheap eats in Andong
Andong cooks like an inland town that took its ancestors seriously. Heotjesatbap, 'fake ritual rice', is the plate of ancestor-rite dishes eaten without the rite; mackerel arrives salted, because it once came days by cart from the coast; and jjimdak, the braised chicken, now feeds the whole country. Portions are made for sharing, and a solo traveller may be asked to order for two.
- Kkachi Gumeong Jip · Heotjesatbap set with mackerel, near the bridge, about ₩15,000
- Jangsu Andong Jjimdak · Jjimdak in the old market alley, a whole chicken for two or three about ₩30,000
- Mammoth Bakery · Andong's old bakery, cream-cheese bread and buns about ₩3,000-6,000
- Andong Yangban Chammason Guksu · Hand-cut noodles in a light broth, a bowl about ₩8,000-10,000
- Dure Ssambap · Rice with a pile of leaves to wrap it in, about ₩12,000 a person
- Jjuya Bunsik · Snack bar for tteokbokki and kimbap, about ₩4,000-7,000
Museums in Andong
- Hahoe World Mask Museum · Masks from Hahoe and around the world; an hour on the way to the village
- Andong Folk Museum · Life-cycle rites and farm life; across the road from the folk village
- Andong Soju & Traditional Food Museum · Small museum on distilling and the head-family table
- Yi Yuksa Literature Museum · The poet's life, prison and poems; combine with Dosan Seowon
- Imcheonggak · The independence family's house; the rail line that cut it is now gone
Nature and day trips near Andong
- Buyongdae Cliff · Short climb to the best view of Hahoe
- Andong Lake · Drive the lake road toward Dosan; best in autumn colours
- Andong Dam · Walk along the crest for the view over both sides
- Woryeong Park · Riverside lawns and a pavilion at the end of the bridge
- Imha Lake · The second reservoir east of town, quieter and greener
Things to do in Andong with kids
- Woryeonggyo Bridge · Walk across at dusk when the lights come on; fountains run on summer evenings
- Confucian Land · Interactive theme museum, rain-proof, about two hours
- Andong Folk Village · Walk into the rebuilt houses; free and close to the bridge
- Talchum Park · Mask dance shows in the season; the autumn festival is held here
- Nakgang Mulgil Park · Shady paths, ponds and a small waterfall below the dam
Where to eat in Andong
- Andong Myeongseong Hanu Galbi · Seasoned local beef ribs in the galbi alley, a portion about ₩30,000 and up
- Andong Bonga Galbi · Another galbi house in the same lane; grilled at the table
- Jaerim Galbi · Charcoal ribs with the usual spread of side dishes
- Baekjo Sutbul Galbi · Charcoal galbi at the end of the food street
- Hanseong Agujjim · Spicy braised monkfish with bean sprouts, for two or three about ₩40,000
- Somunnan Makguksu · Cold buckwheat noodles, a bowl about ₩8,000-9,000
Frequently asked questions about Andong
What is there to see in Andong?
The top sights in Andong are Hahoe Village, Byeongsanseowon and Dosanseowon. The full list on this page has 10 sights, each with a photo and a short note.
How many days do you need in Andong?
Three to four days are enough to see the best of Andong without rushing, including at least one walking tour.
Is there a free walking tour in Andong?
Yes. sleepntrip has 3 free audio walks in Andong, with no guide and no group: your phone tells the story at every stop. The first one: The scholars' river.
How do you get to Andong and get around?
The main ways are Andong Station and Andong Bus Terminal. Full details are in the transport section on this page.
Where to stay in Andong, and for how much?
sleepntrip shows only rooms in Andong that meet nine conditions: a good location, high guest scores, cleanliness, and a price of up to $80 a night for two. Pick your dates and see what is free.
Looking for a hotel in Andong for your dates?
Only rooms that meet nine conditions, up to $80 a night.