By Chung Ah-young
Staff reporter
Hahoe Village (Important Folk Material No. 122) and Yangdong Village (Important Folk Material No. 189) have many things in common as both are clan communities and preserve Confucian values, situated amid nature-blessed backdrops in North Gyeongsang Province.
Established in the early Joseon period (1392-1910), the two villages evince the typical characteristics of the Joseon communities. Hahoe was formed when a number of Pungsan Yu families moved and settled down in the region. Meanwhile, Yangdong was created through a marriage between the Wolseong Son and Yeogang Yi families.
The two villages were modeled in accordance with feng shui. Their topographic conditions are described as favored regions in “Taengniji,” a renowned Joseon geographic book written by Yi Jung-hwan.
Hahoe is shaped as “a lotus flower floating on water,” which is known to be the most auspicious in feng shui.
Yangdong resembles a favorable Chinese character with its mountains and valleys. The primary houses of the Wolseong Son and Yeogang Yi families are located on the high ground of mountain ridges above valleys, while the houses of the lesser classes are situated on the lower ground. The structure resembles the social hierarchy of the Joseon Kingdom, which was a rigid status-based system. The village retains its “yangban” (aristocratic class) tradition and culture.
The structures of both villages are in harmony with the surrounding nature and divided into productive, living and ritual spaces, reflecting Confucian values. In the ritual space, there are pavilions and schools in which scholars could study, retreat and share ideas.
Hahoe is home to Yangjindang Manor (Treasure No. 306) and Chunghyodang Manor (Treasure No. 414) and also nine important folklore materials. The village also houses Yu Seong-nyong's voluminous books, including “Jingbirok” (National Treasure No 132), a record of the Japanese invasion of Korea in 1592.
Yangdong village retains six treasures such as Seobaeckdang (the primary house of Wolseong Son family), Mucheomdang (National Treasure No. 411, the primary house of Yeogang Yi family), Gwangajeong (National Treasure No. 442), Hyangdan (National Treasure No. 412), thatched-roof houses of the lower class, Ihyangjeong and Simsujeong pavilions, and Ganghakdang village school. The village is home to a 15th-century portrait of Son So (Treasure No. 1216).
The villages also preserve invaluable intangible heritages. In Hahoe, the “byeolsingut” mask dance, a shamanist rite wearing a mask (Important Intangible Cultural Property No. 69) and “julbulnori,” or a display of strings of firecrackers, have been handed down over generations, while Yangdong includes tug-of-war as part of its tradition.