Pyeongsa-ri, Korea

    Description

    Introduction to the village

    Pyeongsa-ri, a rich and beautiful farm field, has become Korea’s best literary-themed tourist destination thanks to the development of literary tourism resources that harmonize fiction and reality. It is well known as an area to experience various literary tours and traditional culture throughout the year. In particular, the Toji Literature Festival has been held near the House of Choi Champan every October since 2001 to commemorate the achievements of Pak Kyong-ni’s epic novel Toji (Land). Writers and younger generations who love literature join the festival from all over the country. In addition, in early November every year, a persimmon (daebonggam) festival is held at Pyeongsa-ri Park.

    Residents are dedicated to diversifying local businesses (e.g., rice farming, forestry, marsh clam gathering) by selling local agricultural goods to tourists. Plus, the villagers’ crops have shifted to those that even the elderly can grow. 

    The local people are friendly and hospitable, and most of the households in the village are related to each other. The community organization is quite tight, and the head of the village has a good reputation within the community. The community is friendly and has good communication skills, which is favorable for tourism development.

    The village, surrounded by Jirisan Mountain ridges like a folding screen and the beautiful Seomjingang River, is at the center of the 212 km Seomjingang River tour belt. In addition, the village is the ecological tour hub and part of a carbon-neutral clean belt consisting of 11 villages.

    The village has a hanok hotel called the Hanok Culture Center, where guests can experience traditional Korean houses. It has five rooms in four buildings with gambrel, gable, and hipped roof styles. The center, including a hanok experience center and accommodation facilities, can accommodate 58 guests. They can experience a high-quality hanok stay here, certified by Korea Quality.

    Cultural information

    The residents promote and vitalize the operation of a hanok experience facility, a traditional Korean wooden building, through a joint project with private companies for mutual development. Every October, they hold the Toji Literature Festival and run regular art performances prepared by local art groups and pungmul (farmers’ music) troupes. The villagers also contributed to restoring and spreading traditional agricultural culture by applying the traditional eco-friendly farming method to Pyeongsa-ri Field and registering the traditional tea plantation on the Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems list.

    Residents actively participate in the tourism industry by removing barriers between the village and tourist destinations, thus forming commercial districts. In addition, they nurture regional community culture through the Cittaslow initiative by leveraging the village’s beautiful natural environment.

     

    Location
    Transport

    Means of transportation to the village

    Pyeongsa-ri is accessible via Namhae Expressway, Gyeongjeon Line, KTX, aviation, express bus, and intercity bus. The newly renovated National Road No. 19, Pyeongsari-gil, Oedun-gil, Agyangseo-ro, and a paved road connected to Seomjingang-daero lead to the village entrance. Rural buses to Uishin and Ssanggyesa Temple run every 1.5 hours, and call taxis and tourist taxis can be booked in real-time. It takes about an hour by car to Yeosu Airport and Suncheon Station and about 40 minutes to Sacheon Airport. Trekking courses such as Jirisan Dulle-gil (Trail), Seomjingang 100-ri Theme Road, and Hadong Toji-gil are of high quality.

    How to get around in the surrounding areas

    The attractions at Pyeongsa-ri can be accessed from walking distance, or travelers can use public transportation or a shuttle bus that shuttles tourists to and from essential tourist destinations.

    Cuisine

    Cuisine in the village

    Visitors will enjoy the traditional Korean cuisine here, especially since all the ingredients used in the village restaurants use locally grown vegetables, fruits, and meat.

    The villagers have restored dumbeong, a traditional rice farming technique. It uses freshwater fish, such as catfish, crucian carp, and loach, to eat harmful insects, reducing labor and producing eco-friendly rice without pesticides or chemical fertilizers. Introducing this eco-friendly farming method helps secure economic and environmental sustainability. After the rice harvest, freshwater fish are sold to nearby restaurants as supplemental income for the farmers.

    Also, we develop and operate tourist experience programs. Above all, products from the primary industry are consumed within the region, such as organic baby food made by a social enterprise using locally produced eco-friendly rice.

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    Description

    Tips for staying in the village

    5G mobile communication is available in the village. Tourist attractions offer free Internet access, including the House of Choi Champan, Pyeongsa-ri Park, and Dongjeongho Marsh Eco Park. In addition, super high-speed communication networks are installed in the village, enabling an active e-commerce business by residents. Above all, as part of the smart tourism city project, we are upgrading old public Wi-Fi and will provide tourists with ICT-based smart tourism content and convenience services. In addition, the big data collected will be used for managing tourist destinations and tourism marketing.  

    For the traditional and beautiful urban landscape of the tourist village, village residents made stone walls, paved eco-friendly roads, and planted flowering trees. In addition, the village information center provides residents with information education through public free Wi-Fi, and they use the center as a cultural space. Above all, as part of the smart tourism city project, AI tourist map services and electric vehicle-sharing systems are being established to improve accessibility to tourist attractions. In addition, we plan to increase the number of electric vehicles charging stations and develop an integrated transportation pass in connection with wide-area transportation (bus, KTX, and aviation).

    Description

    Things to do in the village

    - House of Choi Champan: A traditional Korean house that appeared in the novel Toji. The house was replicated in Pyeongsa-ri. It is a filming location that gives a glimpse into the lives of Koreans in the late Joseon era.

    - Pak Kyongni Literary Hall: The museum houses Pak Kyong-ni’s keepsakes, hand-written manuscripts, portraits, and video clips.

    - Hanok Culture Center: This hanok (traditional Korean house) style hotel built on the site of the House of Choi Champan for a hanok-stay combines the beauty of a traditional hanok and the uniqueness of a contemporary-style hanok. The building won the Grand Prize in the 2021 Korea Hanok Competition.

    - Toji Literature Festival: Since October 2001, the Toji Literature Festival has been held annually at the House of Choi Champan in Pyeongsa-ri, the major setting in the novel Toji (Land), to commemorate the achievements of Pak Kyong-ni, who contributed to developing contemporary literature in Korea. Writers from across the country participate in the festival.

    - Gososeong Fortress: Built during the Silla era, this pentacle-shaped stone fortress is a strategic point designated as Historic Site no. 151.

    - Hansansa Temple: A monk from Hwaeomsa Temple built Hansansa Temple in Pyeongsa-ri, Agyang-myeon, in around 544. It was named Agyang because its geography resembles the Agyang of China.

    - Buddhist Painting of Hansansa Temple: This 19th-century painting was designated as Cultural Heritage Resource no. 286 of Gyeongsangnam-do.

    - Starway Hadong: This building offers expansive views of Pyeonga-ri Field and the Seomjingang River. It won the gold medal at the 2019 Gyeongsangnam-do Architectural Awards.

    - Dangsanje Ritual: Dangsanje Ritual is held for male and female village gods on Lunar New Year’s Day by villagers praying for peace and abundance for the village.

    - Traditional crafts: Bamboo crafts made with locally produced bamboo for various daily supplies; wood crafts made with eco-friendly grown wood for art pieces; and straw crafts of items used during life on the farm.

    -  Pyeongsa-ri Field: Created by the Seomjingang River flowing through the gorges, Pyeongsa-ri Field is the largest of its kind, created on a 2.74 km2 area. It is also called a mudimi field. The name originated from the Korean word musiro, meaning ‘frequently,’ because the field was flooded frequently when the tide was in or when the river was flooded.

    - Pyeongsa-ri Field Couple Pines: In the middle of Pyeongsa-ri Field are two pine trees approximately 200 years old.

    - Pyeongsa-ri Field Art: The 3.6 ha field between Dongjeongho Marsh and the Couple Pines displays symbolic logos and sayings created with colored rice to make them look as if they were raised or depressed engravings.

    - Dongjeongho Marsh Eco Park: It is a complex ecological and cultural space with a total floor area of 10,096 m2 built near Dongjeongho Marsh, a wetland area naturally created by the overflow of the Agyangcheon Stream in front of Pyeongsari. It has optimal conditions as a habitat for the toad, an indicator of a healthy ecosystem.

    - Dongjeongho Grand Park: A place where tradition and nature coexist, the park has beautiful bonsai trees and rare stones in the 10-ha area near Dongjeongho Marsh.

    Entertainment in the village

    The village is the setting for the novel Toji (Land), a filming location for related dramas, and the site for various related events. For example, the Toji Literature Festival is held every October, and traditional music performances and busking. Furthermore, Samulnori performances are held every weekend on the stage in front of the House of Choi Champan and near Dongjeongho Marsh.

    In addition, various events are held under various themes such as history, literature, and the environment: Dongjeongho Marsh ecological experience, Pyeongsa-ri Writers’ School, Pyeongsa-ri Field soccer tournament, Hwasabyeolseo House concert, Moonlight Tour held at the sandy beach of Pyeongsa-ri, and ‘Love Your Village’ Tour for youths. In addition, cultural and art exchange events are held throughout the year, such as the wild tea cultural festival, the persimmon festival, and a flea market. 

    Some suggested tours to experience in the village

    Ecofriendly tours like tea-leaf picking/roasting and gathering forest products such as pine mushrooms and bracken. Among experience programs, the green tea picnic and Moonlight Tour near the Seomjingan River are popular. In addition, there are various ways to experience traditional culture and the ecological environment: programs run by residents at the House of Choi Champan, marsh clam gathering, tea-leaf picking, natural dyeing, straw crafts, and guided marsh tours. 

     

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