I love Autumn. Okinawa only had three seasons: winter, spring, and summer. I hadn’t experienced an Autumn in Asia until I went to Kyoto and Nara, but let me tell you, it was a real treat. In Korea, I have been enjoying the warm days and cool nights that this particular season brings. I had the opportunity to visit Jeonju, famous for it’s traditional Korean Village and awesome food. Here’s why you should check out Korea’s awesome town.
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Food
This has probably been the most delicious Korean food I’ve ever had. Dishes like spicy octopus, bibimbap, and kungnamul were fantastic. The ripe flavors and unique cooking style gave these dishes its famous unique taste. The street food was so mouthwatering as well. We stopped for fried squid on a stick, grapefruit beer, and Jeonju maekolli. Jeonju is apparently most famous for its rich chocopies.
Jeondong Catholic Cathedral
This church was established in Jeonju after Roman Catholic martyrs lost their lives in that very spot. The construction was completed in 1914 while Korea was under Japanese rule. Some of the bricks used for the walls were from the Jeonjueupseong Fortress which was torn down by the Japanese. It has been called one of the most beautiful churches in Korea. Unfortunately, we couldn’t go inside because of a wedding, but has anyone seen Taeyang’s music video for Wedding Dress? You’ll see the beautiful cathedral in there.
Cheap and Cute Hanbok Rental
Some of the Naver blogs raved about wearing hanbok and taking pictures at the shrines, traditional hanok village, and scenic places around the city, so we went out to do the same. We rented hanbok from 말순이 (Malsuni) and the total cost to rent the hanbok for 1.5 hours was 7,000 won including the hairpiece. If you wanted to rent shoes or other accessories, it would add to the cost, but overall it was so cheap! I had a great experience at Malsuni. My only complaint is the skirt and hanbok tops were separated. You had to mix and match it. It was also difficult to find my size in the top because I have more bust than the average Korean woman.
Related: One Day Hanbok in Seoul
Hanok Village
This village is the center of tourism, hustle and bustle during the Autumn. The streets are filled with vendors, and you can enjoy traditional Korean games and architecture. Since Jeonju was the start of the Joseon Dynasty, it’s like stepping into a preserved piece of time. A must see for all those in Korea!
Gyeonggijeon Shrine
This scenic shrine is perfect for taking pictures with hanbok. To get the best pictures, I recommend going to the fixtures on the left where not as many people congregate. In the center of the shrine, a portrait of King Tae-jo, the founder of the Joseon Dynasty, can be found.
From delectable delights like bibimbap, makgeolli, and chocopies, Jeonju is the number one place to go when the Autumn leaves hit. Not to mention, all the street food that will make you drool even after you eat the main course. This place is so full of culture and wonder. Even the church is special because it was used for Taeyang’s music video. So when are you signing up to go?
How To Get There
There’s a bunch of different ways you can get to Jeonju. One way that I recommend that is completely hassle free is going through a Trazy Tour. They have everything from one day trips to weekend packages. It’s definitely worth checking out and having a guide who can help you navigate through Korea’s more traditional city.
If you feel like traversing into the unknown and making that your crazy adventure, then there’s a couple of ways to get to Jeonju.
From Seoul by Train
You can take the KTX to Iksan and take a bus or taxi from there. You can also take the KTX all the way to Jeonju Train Station. That is the fastest but most expensive option.
From Seoul by Bus
One of the easiest and most convenient ways to get into Jeonju is by going to the Express Bus Terminal. They have buses that will take you anywhere in Korea. It costs about 15,000 won and takes about 2 hours and 30 minutes to get there.
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11 Comments on Why You Should Visit JeonJu in Autumn
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We loved our time in Jeonju as well! We really only ate the bibimbap while we were there, we will have to try some of the other dishes this winter when we return. (especially those choco pies) We loved the hanok village the most! Especially how cozy they felt during the cold weather.
The bibimbap was he shizz. I didn’t have the traditional one with raw beef because I can’t handle that, but maybe one day, I’ll pluck up the courage and be able to do it! The hanok village was extremely gorgeous! I love all the beautiful places in Korea!
I loved Jeonju when I was there for Orientation in 2013 (although admittedly, I haven’t been back since), and I also love Autumn…It would be a match made in heaven right 😛
I’m obsessed with your hanbok photos. I am definitely going to rent one in Seoul SOOOON. Can’t leave Korea without some Hanbok photos.
Also Jeonju bibimbap is super famous. I really liked it when I tried it.
You definitely have to go back if you have a chance! I really love he Autumn here myself. It’s been 3 years since I’ve experienced one so I’m basking in it before winter sets in and I start seeing my breath in the air. Thank you so much for liking my hanbok photos! I really enjoyed taking them and posing for them. It’s a great way to feel like a model for the day! Go to Seoul and get those hanbok photos, girl! Whatcha waitin for? 😉
WHAT. I did not know Jeonju is known for its chocopies. I just went and ate the famous bibimbap which was great. I don’t know if I’ll make it back a second time before I head out, but if I do I definitely want to stay in a hanok and eat all of the chocopies.
I had no idea either until my Korean big sister told me about it! I was so happy! <3 You wanna stay in a hanok together and eat ALL the chocopies? hahahaha
Glad to see you are enjoying Korea. We went to this same village and had a great time. For some reason we thought it was going to be a traditional hanok village without the commercialized part of vendors and business. I was a little disappointed that it was converted into a strip mall. I did finally go to a traditional hanok village and it was preserved without any modernization to the site.
Which hanok village did you go to? I’m really interested in going to a traditional one without modernization as well.
I’ve been reading about trying on a hanbok and now, I am reading yours as well! That’s a really nice experience and photos that you would be pleased to show to friends when you go back home:-).
Jeonju is such a wonderful city! With its traditional architecture and easy pace, we’ve been dying to return since our first visit. We visited during Chuseok and tens of thousands of people dressed in hanbok made for a stunning sight as we wandered the cobblestone streets. Thank you so much for your research and historical context- reminds us that we often forget to look into the history before we go some place new!
I love this! I was planning on visiting Jeonju this month but I had to cancel my trip 🙁 I’m going in spring! 🙂