Crafts Experience with Children at Jeonju Hanok Village

As the days are getting warmer, more people are returning to the streets and alleyways of Jeonju Hanok Village. This weekend, I also visited the Hanok Village with my child. We visited Jeonju Fan Culture Center and Jeonju Crafts Exhibition Hall for some hands-on experience!

Jeonju Fan Culture Center

 

Our first destination was Jeonju Fan Culture Center. Throughout the Korean history, Jeonju has been known to produce high quality papers. That’s why the fan industry has also flourished in Jeonju.

Me and my daughter played tuho, a Korean traditional play. How to play tuho: each player take turn to throw arrows into the container, the player with the most arrows in the container wins.

The first fans we came across in the exhibition hall were taegukseon and hapjukseon.

Taegeukseon is the three-colored (red, blue, and yellow) fan in taegeuk symbol. The taegeuk symbolizes the heaven, earth, and humanity.

Hapjukseon is the folding fan. People usually draw or write on the fan. These were quite expensive, the prices ranging from 12,000 won to 600,000 won.

The drawings on the fan reflect the everyday life of the past.

Visitors to the center also drew on the fans themselves. We also participated this experience.

The visitors can experience drawing on the fan or making a fan (on weekends).

My daughter colored the design on the fan and drew freely on the opposite side.

The manager at the center, Ms Jeong, explained everything very friendly.

We ended up with these fans! Do you like these?

 

Jeonju Fan Culture Center

Address: Gyeonggijeongil 93, Wansangu, Jeonju

Contact: 063-231-1774

Opening hours: Tuesday~Sunday 10:00~18:00 (closed on public holidays, Mondays, Seolnal, and Chuseok)

Price: drawing on the fan 7,000 won (non-folding fan) and 10,000 won (folding fan)

 

Jeonju Crafts Exhibition Hall

Our next destination was Jeonju Crafts Exhibition Hall.

At the entrance was the ‘magpie tiger’, one of the favorite subjects of the traditional Korean folk painting. It symbolizes prosperity, promotion, health, and longevity.

The venue consists of different halls. We started with porcelains.

There were white porcelains and celadons. The simple and plain beauty of the white porcelains was fascinating.

The celadons were my favorites. Starting in the 10^th Century, the Southwestern regions of the Korean Peninsula started producing celadons. The celadon production peaked around the 12^th Century. Producing the right celadon color is still a very delicate and complex process.

Apart from the porcelains and celadons were: colorful sculptures, neck ties, purses, pillows, and mother-of-pearl inlayed crafts (keyrings, pencil cases, mirrors, business card purses).

Children loved playing with these porcelain magnets.

All of these were on sale. It seemed like a good opportunity to purchase works of great local craftsmanship at bargain prices. I bought a mother-of-pearl dragon keyring for only 7,000 won.

Jeonju Crafts Exhibition Hall has a youtube account. The hall gives 4 hanji (Korean traditional paper) postcards to those who subscribe and press “like”.

Here, visitors can experience making eco-friendly mask strap (10,000 won) and making mother-of-pearl jewelries.

I experienced making a bridal headpiece. My daughter made a boat. Children can make other things too such as a lamp, spinning top, or cup holder.

My bridal headpiece wasn’t very difficult to make. I used a stapler and a glue gun. Such bridal headpiece, also known as “jokduri”, dates back to more than a thousand years.

These are the boat and the bridal headpiece. It was a fun and stress-relieving experience. I do recommend spending time with your children at Jeonju Fan Culture Center and Jeonju Crafts Exhibition Hall!

Jeonju Crafts Exhibition Hall

Address: Taejoro 15, Wansangu, Jeonju

Contact: 063-282-8886

Opening hours: everyday 10:00~18:00, closed on Mondays