Andong Packing List for Women: Hahoe Village, Masks and the Nakdong

Photograph: Hahoe Folk Village, Andong by Bernard Gagnon, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Andong is the capital of North Gyeongsang Province in the south east of South Korea, a river city on the Nakdong that has made its name as the keeper of the country's older ways. Most visitors come for one place, Hahoe Folk Village, a clan village of tiled and thatched houses inside a loop of the river, listed by UNESCO in 2010, and for the mask dance that belongs to it. Around them sit Confucian academies, a mountain temple and a food culture that Koreans travel for. Packing for Andong means packing for bitter winters, a hot and very wet summer, sandy village lanes and a steep cliff path, and for a quiet, conservative part of the country where time passes slowly.

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. If you buy through them, Roman Trail earns a small commission at no extra cost to you.

The photograph above looks down on Hahoe from across the river: dark grey tiled roofs with upturned eaves, round grey thatched roofs, low earth and tile walls, a sandy open lane with a few parked cars, trees just starting to turn, pines in the foreground, and a strip of water and fields at the top. What the frame cannot show is most of what happens here. There is no mask and no dancer in it, no view of the full river bend, no Buyongdae cliff, no old zelkova tree hung with wishes, and none of the Confucian academies, Byeongsan and Dosan, which sit outside the village. It does not show the city of Andong at all, nor a single interior or a plate of the chicken dish the city is known for. It is a portrait of the village roofs, and a good one, but the rest of this post describes things it does not contain.

What Is Here

Hahoe is the reason most people come. The name is the story of the place: the Wikipedia entry gives "ha" as river and "hoe" as to turn around, and the village sits where the Nakdong turns in a loop around it. It was established in the fifteenth century by the Ryu clan of Pungsan and has been a one clan village ever since. The aristocratic families lived in tile roofed houses and their servants in thatched ones, and that division is still written on the roofscape in our photograph. People still live in the houses, which matters for how you behave: these are homes, not museum pieces, so keep to the lanes and do not look into courtyards uninvited.

Inside the village look for the old zelkova tree that is said to house the goddess Samsin, where visitors write their wishes on paper and hang them by the trunk. The village also keeps the writings of Yu Seongnyong, a prime minister of the Joseon court, including the Jingbirok, his record of the Imjin War of 1592. To the north, across the river, rises Buyongdae cliff. A small wooden ferry crosses from the pine grove, and the view from the top takes in the whole village and the bend of the river; the path is steep, and the shorter trail along the cliff face is not for anyone wary of heights.

Hahoe sits a long bus ride from Andong itself, and the city is worth a day of its own. The Wikivoyage guide notes that Andong calls itself the capital city of Korean spiritual culture, and under the Joseon kings it became a centre of Confucian learning. It was nearly destroyed in the Battle of Andong during the Korean War and rebuilt quickly, and the Andong Dam was built in 1976. The downtown is small enough to walk across in under ten minutes.

The Mask Dance

The Hahoe mask dance is the thing to plan around. The village's own ritual, the byeolsingut talnori, is a masked dance drama staged at the request of the village deity, traditionally every three, five or ten years, and it has been an Important Intangible Cultural Property since 1980. It is satire. The masks, which belong to ceremonies dating back to the twelfth century, include the Yangban, the aristocrat who is mocked hardest of all, and his servant Choraengi, the wise fool who ridicules his master, alongside a monk who fares no better. Some masks have jaws hinged with string, so that a tilt of the head turns a smile into a frown.

You do not need to wait a decade to see it. The Wikivoyage guide says performances for visitors are put on at weekends, and every October the Andong International Mask Dance Festival fills the city. Part of the festival runs beside the river in town and part in Hahoe itself, where the stage stands in the pine grove on the riverbank opposite Buyongdae. Check the current programme with the city before you travel, because times change from year to year, and if you are coming in October, book your room early.

The masks are also the obvious souvenir. Mass produced lacquered copies are sold all over Korea, but the shops at the entrance to Hahoe specialise in them, and the Hahoe World Mask Museum shows the Hahoe masks alongside ritual and performance masks gathered from cultures around the world.

Academies, Temples and Food

Andong's Confucian academies are quieter and, for many visitors, the more memorable half of a trip. Byeongsan Seowon honours Yu Seongnyong, the statesman whose writings Hahoe keeps. Dosan Seowon was established in 1574 in memory of Yi Hwang, the scholar of 1501 to 1570 who came from Andong and is among the most prominent in Korean history. Both are part of the group of nine Confucian academies that UNESCO recognised as World Heritage Sites in 2019. On the slopes of Mount Cheondeung, Bongjeongsa is a Buddhist temple and one of the Korean mountain monasteries on the UNESCO list, and it offers temple stays for anyone who wants a night of early bells.

Eat well while you are here. Andong jjimdak is chicken braised with glass noodles and vegetables in a soy based sauce, and the likeliest story of its origin is the chicken alley of the old market in the 1980s, where you can still choose any of a row of small restaurants. Salted mackerel exists because Andong was the furthest inland that sea fish could be carried before it spoiled. Heotjesabap, a mixed rice dish the Wikivoyage guide translates as false funerary food, is another local speciality, and Andong soju is the region's traditional distilled liquor. It is distilled by traditional methods, unlike the mass produced brands, so taste it slowly.

Fire, Flood and the 2025 Season

Wildfire has come close to Hahoe, and the FCDO's forest fire warning is not abstract here. In the spring of 2025 South Korea suffered a severe outbreak of wildfires, from 21 March to 15 May, which killed 32 people across the country. Evacuation orders were issued for residents of Hahoe and Byeongsan Seowon, firefighters deployed large water cannons to protect the village, and the Yakgye Pavilion in Andong was destroyed. The FCDO says forest fires may occur in South Korea, that you should pay attention to warnings from local authorities, and that Korean language emergency alerts are sent automatically to phones in an affected area. It points readers to the Korea Forest Service's English fire information page; check it in a dry spring.

Summer brings the opposite. The FCDO says South Korea has heavy rainfall during the summer rainy season, usually in June and July, that torrential rain may cause flooding near rivers and creeks, and that flash floods are common in areas downstream from large reservoirs or rivers, even after short periods of intense rain. Andong is a river city with a large dam, and Hahoe is a village inside a river bend, so take that seriously: stay off riverbanks and sandbars after heavy rain, and follow local instructions.

When to Go

Andong has a true four season climate. The Wikivoyage climate chart, from the Korea Meteorological Administration, gives January lows of about minus 7C and highs of only about 4C, while August highs reach about 30C, and July and August are by far the wettest months. Autumn is the classic time to come: the air is dry and clear, the trees turn around the village roofs, and October brings the mask festival. Spring is lovely too, though the FCDO notes that air pollution, including yellow dust, is common in the spring months. The typhoon season, it says, normally runs from June to November; monitor storms with the Korea Meteorological Administration. Winter is cold and quiet.

Getting There

Andong is inland and comfortable to reach. The Wikivoyage guide puts it about three hours from Seoul by car and about an hour from Daegu. KTX-Eum high speed trains and slower Mugunghwa services run direct from Cheongnyangni station in Seoul, and the station stands next to the bus terminal, with intercity buses also running from Seoul's East Seoul terminal. For Hahoe, local buses leave from the terminal area and the ride takes around fifty minutes, so check return times before you set out; local buses serve most of the other sights too. The tourist information centre at the station keeps an English bus schedule.

Taxis are best ordered by phone through your accommodation rather than waited for on the street. The FCDO notes that taxi drivers tend to speak little or no English, so carry your destination written in Korean.

Is Andong Safe for Women Travelers

No part of South Korea is under an FCDO advise-against, and nothing in its advice, read on 9 November 2026, names Andong or North Gyeongsang. The FCDO says crime against foreigners is rare but there are occasional thefts, and that while most reported crimes are thefts, there have been cases of assault, including sexual assault, particularly around bars and nightlife areas. It advises taking care when travelling alone at night and using only legitimate taxis or public transport. Andong has little nightlife and Hahoe goes to sleep at dusk, so the realistic risk is being stranded rather than threatened: know your last bus back from the village.

A few laws apply to everyone. You are legally required to carry some form of identification, though rarely asked for it. The FCDO says it is illegal for foreign nationals to take part in political activities, and advises avoiding large public gatherings. Drug laws are severe even for small amounts of marijuana, and it notes British nationals have been detained solely on the basis of drug tests. Civil emergency exercises are held from time to time: you will hear sirens, vehicles must stop, and you should follow officials' instructions.

The Andong Packing List

Our merino base layers are 100% Australian merino at 17.5 micron, and a long sleeve merino wool base layer for women is the most useful single thing you can bring here. It is the warm layer under everything in winter, a light, breathable cover for shoulders and arms at temples and academies in summer, and it stays fresh through a long day of buses and walking.

For Cold Months

From November to March, Andong's riverside cold calls for a Columbia insulated hooded jacket over a fleece mid layer. The ferry to Buyongdae and the open sandbars of Hahoe catch the wind, and the academies are open pavilions where you will stand still for long stretches. Add merino wool socks, because traditional buildings and temple halls often ask you to take your shoes off on cold wooden floors.

For Rain and Summer

June to August is hot and wet, so a packable rain jacket earns its place. The FCDO lists malaria, insect and tick bites and tick-borne encephalitis among the health risks in South Korea, so carry a DEET insect repellent for the riverbanks and forest paths, check your legs after walking through grass, and check vaccine advice well before you go. Our affiliate register carries no sunscreen and no eyewear, so bring your own for the summer sun on the sandy lanes.

For Your Feet

The climb up Buyongdae is steep and the cliff trail is narrow, so waterproof hiking shoes are better than city trainers, and they handle the wet lanes in summer. Choose a pair that slips off easily for temple and academy floors. That is our sixth affiliate link, which is our limit, so we have not linked a hat; a warm hat in winter and a sun hat in summer are both worth packing.

Recommended Tours and Experiences

Essential Resources for Women in Andong

Emergency numbers: ambulance 119, fire 119, police 112, according to the FCDO's getting help page. Its health page says to call 119 and ask for an ambulance. For help in English, the Korea Tourism Organization's travel hotline is 1330, available from 7am to midnight and able to set up three way calls with emergency services, and the Danuri Call Centre on 1577 1366 offers interpretation around the clock.

Medical care: the FCDO says medical care in South Korea is usually of a good standard but can be expensive, that staff may not speak English, and that a hospital may ask you to bring a guardian, a bohoja, to help with basic care. For anything complex, expect to be referred to a larger hospital, possibly in another city. The FCDO keeps a list of medical providers in South Korea where some staff speak English. Carry insurance that covers treatment, evacuation and repatriation, keep medication in carry on baggage with an English language prescription, and keep it to small personal amounts.

US State Department travel advisory: the South Korea advisory. Read the current level there directly rather than relying on a figure printed in any guide.

UK FCDO travel advice: gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/south-korea, and read the safety and security page rather than only the landing page, because that is where the substance sits.

Official health authority: the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency.

US Embassy: the United States Embassy in Seoul, is in Seoul, about three hours from Andong by road.

Official tourism authority: the Korea Tourism Organization, runs the 1330 travel hotline; the city's own English site is at andong.go.kr.

Solo women safety assessment: Andong is a calm, conservative, low crime city and a very comfortable place to travel alone, and Hahoe is a living village where you will mostly share the lanes with families and tour groups. The FCDO's general warnings still apply: occasional theft, and assaults around bars and nightlife, which is a small part of life here. The practical risks are logistical and seasonal: missing the last bus back from Hahoe, the steep path on Buyongdae, floods near the river after summer storms, and wildfire warnings in a dry spring. Carry your destination in Korean, save 1330 and 119 in your phone, and order taxis through your accommodation.

Takeaways

Give Andong two nights: one day for Hahoe and Buyongdae, and one for the academies, Bongjeongsa and the city's chicken alley. Come in autumn if you can, and in October if you want the mask festival. Pack properly for cold winters and wet summers, take shoes that slip on and off, and respect the fact that the village is somebody's home.

Reading On

Hahoe's UNESCO partner village, Yangdong, lies near the old Silla capital covered by the Gyeongju packing list, and the nearest big city, about an hour away, is in the Daegu packing list. For the coast, read the Busan packing list, and for another city built around a historic quarter, the Jeonju packing list, with its hanok village. Fortress walls are the draw in the Suwon packing list, and the capital is in the Seoul packing list. The South Korea packing list and the South Korea travel guide for women cover the whole country. For why one wool layer works from a frozen January to a humid August, read the guide to merino wool base layers for women, and every destination we cover is indexed at the travel packing guide for women. The base layers themselves are in the Roman Trail collection.

If the outer journey is calling you, the inner one usually is too. Explore SoulMap at romantrail.com/blogs/soulmap.