Looking to learn a little about the history of the city, I went over to Ojukheon House. Not knowing pretty much anything about the place or its significance, I decided to follow the map that was handed to me and follow the waypoints.
The first waypoint of Ojukheon House was a colorful garden, and in front of it there was the statue of Yulgok Yi Yi, the man that appears on the five thousand Korean Won bill. The garden itself was a relaxing place to walk around and enjoy nature (and quiet too, at least early on in the day), and there was even a short path along the black bamboos after which the place was named.
Next, there was the actual house, in the main area. To get there, I went through Jagyeongmun Gate, one of two gates that allows access to the house. The house itself had a similar architectural style to what I have seen in Seoul, which wasn’t surprising, considering when it was built. Other than the main house, there were also different quarters for men and women who worked there, and the Eojegak House, where the book Gyeongmongyogyeol is being preserved and displayed. Inside the main area there was also the Yulgok Memorial Hall, where it is possible to learn more about Yulgok and his work, as well as learning about his mother, the artist Shin Saimdang, who appears on the fifty thousand Korean Won bill.
I exited the main area through the second gate, Impjimun Gate, and as the Traditional Folk Museum seemed to be closed due to construction work, I went over to the last waypoint in this complex, the Municipal Museum, stopping along the way in front of the statue of Shin Saimdang. The museum was a small building and had on display various things from the history of the city, including furniture, house tools, and board games.
Around the same area of Ojukheon House, there was the next place I wanted to visit, Seongyojang House. I tried to follow the map here, too, but the waypoints seemed to be spread out around in place without any clear order. I got confused very quickly and decided to ignore the map. Instead, I just looked around, reading the different signs that were placed around. There were quite a few buildings in the area, each with a different purpose behind it, and it was nice to learn a bit about them.
There was also a trail that went around the building into the forest and provided a better view of the rooftops. It didn’t take long to clear that trail, and I was about to leave the place when I noticed there was one building I didn’t see before. It was a little museum, featuring some relics that were found in the area. Although it was a nice visit, I expected more from it, especially comparing it to Ojukheon House. Perhaps it could have been better if I had a guided tour, or if I slept in one of those buildings (as the leaflet I got suggested it was possible to do so), but I didn’t look into it. I decided to call it a day and go back to my room to get some rest.