The noble houses
Tiled roofs on the hilltops.
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A traditional Joseon-era village on hillsides near the Hyeongsan River, founded in the fifteenth century by two families of the yangban nobility, whose descendants still live here today. Together with Hahoe it has been on UNESCO's World Heritage list since 2010, as the best surviving examples of Korean clan villages. The village has more than 150 houses: the large tiled homes of the nobility on the hilltops, and the smaller thatched houses of servants and farmers on the slopes below, in a layout that mirrors the old social order. Many are listed as national treasures or folk heritage, among them the founding family's house and Confucian study halls. People really live here, and visitors walk its earth lanes between fields and houses. Some houses are open to visit and others closed because their owners live in them, so respect the signs and stay out of private yards. Allow two hours: the village is spread out and climbing to the upper houses takes time. Spring and autumn are the best seasons; in summer the fields are green and the heat is fierce.
Tiled roofs on the hilltops.
Farmers' homes on the slopes.
Walks between fields and homes.
Gangdong, about 16 km north-east of Gyeongju, by local bus or taxi
About 16 km north-east of the centre: around 40 minutes by bus or 25 minutes by taxi.