Worlindang / 월인당

Wolindang is a hanok stay located in “Mojeong Happy Village", Gunseo-myeon, Yeongam-gun. The name “Wolindang” means “The place where the moonlight meets the chimney smoke over the forest" in Korea. It was named as such because the locals make sure the structures are in perfect harmony with the surrounding nature. With comfortable rooms and various things to do in nature, it's a great place to stay for a family vacation. Wolindang is situated on a hill overlooking the plain. There, you will see Wolchulsan Mountain to the east, Eunjeoksan Mountain to the west, and the fields in the northern part of the village. The village is most well known for its beautiful moonlight, particularly when it cascades down from the peak of Wolchulsan Mountain. It's one of the best places in the country to see the full moon throughout the four seasons. Even the guestrooms are named after the natural features of the village, such as “Mountain Sunset” where you can enjoy the beautiful sunset, “Crescent Moon” where you can feel the calm of the moonlight, and "Plain" where you can enjoy a panoramic view of the plains. There are Oriental paintings by Baek Seungdon and Kim Seungnam in each of the rooms, and that's why the rooms are collectively called "The Wolin Museum" among the locals. As you take a walk in the village, you will see many murals, which are the paintings of the 12 different landscape views seen from Wonpungjeong Pavilion at the end of the village. The murals include some poems written by the villagers. In 2005, the owner of this place moved back to this village, his hometown, and built this traditional Korean house in a large vegetable garden right below the house where his family has lived since the time of his great-grandfather. The house has all the features of a traditional Korean house, including the “numaru”, main floored room, flat stone floor, and red clay walls. The “numaru” and “toenmaru” in particular are great places to enjoy the wind and see the clear sky. Guests can enjoy a meal or tea in the "numaru" located next to the “Plain Room”. The flat stone floor is designed for floor heating from the kitchen furnace, just like the rooms in a house were heated in the past. The kitchen furnace can be used as a BBQ or to cook sweet potatoes. The floors in the room are covered with traditional Korean paper and furnished with starched sheets and blankets. There are a number of programs with nature as the theme for the guests to enjoy as well, such as the “Tea Drinking Experience” program where you get to make and drink your own green tea and yellow tea in the traditional Korean way and “Natural Dyeing Experience” where you can dye your own handkerchief or T-shirt using natural materials such as persimmon, safflower, and tree. Other programs include the cooking class where guests get to make knife-cut noodles with adzuki beans and Korean wheat dough. There is a volleyball court in the grass yard. These traditional experience programs and the large grass yard are two of the main reasons why large families choose this place to stay overnight. As such, this is one of the most recommended guesthouses for families with children or old parents planning for a trip.