Buyongdae Cliff

Buyongdae is a 64 m cliff on the north bank of the Nakdonggang, facing Hahoe Village in Andong across the river. From the top you see the whole village, tiled roofs and thatch alike, held inside the S-shaped loop of the river. It explains Hahoe's setting in a way that walking its lanes cannot, so many visitors climb it after touring the village.

A cliff named after a lotus

Buyongdae rises where a spur of the Taebaek range ends at the Nakdonggang. "Buyong" means lotus: Hahoe is said to sit like a lotus floating on the water, and the name is taken from an old name for the village. The cliff with the best view of the village carries it.

Below and beside the cliff stand the study retreats of two brothers of Hahoe's Pungsan Ryu clan. The elder, Ryu Un-ryong (Gyeomam), built Gyeomamjeongsa high on the west side of the cliff in 1567; the younger, Ryu Seong-ryong (Seoae), built Okyeonjeongsa by the river on the east side in 1586. The brothers faced each other across the cliff.

What to see

• The view from the top: looking down, the meaning of "Hahoe", where the river turns around, is laid out in front of you, with the sandy riverbank and the Mansongjeong pine grove in the same frame.
• Okyeonjeongsa: built by Ryu Seong-ryong for study and teaching. The gatehouse, main house, annex and men's quarters stand apart, and the main house uses the local farmhouse plan, a kitchen in the middle with rooms on each side, which is rare in a yangban residence. Ryu is said to have written the Jingbirok (National Treasure), his account of the Imjin War, here.
• Gyeomamjeongsa: a two-storey pavilion-style retreat on the cliff above the village. The name board is said to be in the hand of his teacher, Yi Hwang (Toegye). Access is often restricted, so check in advance.
• Hwacheon Seowon: a Confucian academy founded in 1786 to honour Ryu Un-ryong. Demolished in 1871 under the order abolishing academies, except for its lecture hall and kitchen building, it was rebuilt in 1996. The path up Buyongdae starts beside it.

The brushwood bridge and the fire-string festival

In the past, villagers crossed the river in winter, when the water was low, on a seopdari, a bridge of logs, pine branches and earth. The custom lasted until the early 1970s and appears among the "Sixteen Views of Hahoe" listed by Ryu Seong-ryong's grandson Ryu Won-ji. In 2019, for the 20th anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II's visit, a seopdari was laid again from Mansongjeong towards Okyeonjeongsa; after a typhoon washed it away it was strengthened and reopened in 2020 at 114 m long.

On summer nights the Seonyu Julbullori is sometimes held: lines are strung from the top of Buyongdae across the river to the Mansongjeong pines, with burning strings hung from them. It grew out of yangban boating parties held around the 16th day of the seventh lunar month.

Tripto tips

• Getting there: by car, park near Hwacheon Seowon in Gwangdeok-ri on the north bank (around 72 Gwangdeoksolbat-gil, Pungcheon-myeon, Andong) and walk up. Crossing from the village by the brushwood bridge depends on the river: high water can cut it, so check on site.
• Time needed: 30 minutes for the view; about an hour with Okyeonjeongsa and Hwacheon Seowon.
• Safety: the drop is 64 m, so keep back from the edge.
• Etiquette: Okyeonjeongsa and Gyeomamjeongsa may be closed at the owners' discretion. Visit only what is open, and keep your voice down.
• Combine with: Hahoe Village and Byeongsan Seowon make a full day of Andong's Confucian heritage. Walk the village first, then climb Buyongdae, and its layout makes much more sense.
• Information: +82-54-856-3013