KOREA FOUNDATION

CULTURE NEWS 

Let’s go to ASEAN!  

For the time being, we may not be able to hop on a plane to visit faraway countries. This does not mean, however, that we have to deprive ourselves of a special way to experience the cultures of the 10 ASEAN countries. Starting from March, the National ASEAN Recreation Forest (NARF), located in Yangju, Gyeonggi Province, will be operating an ASEAN traditional house experience. The NARF opened in October 2015 and is one of the few places in Korea where you can experience both ASEAN and Korean culture. It is made up of traditional houses representing each of the ASEAN member states, a visitor’s center, and a grassy plaza. The traditional houses, which are faithfully constructed in accordance with each member country’s architectural styles, are an especially good way to feel as if one was actually traveling to the ASEAN region. The house for Brunei Darussalam was modeled after Kampong Ayer, a floating village in the capital city of Bandar Seri Begawan. The Indonesian building is characterized by its large, sharply-sloping roof, which is inspired by the homes of the Torajan people, which lives in central and southern areas of Sulawesi. Melaka House, which was built in accordance with the traditional styles of the Bumiputera people of eastern Malaysia; Shop House, a form of housing that was created by Chinese immigrants to Singapore; Viet House, a typical house of Vietnam’s Kihn people; and Burma House, which follows the architectural style used for buildings at the Tribal Folk Village in Yangon, Myanmar. Once the COVID-19 situation improves, the NARF will also be offering a chuon chuon (traditional Vietnamese game) craft experience and an experience of the traditional clothing of each ASEAN country. If you are interested in these activities, please visit the website in advance of your visit (www.foresttrip.go.kr).

Source: Official blogs of the National ASEAN Recreation Forest and its Management Office