What did ancient Koreans consider home?

Traditional Hanok

Hanok with Garden space

Traditional Hanoks amidst the vast modern landscape and towering buildings in present day Korea

This class has covered Korean history in great detail, so I thought it would be great to dwell deeper into the everyday lives of  the korean people and get a sense of their living standards.With that being said,  I would like to bring to you the traditional Hanoks. Interestingly, the construction of Hanoks was influenced by Geomancy and Shamanism, both of which were a significant part of korean society. Apparently, sites of residences were chosen based on traditional geomancy, which influenced the shape of the building, the direction it faced and the material it was built out of.  Since wood and clay were the predominant materials used in ancient times, not many Hanoks have survived till present time.  The wealthier aristocrats used the outer wing of the Hanok to build spacious gardens, sometimes with large-sized ponds or lakes. Since shamanism was a big part of korean culture, the layout of gardens was given special attention by the people that decorated it.  In fact, traditional Korean gardens were largely void of artificialities, and made up of naturally-grown entities.
That traditional Hanoks still dwell in the modern landscape of korea today is a reminder to the current generation of Koreans that Shamanism and Geomancy are two very important aspects of Korean history. Whenever Koreans re-visit ancient Hanok sites,  they develop a clearer understanding of the origins of Shamanism and Geomancy,  both of which are still pervasive in modern Korea. 


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