Hahoe Village, Andong, South Korea

하회동 탈 박물관

The Andong Mask Museum showcases talchum (탈춤) masks, used during  the later years of the Goryeo Dynasty (918 to 1392 AD) to satire members of the wealthy elite in Korean society (양반). Some of the masks are quite suggestive   and contain phallic symbols  (Hint: focus on the noses). The artists’ brilliant use  of vivid colors, fine attention to detail, and the comically exaggerated features of the masks make it worthwhile to set aside at least an hour to wander through the museum and properly admire them. The museum also displays masks from around the world. Japan, Italy, Indonesia, and China are just a handful of the countries represented. Another exhibition room is entirely dedicated to African countries.

The best time to visit the museum is during the Andong Maskdance Festival, which lasts for about ten days and usually starts at the end of September. After watching some performances you can meander through Hahoe Village (하회마을), a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and then wrap up the day by visiting a local restaurant to enjoy Andong’s speciality dish, jjimdalk (찜닭).

**The first two masks above are from Indonesia.

 National Treasures-Hahoe Mask Museum 하회동 탈 박물관

Uploaded by Arirang Culture

You can continue exploring the history and meaning of traditional Korean masks by visiting:

About.com-Traditional Korean Masks

The Korea Blog-A Guide to the Hahoe Masks