The traditional culture of Korea is the shared cultural and historical heritage of

Korea Korea is a peninsular region in East Asia consisting of the Korean Peninsula, Jeju Island, and smaller islands. Since the end of World War II in 1945, it has been politically Division of Korea, divided at or near the 38th parallel north, 3 ...

before the

division of Korea The division of Korea began at the end of World War II on 2 September 1945, with the establishment of a Soviet occupation zone and a US occupation zone. These zones developed into separate governments, named the Democratic People's Republic of ...

in 1945. Since the mid-20th century, Korea has been split between the North Korean and South Korean

states State most commonly refers to: * State (polity), a centralized political organization that regulates law and society within a territory **Sovereign state, a sovereign polity in international law, commonly referred to as a country **Nation state, a ...

, resulting in a number of cultural differences that can be observed even today. Before the

Joseon Joseon ( ; ; also romanized as ''Chosun''), officially Great Joseon (), was a dynastic kingdom of Korea that existed for 505 years. It was founded by Taejo of Joseon in July 1392 and replaced by the Korean Empire in October 1897. The kingdom w ...

period, the practice of

Korean shamanism Korean shamanism, also known as () is a religion from Korea. Religious studies, Scholars of religion classify it as a folk religion and sometimes regard it as one facet of a broader Korean vernacular religion distinct from Buddhism, Taoism, Dao ...

was deeply rooted in Korean culture.

Clothing

The traditional dress known as ''hanbok'' (; alternatively ''joseonot;'' in North Korea) has been worn since ancient times. The ''hanbok'' consists of a shirt (''jeogori'') and a skirt (''chima''). According to social status, Koreans used to dress differently, making clothing an important mark of social rank. Costumes were worn by the ruling class and the royal family. These upper classes also used

jewelry Jewellery (or jewelry in American English) consists of decorative items worn for personal adornment such as brooches, ring (jewellery), rings, necklaces, earrings, pendants, bracelets, and cufflinks. Jewellery may be attached to the body or the ...

to distance themselves from the ordinary people. A traditional item of jewellery for women was a pendant in the shape of certain elements of nature which was made of gemstones, to which a tassel of silk was connected. For thousands of years, Korean people nearly exclusively wore plain white and undecorated ''hanbok''. Color and ornamentation was only worn if required for a uniform, to display social status, or during special occasions. This led to the development of the nickname "''white-clothed people''" to describe Koreans. This practice possibly began around the Three Kingdoms of Korea period and lasted until just after the Korean War, after which it ended due to poverty. The basic everyday dress was shared by everyone, but distinctions were drawn in official and ceremonial clothes. During the winter people wore cotton-wadded dresses. Fur was also common. ''Hanbok'' are classified according to their purposes: everyday dress, ceremonial dress and special dress. Ceremonial dresses are worn on formal occasions, including a child's first birthday ( doljanchi), a wedding or a funeral. Special dresses are made for purposes such as shamans, officials. Today the ''hanbok'' is still worn during formal occasions. The everyday use of the dress, however, has been lost. However, the elderly still dress in hanbok as well as active estates of the remnant of aristocratic families from the Joseon Dynasty, though this may be changing with something of a modern interest in the traditional dress among some of the young. Traditionally, the hanbok was a wedding dress that dates back to the 14th century. It was a floor-length gown with an empire waist, fitted jacket, and sewn with vibrant or pastel colors. The use of the Hanbok in daily wear has dropped significantly over the last handful of decades. In recent years, with the rise of attention to K-Pop, (Korean Pop Music), interest in Korean culture has spiked to an all-time high. Many groups, such as BTS, BlackPink, KARD, and many more, have been praised for showing their culture and heritage by wearing Hanbok in music videos, award shows, and other public appearances. Image:Korea-Honrye-The bride.jpg, ''Hwarot'', bridal robe Image:Bride's Robe (Hwalot), 27.977.4.jpg, Bride's Robe (Hwalot), 19th century,

Brooklyn Museum The Brooklyn Museum is an art museum in the New York City borough (New York City), borough of Brooklyn. At , the museum is New York City's second largest and contains an art collection with around 500,000 objects. Located near the Prospect Heig ...

Image:Traditional Korean dress in Yanggakdo Hotel Gift Shop (16157769135).jpg, North Korean Chosŏn-ot on display

Cuisine

Rice Rice is a cereal grain and in its Domestication, domesticated form is the staple food of over half of the world's population, particularly in Asia and Africa. Rice is the seed of the grass species ''Oryza sativa'' (Asian rice)—or, much l ...

is the

staple food A staple food, food staple, or simply staple, is a food that is eaten often and in such quantities that it constitutes a dominant portion of a standard diet for an individual or a population group, supplying a large fraction of energy needs an ...

of Korea. Having been an almost exclusively agricultural country until recently, the essential recipes in Korea are shaped by this experience. The main crops in Korea are rice,

barley Barley (), a member of the grass family, is a major cereal grain grown in temperate climates globally. It was one of the first cultivated grains; it was domesticated in the Fertile Crescent around 9000 BC, giving it nonshattering spikele ...

, and

bean A bean is the seed of some plants in the legume family (Fabaceae) used as a vegetable for human consumption or animal feed. The seeds are often preserved through drying (a ''pulse''), but fresh beans are also sold. Dried beans are traditi ...

s, but many supplementary crops are used.

Fish A fish (: fish or fishes) is an aquatic animal, aquatic, Anamniotes, anamniotic, gill-bearing vertebrate animal with swimming fish fin, fins and craniate, a hard skull, but lacking limb (anatomy), limbs with digit (anatomy), digits. Fish can ...

and other

seafood Seafood is any form of Marine life, sea life regarded as food by humans, prominently including Fish as food, fish and shellfish. Shellfish include various species of Mollusca, molluscs (e.g., bivalve molluscs such as clams, oysters, and mussel ...

are also important because Korea is a peninsula. Fermented recipes were also developed in early times and often characterize traditional Korean food. These include pickled fish and pickled vegetables. This kind of food provides essential

protein Proteins are large biomolecules and macromolecules that comprise one or more long chains of amino acid residue (biochemistry), residues. Proteins perform a vast array of functions within organisms, including Enzyme catalysis, catalysing metab ...

s and

vitamin Vitamins are Organic compound, organic molecules (or a set of closely related molecules called vitamer, vitamers) that are essential to an organism in small quantities for proper metabolism, metabolic function. Nutrient#Essential nutrients, ...

s during the winter.

Kimchi Kimchi (; ) is a traditional Korean side dish (''banchan'') consisting of salted and fermented vegetables, most often napa cabbage or Korean radish. A wide selection of seasonings are used, including '' gochugaru'' (Korean chili powder), ...

is one of the famous foods of Korea. Kimchi is pickled vegetables which contain vitamins A and C, thiamine, riboflavin, iron, calcium, carotene, etc. There are many types of kimchi including cabbage kimchi, spring onion kimchi, cucumber kimchi,

radish The radish (''Raphanus sativus'') is a flowering plant in the mustard family, Brassicaceae. Its large taproot is commonly used as a root vegetable, although the entire plant is edible and its leaves are sometimes used as a leaf vegetable. Origina ...

kimchi, and sesame kimchi. Side Dishes or (Banchan) are commonly eaten with meals in Korea. The main dish is almost always served with side dishes. Some commonly eaten side dishes are: Kimchi, Pickled Radish, Soybean Sprouts, Glass Noodles (Japchae), Cucumber Salad, and Seasoned Spinach.

Ceremonial, ritual and temple foods

A number of dishes have been developed. These can be divided into ceremonial foods and ritual foods. Ceremonial foods are used when a child reaches 100 days, at the first birthday, at a wedding ceremony, and the sixtieth birthday. Ritual foods are used at funerals, at ancestral rites, shaman's offerings and as temple food. A distinguishing characteristic of Temple Food is that it does not use the common five strong-flavoured ingredients of

Korean cuisine Korean cuisine is the set of foods and culinary styles which are associated with Korean culture. This cuisine has evolved through centuries of social and political change. Originating from ancient Prehistoric Korea, agricultural and nomad ...

--(

garlic Garlic (''Allium sativum'') is a species of bulbous flowering plants in the genus '' Allium''. Its close relatives include the onion, shallot, leek, chives, Welsh onion, and Chinese onion. Garlic is native to central and south Asia, str ...

, spring onion, wild rocambole,

leek A leek is a vegetable, a cultivar of ''Allium ampeloprasum'', the broadleaf wild leek (synonym (taxonomy), syn. ''Allium porrum''). The edible part of the plant is a bundle of Leaf sheath, leaf sheaths that is sometimes erroneously called a "s ...

, and

ginger Ginger (''Zingiber officinale'') is a flowering plant whose rhizome, ginger root or ginger, is widely used as a spice and a folk medicine. It is an herbaceous perennial that grows annual pseudostems (false stems made of the rolled bases of l ...

), and meat. For ceremonies and rituals,

rice cake A rice cake may be any kind of food item made from rice that has been shaped, condensed, or otherwise combined into a single object. A wide variety of rice cakes exist in many different cultures in which rice is eaten. Common variations include ...

s are vital. The colouring of the food and the ingredients of the recipes are matched with a balance of

yin and yang Originating in Chinese philosophy, yin and yang (, ), also yinyang or yin-yang, is the concept of opposite cosmic principles or forces that interact, interconnect, and perpetuate each other. Yin and yang can be thought of as complementary an ...

Royal court cuisine (''surasang'')

Today, surasang (traditional

court A court is an institution, often a government entity, with the authority to adjudicate legal disputes between Party (law), parties and Administration of justice, administer justice in Civil law (common law), civil, Criminal law, criminal, an ...

cuisine) is available to the whole population. In the past, vegetable dishes were essential. However, meat consumption has increased. Traditional dishes include ''

ssam ' () are dishes in Korean cuisine where one food is wrapped in another. A common variety is meat such as pork wrapped in a leafy vegetable.bulgogi'', '' sinseollo'', ''

kimchi Kimchi (; ) is a traditional Korean side dish (''banchan'') consisting of salted and fermented vegetables, most often napa cabbage or Korean radish. A wide selection of seasonings are used, including '' gochugaru'' (Korean chili powder), ...

'', ''

bibimbap Bibimbap * ( ; ), sometimes Romanization of Korean, romanised as bi bim bap or bi bim bop, is a Korean rice dish. The term ''bibim'' means "mixing" and ''Bap (rice dish), bap'' is cooked rice. It is served as a bowl of warm white rice topped wi ...

'', and '' gujeolpan''.

Tea

Originally tea was used for ceremonial purposes or as part of traditional herbal

medicine Medicine is the science and Praxis (process), practice of caring for patients, managing the Medical diagnosis, diagnosis, prognosis, Preventive medicine, prevention, therapy, treatment, Palliative care, palliation of their injury or disease, ...

. Some of teas made of fruits, leaves, seeds or roots are enjoyed. Five tastes of tea are distinguished in Korea: sweet, sour, salty, bitter, and pungent.

Festivals

Korea-Daeboreumnal-Full Moon Festival-02

The traditional

Korean calendar Throughout its many years of history, various calendar systems have been used in Korea. Many of them were adopted from the Lunar calendar, lunar Chinese calendar system, with modifications occasionally made to accommodate Korea's geographic locat ...

was based on the

lunisolar calendar A lunisolar calendar is a calendar in many cultures, that combines monthly lunar cycles with the solar year. As with all calendars which divide the year into months, there is an additional requirement that the year have a whole number of mont ...

.
Dates are calculated from Korea's meridian (geography), meridian. Observances and festivals are rooted in Korean culture. The Korean lunar calendar is divided into 24 turning points (절기, ), each lasting about 15 days. The lunar calendar was the timetable for the agrarian society in the past, but is vanishing in the modern Korean lifestyle. The

Gregorian calendar The Gregorian calendar is the calendar used in most parts of the world. It went into effect in October 1582 following the papal bull issued by Pope Gregory XIII, which introduced it as a modification of, and replacement for, the Julian cale ...

was officially adopted in 1895, but traditional holidays and age reckoning are still based on the old calendar. Older generations still celebrate their birthdays according to the lunar calendar. The biggest festival in Korea today is Seollnal (the traditional

Korean New Year () is a Korean traditional festival and national holiday commemorating the first day of the Korean calendar, Korean lunisolar calendar. It is one of the most important traditional holidays for Koreans, ethnic Koreans, being celebrated in bot ...

). Other important festivals include Daeboreum (the first full moon), Dano (spring festival), and Chuseok (harvest festival). There are also a number of regional festivals, celebrated according to the lunar calendar.

Fine arts

Ceramics

Korea - Seoul - National Museum - Incense Burner 0252-06a

In the Goryeo period, jade green celadon ware became more popular. In the 12th century, sophisticated methods of inlaying were invented, allowing more elaborate decorations in different colors. In Arts of Korea, Evelyn McCune states, "During the twelfth century, the production of ceramic ware reached its highest refinement. Several new varieties appeared simultaneously in the quarter of a century, one of which, the inlaid ware must be considered a Korean invention." William Bowyer Honey of the Victoria and Albert Museum of

England England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...

after World War II wrote, "The best Corean (Korean) wares were not only original, they are the most gracious and unaffected pottery ever made. White

porcelain Porcelain (), also called china, is a ceramic material made by heating Industrial mineral, raw materials, generally including kaolinite, in a kiln to temperatures between . The greater strength and translucence of porcelain, relative to oth ...

became popular in the 15th century and soon overtook celadon ware. White porcelain was commonly painted or decorated with copper. During the Imjin wars in the 16th century, Korean potters were brought back to

Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...

where they heavily influenced Japanese ceramics. Many Japanese pottery families today can trace their art and ancestry to these Korean potters whom the Japanese captured during its attempted conquests of the Korean peninsula. In the late Joseon period (late 17th century) blue-and-white porcelain became popular. Designs were painted in cobalt blue on white porcelain.

Crafts

There is a unique set of handicrafts produced in

. Most of the handicrafts are created for particular everyday use, often giving priority to practical use rather than

aesthetics Aesthetics (also spelled esthetics) is the branch of philosophy concerned with the nature of beauty and taste (sociology), taste, which in a broad sense incorporates the philosophy of art.Slater, B. H.Aesthetics ''Internet Encyclopedia of Ph ...

. Traditionally, metal, wood, fabric,

lacquerware Lacquerware are objects decoratively covered with lacquer. Lacquerware includes small or large containers, tableware, a variety of small objects carried by people, and larger objects such as furniture and even coffins painted with lacquer. Before ...

, and

earthenware Earthenware is glazed or unglazed Vitrification#Ceramics, nonvitreous pottery that has normally been fired below . Basic earthenware, often called terracotta, absorbs liquids such as water. However, earthenware can be made impervious to liquids ...

were the main materials used, but later glass, leather or paper have sporadically been used. Many sophisticated and elaborate handicrafts have been excavated, including gilt crowns, patterned pottery, pots or ornaments. During the

Goryeo Goryeo (; ) was a Korean state founded in 918, during a time of national division called the Later Three Kingdoms period, that unified and ruled the Korea, Korean Peninsula until the establishment of Joseon in 1392. Goryeo achieved what has b ...

period the use of bronze was advanced.

Brass Brass is an alloy of copper and zinc, in proportions which can be varied to achieve different colours and mechanical, electrical, acoustic and chemical properties, but copper typically has the larger proportion, generally copper and zinc. I ...

, that is

copper Copper is a chemical element; it has symbol Cu (from Latin ) and atomic number 29. It is a soft, malleable, and ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. A freshly exposed surface of pure copper has a pinkish-orang ...

with one third

zinc Zinc is a chemical element; it has symbol Zn and atomic number 30. It is a slightly brittle metal at room temperature and has a shiny-greyish appearance when oxidation is removed. It is the first element in group 12 (IIB) of the periodic tabl ...

, has been a particularly popular material. The dynasty, however, is most prominently renowned for its use of

celadon Celadon () is a term for pottery denoting both wares ceramic glaze, glazed in the jade green Shades of green#Celadon, celadon color, also known as greenware or "green ware" (the term specialists now tend to use), and a type of transparent glaze, ...

ware. During the

period, popular handicrafts were made of

and decorated with blue painting. Woodcraft was also advanced during that period. This led to more sophisticated pieces of furniture, including wardrobes, chests, tables or drawers. It is part of a craft that goes back well over a millennium, keeping alive a tradition that remains unchanged from at least the seventeenth century. It is this tradition that has made Korean furniture one of the most sought-after styles of exotic furniture by antique dealers and collectors worldwide. Immediately recognizable as Korean, this unique art was only "discovered" by the West in the late 1940s and 1950s. Image:청화백자진사채복숭아연적.jpg, Blue and White Porcelain Peach-Shaped Water Dropper from the Joseon Dynasty 18th century Image:Korea-Joseon-Lacquer drawer-01.jpg,

Lacquer Lacquer is a type of hard and usually shiny coating or finish applied to materials such as wood or metal. It is most often made from resin extracted from trees and waxes and has been in use since antiquity. Asian lacquerware, which may be c ...

drawer with mother-of-pearl inlay, at the

National Museum of Korea The National Museum of Korea () is the flagship museum of Korean history and Korean art, art in South Korea. Since its establishment in 1945, the museum has been committed to various studies and research activities in the fields of archaeology ...

in Seoul

Dance and martial arts

In Korea, there is a distinction between court dance and folk dance. Common court dances are ''jeongjaemu'' () performed at banquets, and ''ilmu'' (), performed at Korean Confucian rituals. ''Jeongjaemu'' is divided into native dances (향악정재, ''hyangak jeongjae'') and forms imported from Central Asia and China (당악정재, ''dangak jeongjae''). ''Ilmu'' are divided into civil dance (문무, ''munmu'') and military dance (무무, ''mumu''). Many mask dramas and mask dances are performed in many regional areas of Korea. The traditional clothing is the , it is a special kind of dress that women wear on festivals. It is pink with multiple symbols around the neck area. Traditional choreography of court dances is reflected in many contemporary productions, and the strong dance tradition in the country carries on to this day, with many dance groups forming over the last few decades. '' Taekkyon'', a traditional Korean martial art, is central to the classic Korean dance. ''Taekkyon'', being a complete system of integrated movement, found its core techniques adaptable to mask, dance and other traditional artforms of Korea. ''

Taekwondo Taekwondo (; ; ) is a Korean martial art and combat sport involving primarily kicking techniques and punching. "Taekwondo" can be translated as ''tae'' ("strike with foot"), ''kwon'' ("strike with hand"), and ''do'' ("the art or way"). In ad ...

'', a Korean martial art, began in the 1940s in Korea.

Painting

The earliest paintings found on the

n peninsula are

petroglyph A petroglyph is an image created by removing part of a rock surface by incising, picking, carving, or abrading, as a form of rock art. Outside North America, scholars often use terms such as "carving", "engraving", or other descriptions ...

s of prehistoric times. With the arrival of

Buddhism Buddhism, also known as Buddhadharma and Dharmavinaya, is an Indian religion and List of philosophies, philosophical tradition based on Pre-sectarian Buddhism, teachings attributed to the Buddha, a wandering teacher who lived in the 6th or ...

from

India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...

via

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...

, different techniques were introduced. These techniques quickly established themselves as the mainstream techniques, but indigenous techniques still survived. Among them were the Goguryeo tomb murals. These murals inside many of the tombs are an invaluable insight into the ceremonies, warfare, architecture, and daily life of ancient Goguryeo people. Balhae kingdom, a successor state of Goguryeo, absorbed much of traditional Goguryeo elements. There is a tendency towards naturalism with subjects such as realistic landscapes, flowers and birds being particularly popular. Ink is the most common material used, and it is painted on mulberry paper or

silk Silk is a natural fiber, natural protein fiber, some forms of which can be weaving, woven into textiles. The protein fiber of silk is composed mainly of fibroin and is most commonly produced by certain insect larvae to form cocoon (silk), c ...

. Humorous details are sometimes present. In the 18th century, indigenous techniques were advanced, particularly in calligraphy and seal engraving. During the

period, new genres of Korean painting flourished, such as '' chaekgeori'' (paintings of books) and ''munjado'' (paintings of letters), revealing the infatuation with books and learning in Korean culture. Arts are both influenced by tradition and realism. For example, Han's near-photographic "Break Time at the Ironworks" shows muscular men dripping with sweat and drinking water from tin cups at a sweltering foundry. Jeong Son's "Peak Chonnyo of Mount Kumgang" is a classical Korean landscape of towering cliffs shrouded by mists.

Music

There is a genre distinction between folk music and court music. Korean folk music is varied and complex in different ways, but all forms of folk music maintain a set of rhythms (called 장단; Jangdan) and a loosely defined set of melodic modes. Korean folk music is Pansori () performed by one singer and one drummer. Occasionally, there might be dancers and narrators. They have been designated an intangible cultural property in UNESCO's Memory of the world, and

Pungmul ''Pungmul'' (; ) is a Traditional music of Korea#Folk music, Korean folk music tradition that includes drumming, dance, dancing, and singing. Most performances are outside, with dozens of players all in constant motion. ''Pungmul'' is rooted in th ...

() performed by drumming, dancing and singing. Samul Nori is a type of Korean traditional music based on Pungmul, and Sanjo () that is played without a pause in faster tempos. Nongak () means "farmers' music".

Korean court music Korean court music () comprises three main musical genres: ''aak'', an imported form of Chinese ritual music; a pure Korean form called ''hyangak''; and a combination of Chinese and Korean styles called ''dangak''. Korean court music and its hi ...

can be traced to the beginning of the Joseon Dynasty in 1392. Korean court musics include A-ak, Dang-ak and Hyang-ak. The traditional Korean music is still played and sung a lot.

Gardens

The principles of temple gardens and private gardens are the same. Korean gardening in

East Asia East Asia is a geocultural region of Asia. It includes China, Japan, Mongolia, North Korea, South Korea, and Taiwan, plus two special administrative regions of China, Hong Kong and Macau. The economies of Economy of China, China, Economy of Ja ...

is influenced by primarily

Korean Shamanism Korean shamanism, also known as () is a religion from Korea. Religious studies, Scholars of religion classify it as a folk religion and sometimes regard it as one facet of a broader Korean vernacular religion distinct from Buddhism, Taoism, Dao ...

and Korean folk religion. The lotus pond is an important feature in the Korean garden. If there is a natural stream, often a pavilion is built next to it, allowing the pleasure of watching the

water Water is an inorganic compound with the chemical formula . It is a transparent, tasteless, odorless, and Color of water, nearly colorless chemical substance. It is the main constituent of Earth's hydrosphere and the fluids of all known liv ...

. Terraced flower beds are a common feature in traditional

n gardens. The Poseokjeong site near

Gyeongju Gyeongju (, ), historically known as Seorabeol (, ), is a coastal city in the far southeastern corner of North Gyeongsang Province, South Korea. It is the second largest city by area in the province after Andong, covering with a population of ...

was built in the

Silla Silla (; Old Korean: wikt:徐羅伐#Old Korean, 徐羅伐, Yale romanization of Korean, Yale: Syerapel, Revised Romanization of Korean, RR: ''Seorabeol''; International Phonetic Alphabet, IPA: ) was a Korean kingdom that existed between ...

period. It highlights the importance of water in traditional Korean gardens. The garden of Poseokjeong features an

abalone Abalone ( or ; via Spanish , from Rumsen language, Rumsen ''aulón'') is a common name for any small to very large marine life, marine gastropod mollusc in the family (biology), family Haliotidae, which once contained six genera but now cont ...

-shaped watercourse. During the last days of the

kingdom, the king's guests would sit along the watercourse and chat while wine cups were floated during banquets.

Houses

Korean traditional houses are called Hanok (). Sites of residence are traditionally selected using traditional

geomancy Geomancy, a compound of Greek roots denoting "earth divination", was originally used to mean methods of divination that interpret geographic features, markings on the ground, or the patterns formed by soil, rock (geology), rocks, or sand. Its d ...

. While the geomancy had been a vital part of Korean culture and

since prehistoric times, geomancy was later re-introduced by China during the

Three Kingdoms The Three Kingdoms of Cao Wei, Shu Han, and Eastern Wu dominated China from AD 220 to 280 following the end of the Han dynasty. This period was preceded by the Eastern Han dynasty and followed by the Jin dynasty (266–420), Western Jin dyna ...

period of Korea's history. A house is built against a hill and face south to receive as much sunlight as possible. This orientation is still preferred in modern Korea. Geomancy also influences the shape of the building, the direction it faces, and the material the house is constructed with. Traditional Korean houses can be structured into an inner wing (안채, ''anchae'') and an outer wing (사랑채, ''sarangchae''). The individual layout largely depends on the region and the wealth of the family. Whereas aristocrats used the outer wing for receptions, poorer people kept cattle in the ''sarangchae''. The wealthier a family, the larger the house. However, it was forbidden to any family except for the king to have a residence of more than 99 ''kan''. A ''kan'' is the distance between two pillars used in traditional houses. The inner wing normally consisted of a living room, a kitchen, and a wooden-floored central hall. More rooms may be attached to this. Poorer farmers would not have any outer wings. Floor heating (온돌, ''

ondol (; , ; ) or ''gudeul'' (; ) in Korean traditional architecture is underfloor heating that uses direct heat transfer from wood smoke to heat the underside of a thick masonry floor. In modern usage, it refers to any type of underfloor heating, or ...

'') has been used in Korea since prehistoric times. The main building materials are

wood Wood is a structural tissue/material found as xylem in the stems and roots of trees and other woody plants. It is an organic materiala natural composite of cellulosic fibers that are strong in tension and embedded in a matrix of lignin t ...

clay Clay is a type of fine-grained natural soil material containing clay minerals (hydrous aluminium phyllosilicates, e.g. kaolinite, ). Most pure clay minerals are white or light-coloured, but natural clays show a variety of colours from impuriti ...

tile Tiles are usually thin, square or rectangular coverings manufactured from hard-wearing material such as ceramic, Rock (geology), stone, metal, baked clay, or even glass. They are generally fixed in place in an array to cover roofs, floors, wal ...

stone In geology, rock (or stone) is any naturally occurring solid mass or aggregate of minerals or mineraloid matter. It is categorized by the minerals included, its Chemical compound, chemical composition, and the way in which it is formed. Rocks ...

, and

thatch Thatching is the craft of building a roof with dry vegetation such as straw, Phragmites, water reed, Cyperaceae, sedge (''Cladium mariscus''), Juncus, rushes, Calluna, heather, or palm branches, layering the vegetation so as to shed water away fr ...

. Because wood and clay were the most common materials used in the past not many old buildings have survived into present times.

Religious beliefs

, or ''musok'' (), is one of the oldest religions in Korea, and still survives to this day. Practitioners of Korean shamanism are usually female, though male shamans do exist as well. Korean shamans of either gender can be called '' mudang'' or ''mansin'', while ''paksu'' is a term only for a male shaman. The two main ways one becomes a shaman are either hereditarily, or by suffering through ''mubyŏng'' ("spirit possession sickness"). The main role of the ''mudang'' is to perform rituals, or '' kut'', to achieve various means, including healing, divination, and spirit pacification. Simultaneously a religious affair and a visual and auditory spectacle, ''kut'' are full of bright colors, elaborate costumes, altars piled high with ritual food and alcohol, various forms of singing and dancing accompanied by traditional instruments, and props including fans, bells, and knives. While the most well-known rituals are characterized by spirit possession, for most hereditary shamans, as well as in some regional variations, the shaman's role is to honor the spirits and deities rather than be possessed by them. Despite the social stigma surrounding the performance of a ''kut'' even today, there are still many clients who are willing, though potentially ashamed, to pay immense sums to enlist the help of a ''mansin'' when in need. Throughout South Korea's political turmoil in the 20th century, ''musok'' stayed strong against systemic persecution. Indeed, several festivals and ''kut'' have been preserved as

intangible cultural heritage An intangible cultural heritage (ICH) is a practice, representation, expression, knowledge, or skill considered by UNESCO to be part of a place's cultural heritage. Buildings, historic places, monuments, and artifacts are cultural property. In ...

under the 1962 Cultural Heritage Protection Act, and the esteemed ''mudang'' Kim Keum-hwa was designated as a Living National Treasure in 1985. In the 1970s and 80's, Korean shamanism was used as a form of protest against the government by the pro-democracy Popular Culture Movement. Whether willing to participate in political dissidence or not, under the movement's '' minjung'' ("the people") ideology, long-oppressed shamans were painted as the bearers of Korean culture who could also use their spirit-possession ''kut'' to give voice to those who had died for social justice causes. In recent times, Korean shamanism is evolving, with its growing popularity in media today, and the adaptability of its practitioners in a modernized world. ''Mudang'' have more control over their public image, now using documentaries and television along with personal websites to advertise and present their own stories. Korea-Haeinsa-21

Confucianism Confucianism, also known as Ruism or Ru classicism, is a system of thought and behavior originating in ancient China, and is variously described as a tradition, philosophy, Religious Confucianism, religion, theory of government, or way of li ...

and

Taoism Taoism or Daoism (, ) is a diverse philosophical and religious tradition indigenous to China, emphasizing harmony with the Tao ( zh, p=dào, w=tao4). With a range of meaning in Chinese philosophy, translations of Tao include 'way', 'road', ' ...

were later introduced to Korea through cultural exchanges with Chinese dynasties. Buddhism was the official religion of the Goryeo dynasty, and many privileges were given to Buddhist monks during this period. However, the Joseon period saw the suppression of Buddhism, where Buddhist monks and temples were banned from the cities and confined to the countryside. In its place a strict form of

, which some see as even more strict than what had ever been adopted by the Chinese, became the official philosophy.

Korean Confucianism Korean Confucianism, or Korean Ruism, is the form of Confucianism that emerged and developed in Korea. One of the most substantial influences in Korean intellectual history was the introduction of Confucian thought as part of the cultural influe ...

was epitomized by the

seonbi ''Seonbi'' () were scholars during the Goryeo and Joseon periods of Korean history. They were generally seen as non-governmental servants of the public, who chose to pass on the benefits and authority of official power in order to develop and sha ...

class, scholars who passed up positions of wealth and power to lead lives of study and integrity. Throughout Korean history and culture, regardless of separation, the traditional beliefs of

Mahayana Buddhism Mahāyāna ( ; , , ; ) is a term for a broad group of Buddhist traditions, texts, philosophies, and practices developed in ancient India ( onwards). It is considered one of the three main existing branches of Buddhism, the others being Thera ...

and

have remained an underlying influence of the religion of the Korean people as well as a vital aspect of their culture. In fact, all these traditions coexisted peacefully for hundreds of years. They still exist in the more Christian South and in the North, despite pressure from its

government A government is the system or group of people governing an organized community, generally a State (polity), state. In the case of its broad associative definition, government normally consists of legislature, executive (government), execu ...

Influence of Buddhism on culture and traditions

Korean culture is deeply influenced by the

as Buddhism has become inherent aspect of the Korea culture, including the secular Korean traditions followed by the non-Buddhist Koreans. A 2005 government survey indicated that about a quarter of South Koreans identified as Buddhist.According to figures compiled by the South Korean National Statistical Office. However, the actual number of Buddhists in South Korea is ambiguous as there is no exact or exclusive criterion by which Buddhists can be identified, unlike the Christian population. With Buddhism's incorporation into traditional Korean culture, it is now considered a philosophy and cultural background rather than a formal religion. As a result, many people outside of the practicing population are deeply influenced by these traditions. Thus, when counting secular believers or those influenced by the faith while not following other religions, the number of Buddhists in South Korea is considered to be much larger. Similarly, in officially atheist North Korea, while Buddhists officially account for 4.5% of the population, a much larger number (over 70%) of the population are influenced by Buddhist philosophies and customs. When Buddhism was originally introduced to Korea from Former Qin he 4th century state in Northern Chinain 372, about 800 years after the death of the historical Gautama Buddha ounder of Buddhism

shamanism Shamanism is a spiritual practice that involves a practitioner (shaman) interacting with the spirit world through altered states of consciousness, such as trance. The goal of this is usually to direct spirits or spiritual energies into ...

religious practicewas the indigenous religion. The

Samguk yusa ''Samguk yusa'' (; ) or ''Memorabilia of the Three Kingdoms'' is a collection of legends, folktales, and historical accounts relating to the Three Kingdoms of Korea (Goguryeo, Baekje, and Silla), as well as to other periods and states before, d ...

and Samguk sagi record the following 3 monks who were among the first to bring

Buddhist Buddhism, also known as Buddhadharma and Dharmavinaya, is an Indian religion and List of philosophies, philosophical tradition based on Pre-sectarian Buddhism, teachings attributed to the Buddha, a wandering teacher who lived in the 6th or ...

teaching, or

Dharma Dharma (; , ) is a key concept in various Indian religions. The term ''dharma'' does not have a single, clear Untranslatability, translation and conveys a multifaceted idea. Etymologically, it comes from the Sanskrit ''dhr-'', meaning ''to hold ...

, to

in the 4th century during the

Three Kingdoms period The Three Kingdoms of Cao Wei, Shu Han, and Eastern Wu dominated China from AD 220 to 280 following the end of the Han dynasty. This period was preceded by the Eastern Han dynasty and followed by the Western Jin dynasty. Academically, the ...

: Malananta – an

monk who came from Serindian area of southern China's Eastern Jin Dynasty and brought Buddhism to the King

Baekje Baekje or Paekche (; ) was a Korean kingdom located in southwestern Korea from 18 BCE to 660 CE. It was one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea, together with Goguryeo and Silla. While the three kingdoms were in separate existence, Baekje had the h ...

in the southern

Korean peninsula Korea is a peninsular region in East Asia consisting of the Korean Peninsula, Jeju Island, and smaller islands. Since the end of World War II in 1945, it has been politically divided at or near the 38th parallel between North Korea (Dem ...

in 384 CE, Sundo – a monk from northern Chinese state

Former Qin Qin, known as the Former Qin and Fu Qin (苻秦) in historiography, was a Dynasties of China, dynastic state of China ruled by the Fu (Pu) clan of the Di (Five Barbarians), Di peoples during the Sixteen Kingdoms period. Founded in the wake of ...

brought Buddhism to

Goguryeo Goguryeo (37 BC – 668 AD) (; ; Old Korean: Guryeo) also later known as Goryeo (; ; Middle Korean: 고ᇢ롕〮, ''kwòwlyéy''), was a Korean kingdom which was located on the northern and central parts of the Korea, Korean Peninsula an ...

in northern Korea in 372 CE, and Ado – a monk who brought Buddhism to

in central Korea., . As Buddhism was not seen to conflict with the rites of nature worship, it was allowed by adherents of Shamanism to be blended into their religion. Thus, the mountains that were believed by shamanists to be the residence of spirits in pre-Buddhist times later became the sites of Buddhist temples. Though it initially enjoyed wide acceptance, even being supported as the state ideology during the

(918–1392 CE) period, Buddhism in Korea suffered extreme repression during the

(1392–1897 CE) era, which lasted over five hundred years. During this period,

Neo-Confucianism Neo-Confucianism (, often shortened to ''lǐxué'' 理學, literally "School of Principle") is a moral, ethical, and metaphysical Chinese philosophy influenced by Confucianism, which originated with Han Yu (768–824) and Li Ao (772–841) i ...

overcame the prior dominance of Buddhism. Only after Buddhist monks helped repel the Japanese invasions of Korea (1592–98) did the persecution of Buddhists stop. Buddhism in Korea remained subdued until the end of the Joseon period when its position was strengthened somewhat by the colonial period, which lasted from 1910 to 1945. However, these Buddhist monks did not only put an end to Japanese rule in 1945, but they also asserted their specific and separate religious identity by reforming their traditions and practices. They laid the foundation for many Buddhist societies, and the younger generation of monks came up with the ideology of ''Mingung Pulgyo'', or "Buddhism for the people." The importance of this ideology is that it was coined by the monks who focused on common men's daily issues.

Modern cultures

Culture of South Korea

The contemporary culture of South Korea developed from the traditional culture of Korea which was prevalent in the early Korean nomadic tribes. By maintaining thousands of years of ancient Korean culture, South Korea has split on its own path of cultural development away from North Korean culture since the

in 1949. The industrialization, urbanization, and westernization of South Korea, especially Seoul, have brought many changes to the way Koreans live. Changing Economy of South Korea and lifestyles have led to a concentration of population in major cities and depopulation of the rural countryside, with multi-generational households separating into nuclear family living. Today, many Korean cultural elements, especially popular culture, have spread across the globe and have become some of the most prominent cultural forces in the world.

Culture of North Korea

In North Korea, a central theme of cultural expression is to take the best from the past and discard capitalist elements. Popular, vernacular styles and themes in the arts such as literature, art, music and dance are esteemed as expressing the truly unique spirit of the Korean nation. Ethnographers, .e. people who do qualitative research that involves immersing yourself in a particular community or organisation to observe their behavior and interactions up close devote much energy to restoring and reintroducing cultural forms that have the proper proletarian, or folk, spirit and that encourage the development of collective consciousness. Proletarian refers to the Marxism study of the classes in terms of Capitalism including the Proletarians and Bourgeoisie. Other classes including landlords, petty bourgeoisie, peasants, and lumpenproletariat also exist but are not primary in terms of the dynamics of capitalism. Last but not least, lively, optimistic musical and choreographic expressions are stressed when it comes to dance. Group folk dances and choral singing are traditionally practiced in some but not all parts of Korea. They were being promoted throughout North Korea in the early 1990s among schools and university students. Farmers' music bands have also been revived. Fourth ed. Washington: Federal Research Division of the Library of Congress. .

Culture of Yanbian Korean Autonomous Prefecture

Both

Mandarin Chinese Mandarin ( ; zh, s=, t=, p=Guānhuà, l=Mandarin (bureaucrat), officials' speech) is the largest branch of the Sinitic languages. Mandarin varieties are spoken by 70 percent of all Chinese speakers over a large geographical area that stretch ...

and Korean are used as official languages in Yanbian. ''

Vice News Vice News (stylized as VICE News) is Vice Media's alternative current affairs channel, producing daily documentary essays and video through its website and YouTube channel. It promotes itself on its coverage of "under-reported stories". Vice Ne ...

'' described the prefecture as both "West Korea" and "The Third Korea" due to the prominence of both North and South Korean culture. The Museum of Yanbian Korean Autonomous Prefecture was planned in 1960, and constructed in 1982. It contains over 10,000 exhibits, including 11 first-level artifacts. The exhibits' labels and explanations are in 2 languages, which is in Korean and Chinese. Guided tours are also available in both of these languages.

High-Context Culture in South Korea

In Korea, high-context culture is prominent in the society as it is a very important part of their culture. High-context culture are a continuum of how explicit the messages exchanged in a culture are and how important the context in communication. High-context cultures often exhibit less-direct verbal and

nonverbal communication Nonverbal communication is the transmission of messages or signals through a nonverbal platform such as eye contact (oculesics), body language (kinesics), social distance (proxemics), touch (Haptic communication, haptics), voice (prosody (lingui ...

, utilizing small communication gestures and reading more meaning into these less-direct messages.

Social Relations and Communication

In contrast to American communications where it's considered more low-context cultured and background information is needed, Korea's communication relies on cultural context derived from their customs and etiquettes. It's inevitable that differences in cultural perspectives will be channeled through communication; and if this communication is to be productive, interactions based on cultural knowledge and mutual respect will be needed.

Asian languages Asia is home to hundreds of languages comprising several families and some unrelated isolates. The most spoken language families on the continent include Austroasiatic, Austronesian, Japonic, Dravidian, Indo-European, Afroasiatic, Turkic, ...

, such as Korean, reflect its high-context culture with an abundance of implicitness. Indirect communication is most likely to appeal to Korean citizens because they tend to value

which emphasizes harmony and egalitarianism. It reflected in their deeply rooted Confucian values and ideology which includes all participants in communication to save face if possible. If a stand is not taken, then people would not have to stick out among others, which is a form for threat in Confucian Korean cultures. Many of these high-culture context forms take place in the language itself such as their formality when using

Korean honorifics The Korean language has a system of Honorifics (linguistics), linguistic honorifics that reflects the social status of participants. Speakers use honorifics to indicate their social relationship with the addressee and/or subject of the convers ...

, customs, and etiquette.

Customs and Etiquette in Korea

Although most aspects of etiquette are accepted by the country at large, customs can be localized to specific regions or influenced by other cultures, namely

, and the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

. Customs in Korea are derived from religions such as

which is highly evident in the way that Koreans take care of others and their traditions. Most Koreans observe some forms of Confucian ceremonies such as Korean birthday celebrations and Korean New Year traditions, such as '' Seollal'', even if they don't know of its Confucian value. Furthermore, Korean etiquette, or the code of social behavior that governs human interactions, focuses on the core values of

due to South Korea being an advocate of strict Confucian hierarchy and moral leadership. This determines how Korean citizens are expected to behave and uphold their responsibilities in their daily lives. Such important etiquette include avoiding making eye contact since it is considered it bad manners to look straight into another person's eyes while conversing. Thus, Koreans fix their gaze between the eyes and will often glance downwards. Failure to 'look somebody' in the eye does not mean 'a sign of weakness'. Instead, it will provide them with respect back from the person whether they are an elder, superior, or a stranger because it shows that a person is willing to give them the respect they deserve and not act inappropriately by "glaring" at them.

World Heritage Sites

There are a number of designated

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO ) is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) with the aim of promoting world peace and International secur ...

World Heritage Site World Heritage Sites are landmarks and areas with legal protection under an treaty, international treaty administered by UNESCO for having cultural, historical, or scientific significance. The sites are judged to contain "cultural and natural ...

s in

Jongmyo Shrine

The Jongmyo Shrine was added to the

list in 1995 and is located in Seoul. The shrine is dedicated to the spirits of the ancestors of the royal family of the

Joseon Dynasty Joseon ( ; ; also romanized as ''Chosun''), officially Great Joseon (), was a dynastic kingdom of Korea that existed for 505 years. It was founded by Taejo of Joseon in July 1392 and replaced by the Korean Empire in October 1897. The kingdom w ...

. It is heavily influenced by Korean Confucian tradition. An elaborate performance of ancient court music (with accompanying dance) known as ''Jongmyo jeryeak'' is performed there each year. When it was built in 1394 it was to be one of the longest buildings in

Asia Asia ( , ) is the largest continent in the world by both land area and population. It covers an area of more than 44 million square kilometres, about 30% of Earth's total land area and 8% of Earth's total surface area. The continent, which ...

. There are 19 memorial tablets of kings and 30 of their queens, placed in 19 chambers. The shrine was burnt to the ground during the Imjin wars, but rebuilt in 1608.

Changdeokgung

Changdeokgung is also known as the "palace of illustrious virtue". It was built in 1405, burnt to the ground during the Imjin wars in 1592 and reconstructed in 1609. For more than 300 years Changdeokgung was the site of the royal seat. It is located in

Seoul Seoul, officially Seoul Special Metropolitan City, is the capital city, capital and largest city of South Korea. The broader Seoul Metropolitan Area, encompassing Seoul, Gyeonggi Province and Incheon, emerged as the world's List of cities b ...

. The surroundings and the palace itself are well matched. Some of the trees behind the palace are now over 300 years old, besides a preserved tree which is over 1000 years old. Changdeokgung was added to the

World Heritage World Heritage Sites are landmarks and areas with legal protection under an treaty, international treaty administered by UNESCO for having cultural, historical, or scientific significance. The sites are judged to contain "cultural and natural ...

list in 1997.

Bulguksa

Bulguksa is also known as the temple of the ''Buddha Land'' and home of the ''Seokguram Grotto''. The temple was constructed in 751 and consists of a great number of halls. There are two pagodas placed in the temple. The ''Seokguram'' grotto is a hermitage of the Bulguksa temple. It is a granite sanctuary. In the main chamber a Buddha statue is seated. The temple and the grotto were added to the

World Heritage list in 1995.

Tripitaka Koreana and Haeinsa

Haeinsa is a large temple in

South Gyeongsang Province South Gyeongsang Province (, ) is a province in the southeast of South Korea. The provincial capital is at Changwon. It is adjacent to the major metropolitan center and port of Busan. The UNESCO World Heritage Site Haeinsa, a Buddhist temple tha ...

. It was originally built in 802 and home to the ''

Tripitaka Koreana The is a Korean collection of the ( Buddhist scriptures), carved onto 81,258 wooden printing blocks in the 13th century. They are currently located at the Buddhist temple Haeinsa, in South Gyeongsang Province, South Korea. It is the oldest ...

'' wood blocks, the oldest Buddhist wooden manuscripts in the world. The carving of these wood blocks was initiated in 1236 and completed in 1251. The wood blocks are testimony to the pious devotion of king and his people. The word '' Tripitaka'' is

Sanskrit Sanskrit (; stem form ; nominal singular , ,) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan languages, Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in northwest South Asia after its predecessor languages had Trans-cultural ...

and stands for three baskets, referring to the

laws of aesthetics. The ''Tripitaka Koreana'' consists of 81'258 wood blocks and is the largest, oldest, and most complete collection of Buddhist scripts. Amazingly there is no trace of errata or omission on any of the wood blocks. The ''Tripitaka Koreana'' is widely considered as the most beautiful and accurate

canon carved in

Hanja Hanja (; ), alternatively spelled Hancha, are Chinese characters used to write the Korean language. After characters were introduced to Korea to write Literary Chinese, they were adapted to write Korean as early as the Gojoseon period. () ...

. The site was added to the

list in 1995.

Hwaseong

Hwaseong is the fortification of

Suwon Suwon (; ) is the largest city and capital of Gyeonggi Province, South Korea's most populous province. The city lies approximately south of the national capital, Seoul. With a population of 1.2 million, Suwon has more inhabitants than Ulsan, tho ...

, South Korea. Its construction was completed in 1796 and it features all the latest features of Korean fortification known at the time. The fortress also contains a magnificent palace used for the King's visit to his father's tomb near the city. The fortress covers both flat land and hilly terrain, something rarely seen in

. The walls are 5.52 kilometres long and there are 41 extant facilities along the perimeter. These include four cardinal gates, a floodgate, four secret gates and a beacon tower. Hwaseong was added to the

list in 1997.

Namhansanseong

Namhansanseong became a

in 2014.

Sansa, Buddhist Mountain Monasteries

The Sansa are Buddhist mountain monasteries located throughout the southern provinces of the Korean Peninsula. The spatial arrangement of the seven temples that comprise the property, established from the 7th to 9th centuries, present common characteristics that are specific to Korea – the 'madang' (open courtyard) flanked by four buildings (Buddha Hall, pavilion, lecture hall and dormitory). They contain a large number of individually remarkable structures, objects, documents and shrines. These mountain monasteries are sacred places, which have survived as living centres of faith and daily religious practice to the present.

Historic Monuments and Sites in Kaesong

The Historic Monuments and Sites in Kaesong became a

in 2013.

Gochang, Hwasun and Ganghwa sites

The sites of ''Gochang'', ''Hwasun'' and ''Ganghwa'' were added to the

list of

in 2000. These sites are home to prehistoric graveyards which contain hundreds of different

megalith A megalith is a large stone that has been used to construct a prehistoric structure or monument, either alone or together with other stones. More than 35,000 megalithic structures have been identified across Europe, ranging geographically f ...

s. These megaliths are gravestones which were created in the 1st century B.C. out of large blocks of rock. Megaliths can be found around the globe, but nowhere in such a concentration as in the sites of Gochang, Hwasun and Ganghwa.

Gyeongju Area

The historic area around

was added to the

list of

in 2000. Gyeongju was the capital of the

kingdom. The tombs of the Silla rulers can still be found in the centre of the city. These tombs took the shape of rock chambers buried in an earthen hill, sometimes likened with the

pyramid A pyramid () is a structure whose visible surfaces are triangular in broad outline and converge toward the top, making the appearance roughly a pyramid in the geometric sense. The base of a pyramid can be of any polygon shape, such as trian ...

s. The area around Gyeongju, in particular on the Namsan mountain, is scattered with hundreds of remains from the Silla period. Poseokjeong is one of the most famous of these sites, but there is a great number of Korean Buddhist art, sculptures, reliefs,

pagoda A pagoda is a tiered tower with multiple eaves common to Thailand, Cambodia, Nepal, India, China, Japan, Korea, Myanmar, Vietnam, and other parts of Asia. Most pagodas were built to have a religious function, most often Buddhist, but some ...

s and remains of

temple A temple (from the Latin ) is a place of worship, a building used for spiritual rituals and activities such as prayer and sacrifice. By convention, the specially built places of worship of some religions are commonly called "temples" in Engli ...

s and

palace A palace is a large residence, often serving as a royal residence or the home for a head of state or another high-ranking dignitary, such as a bishop or archbishop. The word is derived from the Latin name palātium, for Palatine Hill in Rome whi ...

s mostly built in the 7th and 10th century.

Complex of Koguryo Tombs

The Complex of Koguryo Tombs lies in

Pyongyang Pyongyang () is the Capital city, capital and largest city of North Korea, where it is sometimes labeled as the "Capital of the Revolution" (). Pyongyang is located on the Taedong River about upstream from its mouth on the Yellow Sea. Accordi ...

, Pyong'an South Province, and Nampo City, South Hwanghae Province, North Korea. In July 2004 it became the first

site north of the 38th parallel. The site consists of 63 individual tombs from the later

, one of the

Three Kingdoms of Korea The Three Kingdoms of Korea or Samhan (Goguryeo, Baekje and Silla) competed for hegemony over the Korea, Korean Peninsula during the ancient period of History of Korea, Korean history. During the Three Kingdoms period (), many states and statele ...

. It was founded around northern Korea and

Manchuria Manchuria is a historical region in northeast Asia encompassing the entirety of present-day northeast China and parts of the modern-day Russian Far East south of the Uda (Khabarovsk Krai), Uda River and the Tukuringra-Dzhagdy Ranges. The exact ...

around 32 BC, and the capital was moved to Pyongyang in 427. This kingdom dominated the region between the 5th and 7th century AD.

Royal Tombs of the Joseon Dynasty

Historic Villages of Korea: Hahoe and Yangdong

References

External links

Korea Society Podcast: The Origins of Koreans and Their Culture – Part I

Korea Society Podcast: The Origins of Koreans and Their Culture – Part II
*
Early photographs project showing public scenes, behavior, buildings 1895–1930

Brief Explanation of Korean Customs (general customs, respect, marriage, dining)Korean Style And Fashion
{{authority control

Clothing

Cuisine

Ceremonial, ritual and temple foods

Royal court cuisine (''surasang'')

Tea

Festivals

Fine arts

Ceramics

Crafts

Dance and martial arts

Painting

Music

Gardens

Houses

Religious beliefs

Influence of Buddhism on culture and traditions

Modern cultures

Culture of South Korea

Culture of North Korea

Culture of Yanbian Korean Autonomous Prefecture

High-Context Culture in South Korea

Social Relations and Communication

Customs and Etiquette in Korea

World Heritage Sites

Jongmyo Shrine

Changdeokgung

Bulguksa

Tripitaka Koreana and Haeinsa

Hwaseong

Namhansanseong

Sansa, Buddhist Mountain Monasteries

Historic Monuments and Sites in Kaesong

Gochang, Hwasun and Ganghwa sites

Gyeongju Area

Complex of Koguryo Tombs

Royal Tombs of the Joseon Dynasty

Historic Villages of Korea: Hahoe and Yangdong

See also

References

External links