This village was a vast network of traditional houses. Many had been turned into cafes and tourist shops, but when I walked some of the back streets there was a sense of the old.

During both the Goryeo and Joseon periods that extended for a thousand years, Confusian based education was taught. Even earlier during the Silla period, the site I stepped into had been the home of the national education institute when Gyeongju was the kingdom’s capital. There were a number of buildings including the main lecture hall set at one end of the village.

Further on were narrow streets lined with stone fences where beyond were Hanok houses where I could step into the courtyard.