Enjoy Gangwon-do Hanji Craft at Yongsan Craft Center

Yongsan-gu, October 30 to December 13, Paldo Craft Exhibition Gangwon-do Edition 'Built with Hanji' at Yongsan Craft Center 4th Floor Exhibition Hall

[Asia Economy Reporter Jong-il Park] Yongsan-gu (Mayor Seong Jang-hyun) will present the Paldo Craft Exhibition Gangwon Province Edition "Built with Hanji" from October 30 to December 13.

They invited 22 works, including award-winning pieces from the "Korea Hanji Grand Exhibition" and works owned by the Hanji Development Institute (Chairman Kim Jin-hee), a non-profit organization located in Wonju, Gangwon Province, and exhibited them in the multipurpose room on the 4th floor of the Yongsan Craft Center (274 Itaewon-ro).

Notable works include Shin Kyung-hye’s "Jiseung Pillow" (Grand Prize at the 2nd Korea Hanji Grand Exhibition), Park Woong-soon’s "Bookshelf Set" (Gold Prize at the 11th Korea Hanji Grand Exhibition), Jo Jeong-min’s "Embroidery Fragrance" (Grand Prize at the 17th Korea Hanji Grand Exhibition), and Choi Myung-soon’s "Book Stand" (Special Selection at the 20th Korea Hanji Grand Exhibition).

There are also unique pieces such as the "Jiseung Lamp Stand" made during the Joseon Dynasty and an "Ashtray" produced during the Japanese colonial period.

An official from the craft center said, "Wonju, Gangwon Province, is the birthplace of Hanji, producing high-quality Hanji using the local specialty, the dak tree. Wonju Hanji is recognized worldwide as a craft product. Visitors to the Yongsan Craft Center will be able to experience the excellence of Wonju Hanji."

Hanji crafts are broadly divided into colored paper crafts, Jihogong crafts, and Jiseung crafts. Colored paper crafts involve layering multiple sheets of Hanji to create a frame, dressing it with various colored papers, and then cutting and attaching various patterns.

Jihogong crafts are made by tearing discarded Hanji into small pieces, soaking them in water, mixing with glue, and pouring or attaching the mixture into a fixed mold. After drying, applying soybean water or lacquer can provide flame retardant and waterproof effects.

Jiseung crafts involve twisting and rolling Hanji into threads, then weaving them to create shapes. The shape and form vary depending on the weaving method. Colored paper is sometimes mixed in for diverse expressions.

On the 30th, Kwon Na-hye (female, 28), who visited the craft center, said, "I didn’t know traditional Hanji was used so diversely. It’s fascinating and fun that there’s nothing they can’t make, from furniture to pillows and ashtrays."

The Yongsan Craft Center is located in Hannam-dong, Yongsan-gu. It has three basement floors and four above-ground floors, with a total floor area of 2,800㎡. Opened in 2018, it features a craft product sales area on the 1st floor, a ceramics and hanbok experience center on the 2nd floor, a craft learning center and workshop on the 3rd floor, and exhibition rooms and an outdoor performance hall on the 4th floor.

The craft center has received positive responses from visitors through the sale of high-quality crafts, various educational programs, and high-level planned exhibitions. Especially this year, it has contributed to revitalizing local craft culture through the Paldo Craft Relay Exhibition. However, to prevent the spread of COVID-19, the district is conducting all educational programs fully online and limiting the number of simultaneous visitors to exhibitions to five or fewer.

Seong Jang-hyun, Mayor of Yongsan-gu, said, "Following the VR exhibition at Gwangyanggung Market in July, we are presenting a new exhibition after three months. We hope many people will come and experience the world of traditional Hanji crafts."

The craft center is open from Tuesday to Sunday, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., and admission is free.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.