Changpyeong Slow City

Changpyeong was among the first places in Asia certified by the Cittaslow movement, in 2007, which in practice means a set of commitments about scale, local food and not redeveloping - and the village is small enough that this reads as description rather than branding. Its physical signature is the walls: three-odd kilometres of them along the lanes, built of packed earth with stone laid in courses through it, a construction registered as cultural heritage in its own right. The village makes hangwa, the traditional Korean confection of glutinous rice paste, honey and grain syrup, deep-fried or dried and coated in puffed rice or seeds - several households still make it by hand and sell it, and workshops let visitors try. There is also a traditional soy sauce and doenjang tradition, hanok stays, and a stream with a walk along it. It is quiet, plain and low-key by design.

What you actually see

• The earth and stone walls - three kilometres, heritage-listed.
• The hangwa makers - households producing by hand, and selling.
• The fermentation yards - jars of soy sauce and doenjang.
• The stream walk - the path along the water at the village edge.

When to go

April to June and October. Weekdays; several workshops close on Mondays. Hangwa making runs year round but is busiest before the holidays.

Honest expectations

There is no single sight - the point is that nothing much happens. Workshops and stays need booking. If you want a full day's programme, this is not it.

Nearby

Damyang's bamboo forest, the Metasequoia road and Soswaewon garden are close.