Gems Worth the Journey: The Toilet Museum

Attraction: Haewoojae

Where: Suwon, South Korea

Day trip from: Seoul

Trip length: Half a day

Ever wanted to go to the toilet literally inside a toilet? Here's your chance...

Living and travelling in Korea can have some strange side effects, like developing an insatiable appetite for red bean paste buns and visiting a museum dedicated to toilets… That’s right this post is all about my trip to the loo! Red bean paste aside, this foray into the bizarre in the pursuit of an afternoon's entertainment turned out to be more informative – and even inspiring han I could have imagined, but definitely hilarious too.

Someone call Grand Deigns

First of all my party piece comment about the ‘Mr. Toilet Museum’ or Haewoojae is that this is not simply a museum about toilets but incredibly it is a museum about toilets built in the SHAPE of a toilet. I’ll let that sink in for a moment… It is truly an architectural triumph. It is also probably the best decorated loo in the world, inside and out. Approaching the entrance guests are greeted with toilet themed artwork (featuring some rather graphic depictions which once seen, cannot be unseen) and a golden statue of, well, a dollop. Once past the initial point and laugh exercise and complimentary passport stamp – not one to miss – it is time to enter. Once inside there are innumerable children’s drawing and colouring competition entries to peruse which (you guessed it) had a theme. I'll be the first to admit that these were somewhat nightmare inducing. Most excitingly is the chance to witness for yourself the throne-room of Mr. Toilet himself built directly in the centre of the building, reminiscent of the sacral chamber – complete with his cardboard cutout and thanks to the ceiling to floor window, imitates a viewing gallery. Never have I seen such a display of pride.

Instead of a decorative fountain and garden gnomes Mr. Toilet opted to fill his garden with figures and decidedly different water features giving examples of how toilets changed through the ages in Korea. If you have ever wondered what it is like to sit inside a gigantic Korean squat toilet then here is your opportunity. Adjacent to the main museum is a small viewing gallery with even an interactive play area for children. I kid you not there's a themed slide and ball pit as well as an informative education centre.

"Yes alright it sounds fantastically odd", you say, "but who is this Mr. Toilet?!"

However amusing this collection of eccentricities a humble and valuable lesson can be learned from the work of Mr. Toilet known simply as Sim Jaedeok before coining his nickname. After becoming the mayor of Suwon, Sim campaigned for a hygiene revolution across South Korea. Even in the 1970s not everyone had access to a clean and suitable toilet. After huge success in this area Jaedeok began to move further afield with his passion for providing those in need with a ‘haewoojae’, “a house to relieve one’s concerns”. Thanks to one man’s unusual - but let's face it, necessary determination developing communities across the globe have benefitted from clean and sanitary facilities. Finally, having undertaken such a mission The World Toilet Association was formed and to celebrate, Mr. Toilet demolished his home of thirty years to build a house in the image of a toilet. Too far? Apparently not.

'Mr. Toilet' formerly known as Sim Jaedeok

After passing away Mr. Toilet’s family generously donated the house to Suwon City Council who then turned the building into the museum it is today. Probably wise, not everyone's lifestyle can accommodate living inside a loo after all. A lot of the artwork and images on show are quite graphic and blush-worthy but it is important to remember that their sole purpose is not to embarrass guests but instead to encourage a more accepting and healthy outlook on using a toilet. For years toilet hygiene was ignored in Korea because too many people felt it was a topic too taboo to discuss. Luckily the eccentric but ultimately caring Mr. Toilet was on hand to put things right.

Directions

Haewoojae is relatively easy to get to from Seoul and I thoroughly recommend a visit (note: its closed on Mondays).

• You can either take the subway all the way to Suwon (which I estimate takes around an hour) or if you want to make good use of your Korail pass take the KTX/ ITX to Suwon in just half an hour.

• From there you will need to take line 1 of the Suwon metro to Sungkungung University – just two stops.

• Then take a taxi to the museum – expect to pay around 4000 KRW for the taxi.

• Entrance to the museum is absolutely free, and needless to say a visit to the conveniences at the museum is comparable to a holiday itself! As for red bean paste buns, you can find them in any convenience store.

Thanks for reading - stay tuned for more Gems Worth the Journey!

Like this series? Try reading Gems Worth The Journey: Turkestan