Grandmother¡¯s Grandmother
Grandmother of that Grandmother...
Hemp has been the longest and most widely used fabric of the world and is the friendliest fabric to Koreans. In particular, the climate and soil of Andong of Gyeongbuk is the most suitable for hemp cultivation. People of ancient times cultivated wild hemp around Nakdong River to produce the fabrics close to today¡¯s Andong hemp.
Hemp was favored by Shinra¡¯s Flower of Youths. As remains of hemp fabrics are found in old tombs, it is assumed that hemp has been worn since the time of Shinra Empire.
Andong Hemp, certified to be served to Kings
In the early Chosun Dynasty, they were produced as bast fiber fabrics for commoners. Their light-gold color and thin and delicate weaving became to be recognized and bested silk and other fabrics. They were used not only for summer wardrobes, but also for sables.

Since the mid-Chosun Dynasty, they have been produced and used for summer wardrobes as equivalent to ramie fabrics. They were certified to be served to the Palace instead of taxes as they were recognized as one of major local specialties and were also popularly traded to China. Today, hemps have become distant to our daily life due to the popularization of synthetic fabrics, but they are still treasured and produced in Geumso-ri and Gogok-ri, Imha-myeon of Andong, Namhae, Gangneng and Boseong.

What is so special about Andong Hemp?
Andong Hemp is ¡°Saengnaengi.¡± It is what makes it different fromother hemp.
What is ¡®Saengnaengi¡¯?
'Saengnaengi' (literally means born in raw) is distinguished from ¡®Iknaengi¡¯ (literally means born heated) by the difference in the process of yarning.

¡°Saengnaengi,¡± the Core of Andong Hemp

Saengnaengi = Unnecessary peeling peeled before yarning.
Iknaengi = Peeling peeled in lye after yarning.

Saengnaengi peels off the unnecessary peeling before yarning the hemp, while Iknaengi peels off the peeling after yarning the hemp and boiling them in lye.

Another Core, 'Devotion'
'Saengnaengi¡¯ requires much more labor than 'Iknaengi.'
The reason is that Saengnaengi should be rolled on the knees when yarning.
Yarning is the base of well-structured hemp fabrics, so Andong ladies rolled and rolled the hemp until their knees became bruised and hardened.

'Until the white knees became bruised'

Although Saengnaengi requires more labor in weaving than Iknaengi, they produce more high-quality hemp fabrics.
Generally 8 to 9 rowed fabrics are weaved with Saengnaengi and sometimes more delicate 10-rowed fabrics are produced with them.
Fine-looking Andong hemp means that they have more ¡®Saengnaengi¡¯ that weaves thin, straight and fine hemp.
High-quality hemp of Andong, ¡®Saengnaengi¡¯ technique and the close devotion creates fine-looking Andong Hemp Fabrics.

It is what you wear to the ¡®afterlife¡¯ as you could not wear enough in ¡®present life.¡¯
Andong Hemp is ¡®Saengnaengi¡¯ weaved with the inner peel of the hemp. Ordinary hemp (Iknaengi) is chemically-processed and weaved with the outer peel to be different from the superior-quality of Andong Hemp.

Thread by thread, Andongpo is created by the devotion, effort and tears of Andong ladies.
Devotedly and delicately hand-woven in silent and regulated space by Andong ladies, Andong hemp is what you wear to the ¡®afterlife¡¯ as you could not wear enough in ¡®present life.¡¯

Fabric that is Closest to the Nature

Not only that, but they have high durability against friction and long life-span. They are highly resistant to water to not be deformed or damaged by washing. They will not be deformed although you wear it for a long time.
They will not deteriorate or be worm-eaten even if they are worn for 1,000 years.
As they are pollution-free natural fabric made devotedly in natural state, they are the closest to the Nature among the many kinds of fabrics.
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