South Korea · Textiles

Andong Hemp Cloth (Andong Pobeom)

안동포 (Andong Po)

Andong Po is the traditional hand-woven hemp cloth of Andong city in North Gyeongsang province — one of the finest linen-like textiles in Asia, woven from hand-spun hemp fiber on a backstrap or floor loom to produce a fabric so fine it was historically reserved for royal court mourning dress and aristocratic summer clothing. The making process is entirely manual — hemp stalks harvested, soaked, stripped, dried, hand-spun into thread, and woven. The thread count in fine Andong Po can exceed 300 threads per inch — comparable to the finest Egyptian cotton — but produced from hemp fiber that requires specific hand-splitting techniques to achieve the fineness required. GI-protected as Andong Po, the cloth is associated with the Confucian scholar culture of the Andong Hahoe Village area.

Risk level: Critically Endangered · Not inscribed internationally; GI-protected Andong Po; within Korean ICH Living National Treasure system

Alternate Names
Andong hemp; ramie Andong; andong po; Korean hemp cloth
Geographic Center
Andong city and Hahoe village area, North Gyeongsang province
Community / Ethnic Group
Andong area women weavers; Confucian scholar community tradition; Living National Treasure designated masters
Estimated Origin
Estimated 2,000+ years; Andong area hemp weaving documented from early Korean kingdoms; fine court hemp from Joseon Dynasty
Cultural Function
Royal and aristocratic mourning dress (for three-year mourning period). Summer formal wear for Confucian scholars. Contemporary luxury summer textile.
Primary Materials
Hemp fiber (Cannabis sativa — grown specifically for fiber, not resin content); water (for soaking and processing)
Primary Tools
Hand-splitting tools (fingernails and specific splitting device); spinning wheel; floor loom (Andong traditional type); water retting vessel
Process Overview
Hemp cultivation → harvesting → water retting → fiber stripping → hand-splitting (with calibration) → spinning → warping → floor loom weaving
Traditional Applications
Royal court mourning dress; aristocratic summer formal wear; Confucian scholar dress
Contemporary Applications
Luxury summer textile; contemporary fashion; cultural tourism; collector textile; UNESCO Hahoe Village heritage context
Notable Practitioners
Living National Treasure Andong Po makers — Cho Ok-hwa (Andong — Living National Treasure No. 1 for Andong Po hemp weaving); Andong area women weavers (collective — fewer than 10 active full-technique).
Key References
Cultural Heritage Administration of Korea — Living National Treasure No. 1, Andong Po. KCDF Andong Po documentation. GI certification documentation — Andong Po.
Verification Status
Desk-Researched — field verification with Living National Treasure No. 1 (Cho Ok-hwa) in Andong recommended

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