NNinuodewubuIf you're coming to Hunchun, you absolutely *must* stay at the Minzu Garden International Hotel. It's incredibly beautiful and perfect for taking photos. Guests staying on the first floor can rent traditional costumes for free, and each one is clean and stunning. From check-in to check-out, the (domestic) staff were incredibly enthusiastic, helping us with our luggage. The breakfast spread was fantastic, with lots of Korean ethnic dishes like doenjang jjigae, tteok, and dolsot bibimbap. We stayed for two days, and the menu was different each day. The back of the hotel has a large garden villa area, which is the best spot for photos.
The rooms are spacious, and they provide complimentary fruit, VC drinks, and snacks daily. They even gave us steam eye masks. They really think of everything to cater to guests' needs. We were originally very satisfied, but there was a minor incident. We didn't realize that some of the reception staff were from North Korea. My family saw a staff member wearing traditional clothing and thought she looked lovely, so they went up to take a photo. She immediately gave a cold glare and walked away, which startled us and made us feel very awkward. Later, a domestic staff member explained that they aren't allowed to be photographed. However, in the service industry, it's hard to avoid guests wanting to take pictures, especially since they perform in various places – piano, guzheng. This made us hesitant to even take out our phones to record anything later on, making us feel quite on edge. When you're on vacation and looking to relax and have fun, the presence of North Korean staff made the whole atmosphere less relaxed. We're not sure what the reasoning is, but as tourists, our experience wasn't great. Because of this, I can't give a perfect score. If they are always there, then we can only not understand but respect it.
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