Na-Seong Hawaii Bathhouse (Jinch’eon. Daegu)
Na Seong Hawaii – Jin-ch’eon.
Rating: Excellent
(First visited 7th of June 2011. Last visited 25th of July 2011). Despite the fact that you are likely to see more right angles in Na-seong Hawaii than in most other bathhouses, the atmosphere is calm and relaxing with a pervading sense of balance and lightness. Entering the atrium from the changing room, four pools occupy the centre contained within one large rectangle. The largest is the warm pool behind which lays a small bench massage pool and two smaller hot pools. At the far end of the pools, and contained within the rectangle are six ondol heated plinths made of jade. The large rectangle encompassing these features is mirrored by glass vaulted roof around the edges of which are small trees. The vaulted roof provides natural light and has the effect of both ‘opening’ the atrium and giving it a sense of lightness. Sitting in the pools or lying on the jade plinths and being able to look up at the sky is quite relaxing but this feature is only present in the male complex.
the first floor lobby
The use of angles is continued with both square windows on the right hand wall and by the long rectangular mirrors on the sit down showers which run beneath them. Even the stand up shower mirrors, which flank either side of the entrance and exit, are square and the only point at which the domination of right angles is broken is at the head of the atrium where three large semi-circular designs mark each sauna. The saunas are an interesting speciality of Na-seong and each is jewelled. The right hand sauna is a steam room predominantly of rose quartz with additional patterns in jade. The central sauna, a dry sauna has a pyramid-shaped roof the wall as being tightly studded with black, smoky quartz. The left hand sauna, an even hotter dry sauna is walled with another gem stone and the furthest wall contains several partitions with tightly packed charcoal and cinnamon.
On the left hand side of the atrium is a sleeping room and a long cold pool which on the occasions I visited was substantially colder than other bathhouses. The far wall of this pool has large widows which overlooks the adjacent no-cheon. The entrance to the no-ch’eon, another speciality of Na-seong, is in the left hand corner but as with the nearby Saeng-hwal, this is an enclosed no-ch’eon and not the type fully open to the elements.
the medicine bath in the no-cheon
The no-ch’eon area contains a salt sauna and three pools. The event pool has a different aroma everyday, including strawberry on a Saturday. There is a wooden sleeping area and a medicine bath which on my first visit contained a rather smelly sulphur additive. Finally, in the corner is a cold sea bath.
Overall, this is an excellent bathhouse with some interesting features and a very pleasant atmosphere. For anyone interested in bathhouses or who simply enjoys spa lounging, Na-seong is well worth a visit.
Getting there – Na Seong Hawaii is five minutes walk from Saeng Hwal On-ch’eon. (Wikimapia link) It is close to Jinch’eon subway. From Song-seo, Lotte Cinema, it is about 5500 Won by taxi.
Na seong on the left and Saeng Hwal on the right
Daegu subway map (click to enlarge)
The x’s mark subway stations. Na-seong is on the left.
Times – Unsure, but it is not a 24 hour establishment.
Facilities – bathhouse, sports center, barber, shoe-shine, parking, screen golf.
floor guide
Jjimjilbang – no jjimjilbang.
Bathhouse (men) – around fifty stand up and
Cost – 5000 Won
Ambiance – very relaxing, light and open.
Waygukin -None
Address –
Website –
Layout (Male Bathhouse) – coming
Updates
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© 林東哲 2011 Creative Commons Licence.
Elwood 5566 
Where exactly is this one located.? When you come out of the subway, which exit and which way do you walk?
Thanks,
Rob
Rob, I have never gone from the subway. I suggest you take a taxi from jin’ch’eon subway. It will only cost around 2500. If you have been to Saeng hwal, you can actually see Na Seong from the front of the building, simply look to you right and you will see it on the opposite side of the road.
I saw that you had wanted people to “push buttons” on your blog, so I thought I’d leave a quick message to say hello.
I came here by way of your comment here: http://matadornetwork.com/abroad/visiting-a-korean-bathhouse/
A friend and I are becoming more and more interested in Korea as of late. Mostly the popular culture stuff. Okay, only the popular culture stuff. She introduced me to some boy bands and I’m trying to get her to watch the K-Drama Coffee Prince. The culture of Korea is very interesting…the people are so different in terms of culture from say Japanese people, y’know? But I am still interested in Japan and I hope to live there for a year to experience everything about it. But now I’d like to see Korea as well!
My friend, she went to a Korean Bathhouse in Dallas, Texas, USA! So I was Googling to see what her experience must have been like. Bathhouses are such a foreign concept to people living in the USA. Just the idea of nudity alone is a bit of a shock, haha!
Anyway, thank you for blogging your experiences and sharing them with the world.
Thanks for you comments. Was the US bathhouse one where you go nude?
She said, “In the bath you were nude, but in the house you had a uniform.” It was a kind of hotel or hostel, which sounds uncommon in the USA as well.
Nick,
I’ve noticed most Korean men are circumcised, but boys and teens are not. Do you know why?
Rob, I have written various posts on this and if you look in the ‘categories’ in the side bar, or do a ‘tag’ search you will find them. Korean boys are usually circumcised shortly before they start middle school, around the age of 13 though some defer it until entering high school or even the army. There is no specific age to have it but by 22 or so most have been circumcised. The practice began in the 1950’s and was influenced by the USA but because infant mortality was high it was deemed better to perform the operation when the boy was older. There are no celebrations to mark the procedure and it has nothing to do with initiation or rites of passage.