A Jjimjilbang is a large, gender-segregated public bathhouse

Public bathing

Public baths originated from a communal need for cleanliness. The term public may confuse some people, as some types of public baths are restricted depending on membership, gender, religious affiliation, or other reasons. As societies have changed, public baths have been replaced as private bathing...

 in Korea

Korea

Korea ) is an East Asian geographic region that is currently divided into two separate sovereign states — North Korea and South Korea. Located on the Korean Peninsula, Korea is bordered by the People's Republic of China to the northwest, Russia to the northeast, and is separated from Japan to the...

, furnished with hot tub

Hot tub

A hot tub is a large tub or small pool full of heated water and used for soaking, relaxation, massage, or hydrotherapy. In most cases, they have jets for massage purposes. Hot tubs are usually located outdoors, and are often sheltered for protection from the elements, as well as for privacy....

s, showers, Finnish-style sauna

Sauna

A sauna is a small room or house designed as a place to experience dry or wet heat sessions, or an establishment with one or more of these and auxiliary facilities....

s, and massage

Massage

Massage is the manipulation of superficial and deeper layers of muscle and connective tissue to enhance function, aid in the healing process, and promote relaxation and well-being. The word comes from the French massage "friction of kneading", or from Arabic massa meaning "to touch, feel or handle"...

 tables, similar to a Korean sauna

Sauna

A sauna is a small room or house designed as a place to experience dry or wet heat sessions, or an establishment with one or more of these and auxiliary facilities....

 or mogyoktang

Mogyoktang

Mogyoktangs are Korean public bathhouses with lockers, showers, jacuzzis, steam rooms, massage and barber shop. Unlike the more elaborate jjimjilbangs which include sleeping areas, snack bars, PC bangs, etc. mogyoktangs are usually only bathhouses and not open 24 hours. Also they are divided into...

. Jjimjil is derived from the words meaning heated bath. However, in other areas of the building or on other floors there are unisex areas, usually with a snack bar, ondol-heated

Ondol

An ondol, also called gudeul, in Korean traditional architecture, is underfloor heating which uses direct heat transfer from wood smoke to the underside of a thick masonry floor...

 floor for lounging and sleeping, wide-screen TVs, exercise rooms, ice rooms, heated salt rooms, PC bang

PC bang

A PC bang is a type of LAN gaming center, where patrons can play multiplayer computer games for a small hourly fee. The typical cost for an hour of play ranges from 500 to 1500 won , but 1000 won per hour is the most common cost in PC bang...

, noraebang, and sleeping quarters with either bunk beds or sleeping mats. Many of the sleeping rooms can have themes or elements too them. Usually Jjimjilbangs will have various rooms with different temperatures to suit your preferred sleeping temperature. They inlay the walls with different woods to make the ambient mood and smells more natural.

Many Jjimjilbangs are themed. In Jeju-do in the south there is a Coffee themed Jjimjilbang that has a coffee bath.

Most jjimjilbangs are open 24 hours and are a popular weekend getaway for Korean families. Jjimjilbangs are also popular with Korean women, and traditionally, Korean mothers used to take care of themselves in rooms made of red clay for three weeks before giving birth.

Health concerns

Recently, the hygenic quality and healthiness of jjimjilbangs were questioned, especially about the jjimjilbang clothes not being washed properly. Concerns about the clothes increasing atopic symptoms in patients, or even of accidentally hosting parasites, were voiced.

Food

• Iced Sikhye
  Sikhye
  Sikhye is a traditional sweet Korean rice beverage, usually served as a dessert...
  
   is one of popular drink sold in a lounge of Jjimjilbang . It normally costs from 1000won to 2000won.
  
• Boiled egg (삶은 계란) is another popular snack.
• Miyeok guk
  Miyeok guk
  Miyeok guk is a Korean soup made from the sea vegetable miyeok. It comprises two words: miyeok, the Korean word for the sea vegetable; and guk, meaning "soup."...
  
  
  
• Patbingsu
  
• Iced coffee

External links

• King Spa and Sauna offers an adventure into Korean bath culture(01-20-09) Dallas morning news article by PAIGE PHELPS
• Seoul’s Public Bathhouses and Jjimjilbang Official Seoul City Tourism
• For All Kinds of Good, Clean Fun, Koreans Turn to Bathhouses (2008-10-04) New York Times article
• Bathhouse stripped bare (2008-11-26) The Sydney Morning Herald article
• Database of Korean Saunas at Saunascape.com