If you want to see the 'real' korea, you need to leave the cities and travel to the small villages. These villages are not only beautiful but interesting, too. Some of the villages have 'guards' to protect them from enemies and evil spirits. These guards stand at the entrance to the village. This is a tradition which began hundreds of years ago. The villagers believe that the guards, besides protecting the village from evil spirits, can grant their wishes. At certain times of the year they hold festivals to ask the guards for good weather to grow food, for help during times of sickness and even for help to have more male children. These guards are made of wood or stone in different shapes and sizes. Some of them are as small as your hand but others can be as large as a man. Often, these guards have a human face. The eyes, nose and teeth are very large. The teeth are so large that they stick out from the mouth. The guards usually wear a hat. Sometimes they hold a piece of wood which gives them the power to do magic. The village guards in different parts of Korea may have the same or different magical powers.