Grandfather's House: An Exhibition on Korea" re-creates a full-scale replica of a home in which visitors explore life in rural Korea during the 1930s. The house represents a traditional single-story dwelling with a tile roof, a courtyard, and a hands-on kitchen, period furnishings and decor. The layout of the house reflects the gender division of work and life, with separate areas for the men and women of the household. A mural painted by Hyo-Chung Yoo illustrates the work and games to which rural Korean residents would have contributed. Visitors may try on traditional Korean clothing while exploring the exhibit.

The Newark Museum in New Jersey created the exhibition in 1995. It traveled to the Seattle Asian Art Museum and the Honolulu Academy of Arts. The Lyman Museum is the final stopover for the exhibit, where it will be on view through this year.

Lyman Museum, 276 Haili Street, Hilo, is open 9:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. Monday-Saturday, closed Sundays. Information: 935-5021.

CHINA

THE HIGHEST TRAIN IN THE WORLD!

One spectacular rail journey on the planet is China's Sky Train, inaugurated last year. The adventure begins in Xining, China, and continues through some of the most spectacular scenery in the world on a high plateau against a backdrop of snow-capped Himalayan peaks. Three locomotives are required to pull the train over the 16,640-foot Tangula Pass en route to Lhasa, Tibet; rail cars are pressurized just like airliners to keep passengers comfortable at the high altitudes. The highest train ride in the world blends magnificent landscapes with the extraordinary cultures of China and Tibet. General Tours' 13-day China to Tibet by Rail escorted trip is from $3,099 per person, land only.

— Chris Oliver