The dol hareubang — "stone grandfather" in the Jeju dialect — are the island's defining symbol: squat basalt figures with bulging eyes, large noses, and hands folded over a rounded belly. They were originally placed at town gates as protective symbols and markers of authority; today reproductions appear everywhere from hotel lobbies to airport souvenir shops, but the originals are scattered around the island.
The largest concentration of original dol hareubang is in Jeju City's National Folk Museum and around Gwandeokjeong Pavilion in the old city centre. The statues were carved from the local dark basalt and range from about 50 centimetres to 2 metres in height. The tradition of rubbing the nose for fertility blessing is a modern tourist accretion — but it's ubiquitous.