Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
TOP SIGHTS
BUKCHON HANOK VILLAGE
Bukchon (North Village), covering the area between Gyeongbokgung and Changdeokgung, is home to around 900
hanok
,
Seoul's largest concentration of these traditional Korean homes. Although super-touristy in parts, it's a
pleasure to aimlessly wander and get lost in the streets here admiring the buildings' patterned walls and tiled roofs
contrasting with the modern city in the distance. Many of the hanok have been turned into charming cafes, galler-
ies, boutiques or guesthouses. There are also small private museums and houses that you can enter.
Bukchon Information & Events
To find out more about Bukchon Hanok Village, head first to the
Bukchon Traditional
exhibition about
hanok
and is housed, appropriately enough, in a
hanok
. There are some-
times English-speaking volunteers here and you should be able to pick up the free English
booklet
Discovery Buckchon
which includes a map detailing the top eight photo spots
around the area.
With three days advance notice you can arrange a free guided tour of the area with a vo-
10am-2pm, return by 5pm)
; these digital gizmos provide you with multimedia information as you
stroll around.
Inside the Hanok
Given the throng of tourists and the number of
hanok
that now house commercial busi-
nesses, it's easy to overlook the fact that this region was once a residential area and still re-
mains so in parts.
For a critical take on the contemporary history and development of Bukchon see
his wife in a Gahoe-dong
hanok;
they occasionally open their home to the public for art
events.
In the middle of the most famous Bukchon area, 31 Gahoe-dong, the National Trust of
is Found'. This modern
hanok
was rebuilt using traditional methods on the site of two older
ones. Entry includes tea, which is sipped overlooking the internal garden.
