Korean Travel Online - Sightseeing in Seongbuk-dong

Big and modern houses line up the streets of Seongbuk-dong. Signage indicate that many of these houses are the residences of ambassadors. But despite the wave of modernization, you can still have a glimpse of what traditional lifestyle is like in the old days.

Starting from the Korea Furniture Museum, we made our way down to Gilsangsa Temple and Hyojae Cheoreom, LiYou Cafe, Lee Taejun's House, Gansong Museum of Art, and Seonjamdanji.

Korea Furniture Museum 한국가구박물관

Being a private museum, visiting the touring is only possible after making a booking in advance. The one hour guided tour takes you around the museum grounds with explanations about the design of the buildings, inside the permanent exhibition space and the special exhibition hall, and then back outside to explore the madang (yard). The collections are classified according to type (bedroom, living room, kitchen), type of material (maple, persimmon, oak, paulownia, zelkova, bamboo, pine), and region. It may be hard to fully understand Korean furniture on its own, but when placed inside the hanok, one can see why they were designed that way. Hence, there is a space where the furniture is arranged in accordance with the times on which they were a part. Visitors can thus get a glimpse of the lifestyle in the Joseon period.  

Address: 330-577 Seongbuk-dong, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul, Korea

Reservations: 02-745-0181/ contact@kofum.com

Time(s): Wednesday to Saturday; 11:00, 12:00, 13:00, 15:00, 17:00, 18:00

Admission: 20,000 won (tour only) and 40,000 won (tour and afternoon tea)

Homepage: www.kofum.com

Directions: From Hansung University Station (Seoul Subway Line 4), take a cab to the museum, 5 minutes

Gilsangsa Temple 길상사

Right around the corner from Korea Furniture Museum is Gilsangsa Temple. The temple grounds were originally home to Daewongak, one of the top three high-class restaurants in the 70s (the other two were Samcheonggak and Cheongungak). The restaurant was owned by Kim Yeong-han, a former gisaeng (traditional Korean female entertainers), who donated the property after reading the book “Without Possession” written by spiritual Buddhist leader Beopjeong. The late venerable Beopjeong turned the property into a temple, which was completed in 1997 and named Gilsangsa after Kim Yeong-han’s Buddhist name, Gilsanghwa. The temple serves as the base of the volunteer organization Clear and Fragrant, a representative activity of Beopjeong’s teachings, operates a Buddhist college, meditation center, and offers templestay programs and temple experience.

Address: 323 Seongbuk 2-dong, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul, Korea

Admission: Free

Homepage: www.kilsangsa.info

More info: http://english.visitkorea.or.kr/enu/SI/SI_EN_3_1_1_1.jsp?cid=1748008

Hyojae Cheoreom 효재처럼

Located right across Gilsangsa Temple is Hyojaecheoreom, workshop of hanbok designer Lee Hyo-jae. Inside its western style and ivy-clad exterior walls is a shop that sells one of the most treasured aspects of Korea’s history and culture. The first floor is a tiny shop that sells embroidered cushions, jewelry, hanbok accessories, and bojagi (wrapping cloths). The second floor is the actual hanbok workshop with various types of fabrics and several hanbok on display.

Address: 314-9 Seongbuk 2-dong, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul, Korea

 

LiYou 리유

This quaint coffee shop doubles as an exhibition space for ceramic artist Kim Seon-mi, whose sister owns the coffee shop. The café exudes a warm and homey atmosphere. On one side of the room, stylish interior decorations and charming little items on display and are for sale. On the basement, several shelves showcase Kim Seon-mi’s ceramics. The coffee is served in beautiful porcelain coffee mugs that reflect the owner’s artistic taste. Together with a gorgeous-looking dark chocolate on the side, your order of coffee comes out placed on small square wooden tray.

Address: 63-1 Seongbuk-dong, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul, Korea

Price: Coffee 5,000 won to 6,000 won/ Sandwiches 6,000 won to 7,000 won

Time: 9:00 to 21:00

Phone: 02-747-3990

Sangheo Lee Taejun’s House 상허 이태준 가옥

This house (Seoul Folklore Material No. 11) is where Lee Taejun, a well-known author also known by the pen name Sangheo, created many of his literary works when he lived here from 1933 to 1946. He called this place ‘Suyeonsanbang’ and concentrated on works such as Moonlight Night, Stone Bridge, Garden of Cosmos, Hwang Jini, and Prince Hodong. His essay Museorok spells out the building process of this house and the history of the site. This house has daecheong (wood-floored main hall) in the middle, and has a room across from the main living room on the left, and a main room on the right. The house is not big but built elaborately. The house has achieved a unique construction style by its astute use of space. There is a wood-floored veranda in front of the anchae (inner quarters) and a kitchen and bathroom in the back. The house was converted as a classy teahouse that serves a wide variety of teas and Korean snacks.

Address: 248 Seongbuk-dong, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul, Korea

Ganseong Art Museum 간송미술관

Unfortunately, this museum opens on exhibit days only in May and October.

Address: 97-1 Seongbuk-dong, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul, Korea

Seonjamdanji 선잠단지

The Site of Seonjamdan (Historic Site No. 83) was a place where people prayed for fruitful years of silkworm farming and made sacrifices to Xiling, the Goddess of Silkworm, who was said to have started silkworm farming. During the Joseon, the king set an example to the people by carrying out farm work himself. This was called ‘chingyeong’. The queen set an example by rearing silkworms. This was called ‘chinjam’. By doing so, they stressed the importance of food and clothing. Seonjamdan operated from the beginning of the Joseon, but this altar was made in 1473. Sacrifices were made on sa-il (the day of the snake) of the third lunar month each year. The sacrifice institution was revised in 1908, and from that time, the ancestral tablet of Seonjamdan was enshrined at Sajikdan (Altar), together with that of Seonnongdan (Altar). The site of the altar then came into possession of the nation.

Address: 64 Seongbuk-dong, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul, Korea

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