Final Up to date on 1st July 2024 by Charlotte Nadeau
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The identify Bukchon interprets actually as ‘northern village’. This charming little pocket of the town is full of hanok, that are conventional Korean homes that first took place within the 14th century. A maze of slender lanes, quaint teahouses and conventional structure, right here’s your information on easy methods to go to Seoul’s Northern hillside treasure, Bukchon Hanok Village, 북촌한옥마을.
A quick historical past of Bukchon Hanok Village
One of many quaintest neighbourhoods of the town, Bukchon Hanok Village is positioned within the Jongno District of Seoul, in South Korea. The unique use of the village was constructed to accommodate folks of notability and high-ranking authorities officers through the Joseon interval, within the 14th century.
The village remained virtually untouched, this was till the motion of urbanisation in Seoul in 1997, which led the Korean authorities to consider how they may protect the normal hanok of the village with out really eradicating them.
By 2000, an enormous motion for sustaining the hanoks started and Bukchon Hanok Village was modernised, putting in glass home windows, new doorways, implementing the roofs with iron sheets, and many others.
In the present day, Bukchon Hanok Village has been preserved in trendy society and is a novel vacationer sight. Though largely residential, lots of the hanok function as teahouses, small museums, eating places and guesthouses which permits guests to expertise the inside of those conventional Korean dwellings.
Nevertheless, the tourism inflow on this space has risen, significantly because of its proximity to the most important vacationer attraction Gyeongbokgung Palace, and to being featured on tv programmes and reposted on social media many instances. In reality, at this time a go to to Bukchon Hanok Village is taken into account to be the fourth finest vacationer exercise to do in Seoul!
Consequently, this has led to some pressure among the many residents, so when visiting, at all times do not forget that that is (albeit a really cool spot) however extra importantly, folks’s properties.
Learn how to go to Bukchon Hanok Village
Etiquette when visiting the village
Entrance upon visiting the village is totally free, nevertheless, it’s essential to notice that the village is essentially a residential space. Most of the hanok are folks’s properties, so be sure you be respectful when visiting this space and don’t stroll up too near the home windows and doorways, and pay attention to your noise ranges.
You might be allowed to take pictures, however once more, simply ensure to take action with respect and the individuals who stay right here in thoughts!
Admire the structure
The easiest way to expertise and discover the village is to easily wander round and get misplaced down the maze of slender streets, admiring the normal historic constructions and architectural options. Most streets are so slender that they’re really pedestrian solely.
The standard home of Korea is named hanok (한옥), their total structure can differ relying on the area or the place of the home regarding its environment. Hanok had been historically constructed utilizing a wood framework and soil-baked roof-tiles.
Go to a teahouse
Sip on inexperienced tea, recognized in Korean as Nok Cha, in a standard teahouse! Providing a tranquil and quiet place to wind down, among the best methods to expertise the village is by absorbing the peaceable atmosphere in a teahouse, overlooking gorgeous views of the panorama past.
Bukchon Tradition Heart, 북촌문화센터
The most effective place to study extra in-depth concerning the village is to go to the academic data centre. Providing cultural experiences, right here guests are inspired to study concerning the hanok, and even have the choice to attend courses and lectures on conventional calligraphy courses, tea ceremonies and study Korean crafts!
Bukchon Artwork Museum, 북촌미술관
This small artwork museum homes a group of round 150 items of recent Korean artwork, 200 items of Chinese language artwork, and outdated paperwork of the Joseon dynasty.
Discovered inside, there’s additionally a small teahouse with a balcony boasting gorgeous views, and you may view historic items of pottery that date again to the fifth and sixth centuries.
Bukchon Museum, 북촌생활사박물관
One other small museum within the village the place you’ll be able to study native historical past, the Bukchon Museum shows a group of preserved on a regular basis home items that had been beforehand utilized by former residents.
The concept behind the museum is to doc the city improvement of the world. Guests are even welcome to the touch a few of the artefacts!
The doorway price for the museum is 3,000 KRW, and the museum opens from 10 AM – 6 PM, the final entry is half-hour earlier than closing time.
Finest time to go to Bukchon Hanok Village?
There aren’t any official hours to go to, in fact, the perfect time is through the opening hours of the teahouses and museums. Additionally, because it’s largely a residential space, the residents want it when guests observe throughout common hours of the day.
Learn how to get there
To succeed in Bukchon Hanok Village from the town centre you’ll be able to take the Seoul Subway Line 3 to succeed in Anguk Station. After exiting the station by way of exit 3, you’ll see the signposts resulting in the village, round a 200-metre stroll away, you’ll attain a small alley to the left.
High tip: When travelling in South Korea, you’ll rapidly realise that Google Maps just isn’t optimised for this vacation spot, so that you gained’t be capable of use it for strolling round. Whereas you should utilize Maps for public transportation, there might be no strolling instructions. Subsequently, you’ll need to obtain Naver Maps, which is the native maps app.
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