Insa-dong (인사동)
1.1Km 2024-05-17
62, Insadong-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul
+82-2-734-0222
Insa-dong, located in the heart of the city, is an important place where old but precious traditional goods are on display. There is one main road in Insa-dong with alleys on each side. Within these alleys are galleries, traditional restaurants, teahouses, and cafes.
The galleries are the heartbeat of Insa-dong. There are about 100 galleries in the area offering every example of traditional Korean fine art from paintings to sculptures. The most famous galleries are Hakgojae Gallery, which functions as the center of folk art, Gana Art Gallery, which promotes many promising artists, and Gana Art Center.
The teahouses and restaurants are the perfect complement to the galleries. They are hidden deep within the twisting alleyways, making it feel like a treasure hunt. The shops in Insa-dong are very popular among all age groups, because each one is unique.
Every Saturday from 14:00 to 22:00 and Sunday from 10:00 to 22:00, the main street is blocked to vehicular traffic and it becomes a cultural space. Stores set up booths outside and Korean candy merchants and fortune teller stalls can easily be found; there are traditional performances and exhibits as well. Insa-dong is especially popular among international tourists. This is where they can experience and see traditional Korean culture first-hand, and also purchase pieces of fine art.
Traditional Performance at The Korea House (한국의집 전통예술공연 KOREA 심청)
1.1Km 2024-08-16
10, Toegye-ro 36-gil, Jung-gu, Seoul
• 1330 Travel Hotline: +82-2-1330 (Korean, English, Japanese, Chinese) • For more info: +82-2-2266-9101~3
The Korea House has been a venue for traditional performing arts for more than 20 years, presenting various musical performances, court dances, and folk dances such as Pungmulnori (farmers’ percussion
performance), Talchum (mask dance), Pansori (a traditional narrative vocal performance), and Sinawi (an ensemble of eight traditional musical instruments).
At Korea House, visitors can discover the diverseness and richness of Korean music and art performance. Popular and nationally recognized intangible cultural asset holders such as An Sook Seon, Park Byeong Cheon, and Lee Chun Hui perform on the stage under director Jeong Jae Man.
Jirisan Restaurant (지리산)
1.1Km 2019-08-01
30, Insadong 14-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul
+82-2-723-4696
Jirisan is one of the representative Korean restaurants in Insa-dong, an area known for its traditional culture. One of the trademarks of this restaurant, besides its amazingly delectable bean and tofu dishes, is a wooden sign that welcome guests into a neat and cozy interior.
Each day, fresh beans are ground at the restaurant to prepare dishes such as soybean paste, soft tofu, and bean-curd tofu stew. Bean-curds are prepared by using seawater, which gives the tofu a unique flavor. The fresh and clean taste of the tofu is one of the many reasons that choosey tofu aficionados flock to the restaurant.
Not just limited to tofu, Jirisan presents customers with a full-range of side dishes such as kimchi, japchae (glass noodles with sautéed vegetables), cucumber kimchi, seasoned seaweed, braised lotus roots, roasted yellow corbinas (a type of fish), leafy greens, bean-curd stew, and more. The restaurant gives visitors a chance to experience a hearty traditional Korean-style meal, but has thoughtfully toned down its seasonings to appeal to a wider audience (particularly those not used to spicy foods).
One of the recommended menu items is the Jirisan set meal, which offers diners the chance to sample foods that are popular in the Jirisan region. Adventurous diners may want to try the sea urchin soup or dried Pollack soup.
The restaurant, originally a traditional Korean house, has been modified over the years to better suit the needs of its customers. The walls surrounding the structure were removed and a glass ceiling was installed to allow guests to enjoy the natural light of the sun as they sample some of the area’s best traditional Korean cuisine.
Ojugine (오죽이네)
1.1Km 2024-12-10
Ojugine is a restaurant that specializes in dak maeuntang, a spicy chicken stew that is different from dak bokkeumtang (spicy braised chicken), as the former has more soup than the latter. The stew is served whilst boiling, so one just needs to let it sit for a bit on the table before digging in. The spicy sauce and chicken are a match made in heaven, and the same goes for this dish. Interestingly, Ojugine uses smaller chickens to prepare their dishes, so the flesh braises in the stock faster. The resulting combination is sure to offer a memorable meal. Any remaining soup can be reused as a sauce for fried rice after the main meal, so visitors are advised to leave some space in their stomach.
High - Anguk Branch [Tax Refund Shop] (하이엔드코리아 안국)
1.1Km 2024-04-17
1F, 62-5, Insadong-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul
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HANILKWAN - Gwanghwamun Branch (한일관 광화문)
1.1Km 2024-03-18
50, Jong-ro 1-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul
+82-2-722-7557
It is a store that has been operating with a long tradition since 1939. This Korean dishes restaurant is located in Jongno-gu, Seoul. The most famous menu is bulgogi.
Ewha Centennial Hall (이화여고100주년기념관)
1.1Km 2024-02-20
26 Jeongdong-gil, Jung-gu, Seoul
Ewha Centennial Hall is a multimedia education center located next to Ewha Girls' High School. Spanning underground and five above-ground floors, it features a gallery, a cafe, music rooms, individual practice rooms, and audio-visual rooms. The Hwaham Hall on the first and second floors is utilized for performances such as musicals and concerts, as well as educational events.
Teafference Seoul (티퍼런스서울)
1.1Km 2024-02-01
61 Donhwamun-ro, Jongno-gu, Seoul
Teafference Seoul is where visitors can taste purple tea made from purple tea leaves that grow naturally on the 1,800-meter plateau in Kenya. As a café and a cultural complex, it comprises a gallery tea café on the first floor where one can enjoy purple tea and art exhibitions, a beauty shop on the second floor, and a rooftop on the third floor. Exhibitions of paintings and photographs are always held using the walls and staircase landings of the spacious interior, making it a great place to relax while enjoying a cup of tea. In addition, this place has an appealing vibe, making it especially popular on social media. Not only is purple tea pretty in color, but it also has less caffeine than green tea or black tea, thus serves as a suitable option for the health-conscious. A variety of menu items are available, including Teafference Signature Purple Tea, Teafference Purple Milk Tea, and Teafference Purple Tea Einspanner. Another recommended menu item is Purple Tea-Makase, a course menu which serves several types of purple tea and desserts.
Namsangol Hanok Village (남산골한옥마을)
1.1Km 2024-10-25
28 Toegye-ro 34-gil, Jung-gu, Seoul
+82-2-2261-0500
Namsangol Hanok Village opened in 1998 on the northern side of Namsan Mountain in the center of the capital. This village has five restored hanok (traditional Korean house) premises, a pavilion, a traditional garden, a performance art stage, and a time capsule plaza, making it a perfect spot for locals and tourists to take a leisure walk. Upon entering from the front gate, visitors will get a taste of Korea's traditional life while escaping from bustling city life. The traditional garden with its pavilion and old houses creates a peaceful ambiance before the forested Namsan Mountain. A time capsule commemorating Seoul’s 600th anniversary was buried in 1994 at the highest point of the village and is scheduled to be reopened 400 years later in 2394.
The five hanok premises at Namsangol Hanok Village once belonged to aristocrats and government officials of the Joseon dynasty. Each house was originally located in a different neighborhood, but they were all moved to this area and restored to their original form. The houses were rebuilt using their original materials, except for one house, where the materials were too old and deteriorated to be reused. The premises were carefully restored and replicated according to their original form to depict the owners’ social class and personality. These buildings are now used as an exhibit to portray the living environment during the Joseon dynasty and as a venue for educational and cultural programs for children and tourists.
Some of the unique programs and activities to participate in include wearing hanbok, folding hanji (traditional Korean paper), writing in Korean, traditional tea ceremony, traditional etiquette school, and herbal medicine experience. There are also taekwondo demonstrations and other various performances held around the village. Visitors can also try traditional games such as yunnori (traditional board game), or understand more about the area through a guided tour.
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