Gyeonghuigung Palace (경희궁)

2.7Km 2024-07-09

45 Saemunan-ro, Jongno-gu, Seoul
+82-2-724-0274

Gyeonghuigung Palace, a designated Historic Site, was originally called the large palace by Saemun Gate, or the Western Palace, for its location within the city. It was not until the eighth year of Gwanghaegun (1616) that the palace was used as a royal residence for the king, changing the name to Gyeongdeokgung Palace. The name later changed again to the current Gyeonghuigung Palace in 1760. The palace grounds included many halls but they were mostly all burned down in a fire in 1829. After the Japanese occupation began, all remaining buildings on the site were torn down and the palace grounds were turned into Gyeongseong Middle School (now Seoul High School). The school moved to Gangnam area in 1987, afterwhich the previous location was turned into a park. The palace grounds currently hold Seoul Museum of Art and walking paths, as well as a restoration of Heunghwamun Gate, the main gate of the palace, and Sungjeongjeon Hall, the main hall, completed in November 1994.

Sindang-dong Tteokbokki Town (신당동떡볶이골목)

2.7Km 2022-10-25

10-18, Dasan-ro 33-gil, Jung-gu, Seoul
+82-2-2236-9135

Sindang-dongTteokbokki Town started in the late '70s, although the alley did not become famous until the '80s. At that time, each restaurant had its own DJ booth, with the image of the "cool DJ" who played the music becoming a symbol of Sindang-dong Tteokbokki Town. In addition, this period also marked the prime time of high school baseball where students would crowd the streets on days when Duksoo Commercial High School and Sunrin Commercial High School (now Sunrin Internet High School) played against one another. Although these high school students have aged, they continue to visit the area, reliving their youth and continuing to indulge in the specialty tteokbokki.

However, some claim the history of this alley began in the 1950s. The owner of Mabongnim Halmeoni Tteokbokki restaurant says tteokbokki was being sold as early as 1953 as the area used to be home to Donga Theater and she sold tteokbokki, corn and potatoes to those visiting the theater. At first, tteokbokki was simply made with gochujang (red chili paste) but as time went by, cooks decided the dish could be more than just a snack. By adding ingredients like eggs, cellophane noodles, fish cakes, instant noodles and more recently squid, prawn and cheese, tteokbokki can be made more delicious and turns this beloved snack into a full meal.

Jongjeom Tteokbokki (종점 떡볶이)

2.7Km 2020-04-09

217-1, Dasan-ro, Jung-gu, Seoul
+82-2-2234-3649

Jongjeom Tteokbokki opened in 1978 and has been a popular restaurant on Sindang-dong Tteokbokki Street since then. The restauant serves a special meal option of adding fried rice to tteokbokki.

Urijip Tteokbokki (우리집떡볶이)

2.7Km 2020-04-09

217-1, Dasan-ro, Jung-gu, Seoul
+82-2-2232-4531

Opened in 1979, Urijip Tteokbokki has operated for over 30 years in the same location. This restaurant has a spacious basement area which can accommodate up to 100 people. The restaurant is especially popular among Japanese tourists.

Let's Jongno Festival (종로축제 렛츠종로)

2.7Km 2023-09-19

84 Donhwamun-ro, Jongno-gu, Seoul
+82-10-4746-1773 / +82-70-4600-5719

Let's Jongno Festival is comprised of nine smaller festivals themed on traditional culture taking place throughout the Jongno district in October. Both local residents and visitors from near and far are invited to participate in the many activities. The festival kicks off with Jongno Culture Night during the first week of the month, followed by Gugak-ro Road Festa, Donghwamun-ro Road Culture Festival, and K-Jewelry Festival the second week; Jongno Hanbok Festival, Bukchon Craft Studio Festival, and Traditional Food Festival the third week.

I Love Sindangdong Tteokbokki (아이러브신당동떡볶이)

2.7Km 2024-03-07

50, Toegye-ro 76-gil, Jung-gu, Seoul
+82-2-2232-7872

Situated in Sindang-dong Tteokbokki Town, I Love Sindangdong Tteokbokki is a famous tteokbokki restaurant. Tteokbokki is a typical Korean street food, consisting of rice cakes made with flour or rice flour and stir-fried in red chili paste. The rice cakes are simmered in a broth with seasonings, along with fish cakes, vegetables, boiled eggs, mandu, and other ingredients. The best thing is that the dish can be customized with various ingredients such as cheese, ramyeon noodles, chewy noodles, and ham. Leftover broth can be fried with rice for a satisfying meal.

Chakraa (Hannam Branch) (차크라(한남점))

2.7Km 2020-02-21

83, Dokseodang-ro, Yongsan-gu, Seoul
+82-2-796-1149

Located in a famous beautiful area of Seoul, Chakraa is an authentic Indian restaurant. It is also near the Embassy of India in Korea and the Embassies of other countries, as well as UN Village. The restaurant has seating for 60 guests.

National Meteorological Museum of Korea (국립기상박물관)

2.7Km 2024-03-26

52 Songwol-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul

A museum where one can look at Korea's meteorological observation history and technological development through exhibitions. The museum has the world's first rain gauge, invented in 1441, in the early Joseon dynasty. The museum operates approximately 350 meteorological observatories across Korea and focuses on promoting the uniqueness and excellence of Korea's meteorological science. There are permanent collections and special exhibitions. The permanent collections focus on the history of meteorological science in Korea. At the same time, the special exhibitions take a closer look at the history and information about meteorological science and natural disasters (e.g., earthquakes) that occurred in various regions of Korea. There are experience programs related to meteorological science, such as making a rain gauge or learning about rain gauges.

Seoul Museum of Craft Art (SeMoCA) (서울공예박물관)

2.7Km 2025-06-19

4 Yulgok-ro 3-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul

The Seoul Museum of Craft Art (SeMoCA), the first public museum of craft art in Korea, opened its doors in Anguk-dong, Jongno-gu, in July 2021 after renovating five buildings of the former Pungmoon Girls’ High School. SeMoCA studies and shares not only works, but also information, records, people, and environment related to craft art with the goal of becoming a dynamic platform for experiencing the technical, practical, artistic, and cultural values of craft.
SeMoCA holds a collection that comprises various crafts and craft materials covering multiple fields and eras from the traditional to the present. SeMoCA also holds exhibitions that feature the history of craft from traditional to contemporary art as well as local and children’s crafts, along with programs that utilize the museum’s craft installations, craft archives, craft library, and craft resource management system.
The site of the museum has deep historical roots as it is also the Andong Secondary Palace Site, where a detached palace was constructed as a royal residence for King Sejong’s son Prince Yeongeung, and served as a venue for royal celebrations, such as the wedding of King Sunjong. The site is also at the center of Jongno-gu, where Joseon-era master artisans (“gyeonggongjang”) of the royal palace produced and delivered craft works.

Moonguesthouse(문게스트하우스)

2.7Km 2024-06-20

31-18, Samil-daero 32-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul
+82-2-745-8008, +82-10-8704-9981

The Moon Guesthouse is situated near a number of interesting tourist destinations including Unhyeongung Palace (3min on foot), Bukchon Hanok Village (5min on foot), Changdeokgung Palace (5min on foot), and Changgyeonggung Palace (10min on foot). The guesthouse was named ‘moon’ (‘door’ in English) because it has many 176 doors and windows. Upon entering by the gate, visitors will see a ‘ㄷ’-shaped hanok building in the courtyard, in which a wooden bedstead and a table are placed. On the opposite of the hanok building there is a wall roofed with tiles engraved with Korean patterns such as deer, pine, turtle, etc. Flowers in the flowerbed lined up along the wall are in bloom and the bonsai are also well-kept in the house. Renovated and opened as a guesthouse in September 2011, Moon Guesthouse consists of a bonchae (main building) and a byeolchae (detached house). The rooms are decorated with red clay and hanji (traditional Korean paper handmade from mulberry trees), and have under-the-floor heating (ondol). Each room is equipped with an air-conditioner, and has a 40cm-thick layer of red clay over the ceiling for insulation, making the rooms cool in summer and warm in winter. The house has seven individual guestrooms and five modern bathrooms, but the entire building (bonchae or byeolchae) can be rented, too. In particular, the unhyeondang of the bonchae is very popular as it can be converted into one large space for special events, group workshops, etc. simply by opening all the sliding doors (Bunhapmun – Goryeo construction style). This room, which is decorated with a flower-patterned windscreen, a landscape painting, and calligraphy, has been used as a shooting location for various TV programs including KBS2’s TV reality program Man’s Qualification and its variety show The Human Condition. The guestrooms are also equipped with traditional furniture including a cabinet inlaid with mother-of-pearl. The guesthouse also provides a variety of experience programs from 11am to 3pm, including tea ceremony, wearing Hanbok (traditional Korean clothes), making kimchi and gochujang (red chili paste), playing a traditional musical instrument, making a rubbing of a stone inscription, calligraphy, drawing orchids on a fan, and so on. The house has about seventy hanbok and other clothing accessories, as well as a royal costume. Its calligraphy and drawing orchid programs are run directly by the owner, who used to work as a classical Chinese teacher at a high school.

Gyeonghuigung Palace (경희궁) - Area information - Korea travel information