A Unique Trip to Bukchon: Traces of Ordinary People

The culture and arts of Bukchon, where the past and the present are harmonized and communicated, are diverse. Take a break from the busy modern life to feel the value of tradition. We follow a day of Ongojisin by playing traditional games in a hanok, looking back at the lives of Korean people at the National Folk Museum of Korea, viewing past and modern art exhibitions, and seeing and experiencing traditional crafts.

Travel Course

Sangchonjae House, Engraved with the Lives of the People of Joseon

What was the life of ordinary Joseon people like? You can see their life and lifestyle at Sangchonjae House. This is a traditional hanok cultural space that was neglected for a long time and then newly restored and opened. The name Sangchonjae was derived from “Utdae (Sangchon),” the old name of Sejong Village, the area west of Gyeongbokgung Palace and the birthplace of King Sejong the Great. The life of the people at the time was reproduced by restoring the form of a house where ordinary people lived during the Joseon dynasty, not the hanok where aristocrats lived. It consists of three buildings, including the Anchae, Sarangchae, and Byeolchae, so you can get a glimpse of the beauty and excellence of hanok. Indoors, there is an experience hall where you can enjoy tea ceremonies and play traditional games as Korean ancestors did.

Traditional events throughout the four seasons are held differently by season, so it is recommended to check in advance. In addition, the “Traditional Games Enjoyed in Hanoks” program has a variety of fun games you have not seen or are unfamiliar with, so it’s a good time to enjoy the games and become a child for a while.

National Folk Museum of Korea, Where You Can Feel the Life of the People

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If you want to take a deeper look at the spirit and culture of Koreans, you should visit the National Folk Museum of Korea inside Gyeongbokgung Palace. In addition to exhibiting, collecting, and preserving Korea’s traditional living culture, you can meet traditional life and culture through various activities. It consists of three exhibition halls, with the first exhibition hall providing the life of the Korean Peninsula from the prehistoric era to the Joseon dynasty. The second exhibition hall displays more detailed aspects of life, such as livelihood, crafts, food, and shelter. It dynamically expresses seasonal agricultural customs, such as fishes living on the coast or in rivers, fishing tools, and farming activities. In the third exhibition hall, you can sequentially feel the living environment from birth to death as a Korean. The various rites and activities of the traditional society contained in the individual's life are like watching a drama. The folk culture and life of the people are organized in an easy-to-understand way, so visit to feel their joys and sorrows.

Hakgojae Gallery: An Art World Where Tradition and Modernity Coexist

Hakgojae, which has the philosophy of “Learning the old and making the new,” is a beautiful space where tradition and modernity coexist. At the Hakgojae Gallery, you can appreciate the art world of traditional and contemporary. The main building is a traditional hanok, and the new building is made of 21st-century modern architecture, making the unique harmony attractive. As a result, the exhibited works always look new. The architecture defies time, and the works on display is never boring with the beauty and atmosphere that change each time you visit.

Traditional art exhibitions stand out with new values, and modern art exhibitions show the beauty of tradition even in the flow of modernity. In addition to Korean works, works by international artists are also displayed at Hakgojae, so you can feel the harmony between the East and the West.

This place where the past and the future intersect, the East and the West communicate, and the region and the world are connected is like a station. You can feel new impressions and artistic senses in this place where various worlds unfold.

Bukchon Museum: Enjoying the Lives of Korean Ancestors

The Bukchon Museum, which knows the value of the past and communicates as a cultural asset in people’s lives, expresses and remembers the lives of Korean ancestors well. It exhibits tangible and intangible cultural assets inherited from ancestors' lives and connects the value of aesthetic consciousness to today's life. Through exhibitions in which the value is newly interpreted and reproduced, Korea’s culture embedded in it comes to be cherished. With daily crafts from the Joseon dynasty including wooden furniture, antiques, ceramics, and other on display, the museum sheds light on Korean culture as a holistic aura of life. The works exhibited vary by period, so it is good to check the exhibition theme and period in advance through the website.

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Looking at the various exhibits, cultural landscape of the lives of Korean ancestors can be seen. You can see how the past shaped the lives of today and where traditional values are embedded into the daily lives.

Bukchon Traditional Crafts Experience Center Where You Can Become a Traditional Craftsman

You may have seen traditional craft art with your eyes, but why don’t you take the time to enjoy it with your five senses. At the Bukchon Traditional Crafts Experience Center, you can hear about the excellent traditional crafts of Korea and select and experience the traditional crafts of your choice. It is unique that Bukchon workshop masters conduct 40 traditional craft programs and make colorful and rich works themselves.

The craft works that you can experience differ depending on the time and day of the week, so check by phone in advance if there is a craft work you want to do. Also, individuals do not need to make a separate reservation, but it will be helpful to check the schedule in advance as the required time varies depending on the program. For groups, you must reserve by phone at least three days in advance.

Traditional craft experiences include making petal bag, making patchwork brooch, making mask, making Hopae, making Chilbo hand mirror, and more. However, the program differs for each season and day of the week, so why don't you visit and enjoy it several times? The traditional handicraft experiences, which continues to this day, is enjoyed by people of all ages and genders, so be sure to try it at least once.

Travel Information

Public Transportation Information
[Subway] Start from Gyeongbokgung Station (Seoul Subway Line 3), Exit 2

Nearby Restaurants and Cafes
Samcheongdong Sujebi
Address: 101-1 Samcheong-ro, Jongno-gu, Seoul
Inquiries: +82-2-735-2965
Main menu: Sujebi (hand-pulled dough soup) and Ongsimi (potato ball Soup)


Pungnyeon Ssal Nongsan Address: 32 Bukchon-ro 5ga-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul
Inquiries: +82-2-732-7081
Main menu: Tteokbokki, Sundae, Twigim (Deep-fried dish)

Hwangsaengga Kalguksu
Address: 78 Bukchon-ro 5-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul
Inquiries: +82-2-739-6334
Main menu: Kalguksu (noodle soup) and Mandu

Daejangjangi Hwadeok Pizza
Address: 42-4 Bukchon-ro, Jongno-gu, Seoul
Inquiries: +82-2-765-4298
Main menu: Pizza and Risotto

Wolyeongdang, Seoul
Address: 62 Bukchon-ro 5-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul
Inquiries: +82-70-8866-8613
Main menu: Ssuktteok Shake (mugwort rice cake shake)

Salt House Deli, Anguk
Address: 19 Bukchon-ro 4-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul
Inquiries: +82-2-766-2617
Main menu:Sandwich and Steak

Osulloc Tea House, Bukchon
Address: 45 Bukchon-ro, Jongno-gu, Seoul
Inquiries: +82-70-4121-2019
Main menu: Green tea, Rice Cake, and Green Tea Roll Cake

Samcheong Bingsu
Address: 84-1 Samcheong-ro, Jongno-gu, Seoul
Inquiries: +82-2-720-8233
Main menu: Patbingsu (shaved ice with red beans) and Americano

Thanks Oat, Anguk
Address: 2F, 21-10 Bukchon-ro, Jongno-gu, Seoul
Inquiries: +82-2-766-0890
Main menu: Sandwich and Granola

Cha-Teul
Address: 1F, 26 Bukchon-ro 11na-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul
Inquiries: +82-2-722-7006
Main menu: Ssanghwa Tang (medicinal herb tea), Daechu Tang (jujube tea), and Omija Cha (omija tea)

* Credit & inquiries: KTO Tourism Exhibition Hall Management Team