S E O U L (4) : Strolling Around Bukchon Hanok Village [북촌한옥마을]

What I find truly amazing about the beautiful traditional Bukchon Hanok Village is how well it persevered. From the look of it, you might think this village is out in the middle of nowhere, but it is actually in the middle of bustling Seoul. People still lives in the old, traditional houses while carrying out a modern lifestyle. Of course, the interior is most likely renovated for more comfort and practicality, and electricity is installed. However, it's just rare these days to see exterior of traditional structures so minimally altered. While strolling around the village, you can still feel the presence of the old way of life.

It is actually a bit confusing to find the place. If you're lucky, the taxi will drop you off at the tourist information center, where you can get yourself a map. Mine dropped my mom and I off at some nearby street, and we had no idea where to go. We just asked people around until we found the information center lol.

We decided to have a tour of a sample house in the village. This house is only for tourists to come in and look around - nobody actually lives there. It costs 10,000 Won or around US $10 per person. There is a house guide who can speak many languages, including English. It was a bit expensive but totally worth it. I mean, how else would you get to see the inside of Bukchon houses? I feel like this specific house is bigger and more nicely decorated than others in the neighborhood. It's probably because it's a sample house for tour, so they always keep it presentable.

I love how the light shone through the door's design - so intricate.

Included in the tour was a cup of tea, which you can sit and enjoy until you're ready to leave. It was a plum tea. I'd never had anything like it before. It was sweet and sour - I actually liked it.

The house was slightly altered for more modern lifestyle. The exterior window, for instance, was changed to glass. The restroom also had tiled floor, and all of the interior facilities were modern. However, the exterior structure and design were kept traditional for the most part. It'd be absolutely comfortable living in this house.

If you would like to experience Korean tradition and culture, you can find tea houses, cultural centers, and guesthouses around the neighborhood. I just had a stroll this time, but it'd be interesting to book a guesthouse in this area when I visit Korea again. What do you think about Bukchon Hanok Village? Have you been there before? I'm interested in hearing your thoughts!