Bukchon Hanok Village, originally uploaded by Elise in Asia.
Last Saturday was a nice sunny afternoon so Diana and I braved the yellow dust (yep, in fall this year, aren’t we lucky!) and headed for the area of Seoul called Bukchon Hanok Village. To call that place village is a wishful thinking, as the place consists of a few blocks, but it’s still really worth a visit. Several ‘dongs’ (street/blocks) of well-preserved traditional Korean houses grace the slopes of a hill, overlooking downtown Seoul.
The contrast of old and new is interesting and I’ll try to go back there when the sky is nice and blue, like it usually is in autumn. It would also look good with a bit of snow!
Houses in that area are insanely expensive and are mostly passed on from generation to generation. Some of these courtyard houses are open to the public as they host art galleries or shops. It’s a good opportunity to look at the architecture and imagine members of the ‘yangban’ (elite) living there a mere century or more ago!
What is your favorite historical neighborhood in your city?
May 26, 2010 at 2:07 am
it looks so scenic and beautiful there…it has an old world charm about it.