November 4, 2014

Being the eclectic travelers that we are, we chose not to get the map for the whole village, instead we just go wherever our feet takes us. So among the the sea of map carrying tourists along the alleys of Bukchon, Mona and I found ourselves walking around the quiet residential areas, admiring each and every bit of what Bukchon is known for.




Surrounded by Gyeongbokgung Palace, Changdeokgung Palace and Jongmyo Shrine, Bukchon Hanok Village is home to hundreds of traditional houses called "hanok" that date back to the Joseon Dynasty. The name, "Bukchon", which literally translates to "northern village", came about as the neighborhoods that the village covers lie to the north of the two significant Seoul landmarks, Cheonggyecheon Stream and Jongno. Today many of these hanoks operate as cultural centers , guesthouses, restaurants and tea houses, providing an opportunity to experience, learn and immerse in Korean traditional culture. (taken from english.visit.or.kr)

I used to watch Style Log Season 2,wherein Ho Jonghyun, Nana and Jo Minho hosted the show. And I always remember that one episode wherein they went to Bukchon to walk around. I felt so excited and amazed to actually see the path wherein they played around at. If only they were also there. And they still are the hosts of Style Log.


You must keep in mind that the area is quite hilly, so if you're not into all that intense walking and climbing, you might not like the whole village exploring that much. But then again, the taste of old meets new Seoul is such an inspiring and endearing thing to see, climbing up and down shouldn't be a problem at all!


If you watched the series "Monstar", I think you'll probably be like me whilst walking the alleyways of the Bukchon area. There was this one specific scene wherein the two main leads decided to walk around the neighborhood one last time before saying goodbye to each other, which resulted to an adorable music moment that forever left me i-wish-to-do-that-with-my-crush-too sigh.

Cafes are ridicolously everywhere as well, so in case you get hungry, thirsty or just in the mood for a cup, you'll never run out of options.

I'll probably find myself wandering again within the Bukchon area when I return to Seoul, like the many few other places that left a mark in me. It's subtle vintage charm is such an attractive gem to look at. Writing this now, still makes me want to teleport back to Korea and just be lost in it. Oh Korea, what have you done? D: