Jogyesa Temple sits in the center of Seoul, marked by the presence of a massive, ancient Chinese scholar tree in its front courtyard. This tree is over four hundred and fifty years old and stands twenty-six meters tall. As the…
Insadong and Ikseondong Walk
This walking tour winds through the artisan alleyways of Insa-dong and the quiet, historic residential lanes of Ikseon-dong Hanok Village.
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1. Jogyesa Temple
2. Insa Art Center
The Insa Art Center stands out along the Insadong-gil corridor with its modern, six-story structure defined by large black exterior surfaces and extensive glass walls. Located at one hundred eighty-eight Gwanhun-dong, the building houses…
3. Ssamziegil
Ssamziegil stands out in Insa-dong for its continuous, gentle ramp that spirals four stories around a central open-air courtyard. Rather than using stairs or elevators to reach different levels, visitors walk a five hundred meter long path…
4. Kyungin Museum of Fine Art
The Kyungin Museum of Fine Art is distinguished by its preservation of a traditional Korean house, or hanok, which serves as one of its primary gallery spaces. Opened in nineteen eighty-three, it was the first art museum in Korea to occupy…
5. Cheondogyo Central Cathedral
The Cheondogyo Central Cathedral is distinguished by its exterior of red brick and granite, topped with a baroque-style roof and a multi-layered portal. Completed in nineteen twenty-one, this building served as the headquarters for the…
6. Unhyeongung Palace
Unhyeongung Palace is marked by a series of low-slung, traditional wooden hanok buildings enclosed within quiet stone walls, a stark contrast to the surrounding glass and steel of downtown Seoul. This site was once the private residence of…
7. Ikseon-dong Hanok Village
Ikseon-dong Hanok Village is a dense cluster of narrow, low-slung alleyways lined with traditional tile-roofed houses. Unlike other preserved areas of the city, this neighborhood is famously flat and compact. Established in the nineteen…
8. Tapgol Park
Tapgol Park is distinguished by a tall, glass-encased stone pagoda, a ten-story remnant from a fifteenth-century Buddhist temple that once occupied this site. Known as the first modern park in Seoul, it was established in eighteen…
9. Bosingak Bell Pavilion
Bosingak Bell Pavilion is a two-story wooden structure, its traditional architecture contrasting with the glass and steel of the surrounding Jongno district. The name of this entire area, Jongno, translates to Bell Street, honoring the…