Bukchon Hanok Village

The collective name of the few tiny suburbs ("dong") wedged between Gyeongbuk Palace and the Secret Garden, just north of Insadong and Anguk Station. This area was where relatives of the royal family, high public officials, and other important families lived for over 500 years as they serviced the nearby palaces. Today, some 900 of their traditional Korean "hanok" houses remain, making this area one of Seoul's most picturesque centres for arts, culture, food, and fashion. The flip side is that the neighbourhood has been heavily commercialized, is rather soulless, and on the verge of becoming a Korean theme park. Some streets no longer house local residents and have instead been taken over entirely by guest houses in faux hanok style. From 17:00 to 10:00, tourists are not allowed to enter the village. Self-styled neighbourhood guards in fantasy uniforms patrol the streets and rudely shoo visitors away. If your accommodation is in the area, they will let you pass grudgingly, but take cruel pleasure in proclaiming an absurd photo ban during the curfew.

Beskrivningen finns på engelska.

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