Written by Samira Eibner
Bukchon is a Hanok Village amid Seoul, Jongno-gu. A place that has become famous for a reason. Seoul has a lot to offer – bustling nightlife, high skyscrapers, beautiful palaces and so much tradition. Bukchon is one of those places that you simply have to visit when you’re coming to Seoul. Just by being here, exploring the streets and corners of this village in the midst of a huge city, it tells so much history. You simply want to dive deeper into Korean tradition when seeing all these Hanoks – Korean traditional houses: more than 900 can be found here in Bukchon. Apart from that there are so many cute little stores selling souvenirs or other things that are just typical for Korea, as well as many coffee shops that just look too inviting – you would love to just take a seat in and enjoy a cup of coffee or tea.
The village dates back to the Joseon Dynasty. Although many Hanoks don’t exactly look like they had back then anymore, they still give off these nostalgic, yet elegant vibes and simply are beautiful to look at. One of the best things about Bukchon may be that this place is alive. People here are living, working – You can visit stores, cafés, restaurants, museums or workshops. It’s not only breathtaking to take a look around here, but you can actually experience things, so coming here is even more worth it.
Adventure Korea offers a Seoul City Orienteering Game in Bukchon, where people can get to know that beautiful village in a fun and playful way. You get to explore corners of Bukchon that not everyone knows and through some questions you also get to learn more about the history of different spots in the village. This game is also a great opportunity to strengthen your bond with your team members and co-workers and teaches you reading a map and compass, so you can navigate yourself through the many streets and hidden allies without using your smartphone. With all the missions, questions and spots you have to take photos at, you and your team are collecting points, so you get to challenge the other teams – and maybe some of you may even become competitive.
Through the missions you get to visit the Bukchon Cultural Center, some small temples, the oldest shop of the Village and Hanoks in which you are supposed to take a rest in. So after taking off your shoes, you just can enter one of these traditional houses and simply open yourself to this strange, but warm feeling you get when sitting in there on the floor. Additionally there is a mission where you visit different small stalls and get to taste the different kinds of flavors of Korean classic street food. If you haven’t tried Kimbap, Eomuk or Hotteok before – this is your chance! And who doesn’t want to earn points in a competition for eating good food?
