Seoul is a big city. In fact the city is so big that it takes quite some time on the metro to get from one "central" part of town to another, yet amidst the cityscape you'll be able to find your fair share of ancient palaces and temples, and yes, and old village.
Bukchon Hanok Village is indeed located in the centre of Seoul, though well hidden and near enough to that temple I had previously visited, Gyeongbokgung Temple.
In fact, when you see your touristy postcards of Seoul, you'll probably encounter a photo similar to the one featured above. Bukchon Hanok Village really isn't big at all, and I do plan on hitting up some actual Korean villages during my year here, but for now it was a great introduction to the rather unique architecture.
These traditional houses are generally made of brick at their base, and almost all of them feature your decorative doors, small windows and your typical Asian roof that I'll let the pictures depict:
I really have to thank my friends Martin and Sarah for bringing me there and for the great day spent together! The two of them are from Seoul and studied abroad in Montreal, meaning that I got to know them through the Concordia Student Exchange Association! It was great to form a friendship with them back at home and to meet up with them here in Seoul; I look forward to many more great days like this one!
The entire village was all pretty traditional, turned into somewhat of a tourist hotspot with traditional shops, tea houses and more. In fact, Martin, Sarah and I even stopped at a traditional tea house to sit in a cute little corner and have some tea. It was so hot and humid that it was indeed quite the welcome break from the excruciating heat.
After wandering the streets a little bit and getting some good dinner and dessert, it was time to put a close on my second day of exploring Seoul.
With the extreme heat and humidity this city experiences throughout the summer, I'm in no rush to discover it all right away and I'll probably even delay some visiting until it cools down in the Fall. Visiting Seoul will indeed be a slow-go but it's certainly worth the discoveries!
-Daniele
