After looking around Gyeongbok gung palace, I got hungry. Of course, there was a cafe in the National Folk Museum where I could nibble some cakes or something but I didn't want to eat those kinds of sweets. It was about lunchtime and I wanted to eat grilled mackerel so we headed for 인사동(Insadong). Thinking about having grilled fish, I was chuffed. At the very time that I was about to leave the palace, the retro-style street which was right next to the museum intrigued me. Before I left, I took a brief look around the themed area. It was evocative of the 60-70s era in South Korea. After the Korean War in the 50s, South Korea was on its way towards development and restoration. The themed street was strongly reminiscent of this frugal period in Korean history.
Leaving the retro-themed park behind and saying good-bye, I headed for 인사동(Insadong) on foot. Thankfully, Insadong is quite close to Gyeongbok gung palace so I didn't have to take a taxi or a bus (If I'm correct, it took about 15 minutes at most on foot so I recommend you walk!)
"A GRILLED FISH(loaf of bread*) is better than the song of many birds"
On the way to Insadong, you can see another gate of Gyeongbokgung Palace. 건춘문(Geonchunmun Gate) was constructed by the first king of Joseon, Taejo. There was a small palace named 춘궁(Chungung, the palace of Spring) in which the supreme princes of the Joseon dynasty lived. It was not until the regency of 흥선대원군(the father of King Gojong) in December 1865 that the gate was rebuilt after the destruction by Japanese troops during the war(임진왜란).
2. 인사동(Insadong, 仁寺洞)
Because of its unique and traditional atmosphere, Insadong is one of the most popular tourist spots for foreign visitors.
Speaking of its brief history, during the Joseon dynasty period, Insadong was the habitation of many locals in addition to being the location of public offices which were in charge of investigating vassals' achievements, cracking down on the corruption of public morals, etc. Not until the Japanese occupation did many antique shops locate to that area. Sadly, however, those were used to plunder tones of cultural assets. Insadong is also the area where the March First Independence Movement(3.1 독립운동) against the Japanese colonial government took place. After independence from Japan, many art galleries, and mounter shops, related to artworks, came into Insadong and it began to develop as similar a cultural street as now.
As of now, it has more visitors than inhabitants and there are many cultural tea shops, pubs, restaurants, and antique shops where you can pick up traditional items as a souvenir.
Insadong was designated as the street of traditional culture in 1988
by Seoul city administration.
Although Insadong itself is very attractive to visit, the main reason for me to go there was to eat grilled mackerel. There is a good restaurant that serves homemade-style dishes. The name of the restaurant is '어머니가 구워주신 생선구이(Fish grilled by my mother).' There were about twelve main dishes on the menu which conjure feelings of Korean mothers' warmth for their children.
We ordered 고등어구이(grilled mackerel), and 삼치구이(grilled Spanish mackerel). Both of them were very good and had crispy-grilled skins which I liked so much. Just for my taste, 고등어구이 was the tastier of the two because it was more savoury.
If you want to experience a Korean homemade-style meal, I highly recommend you go to the restaurant. It is not the only branch and the other one is in 신촌(Sinchon). If you get to visit Sinchon, you have one more chance.
You can enjoy a meal within 14,000 won at least to 40,000 won at most for two people.
After having a lovely meal, I went out to enjoy tea time. Many good tea shops are located in Insadong but the one I chose was 오설록(OSULLOC) which specialises in green tea. The brand claims that all the tea leaves they use are from Jeju Island. It was the first time for me to visit the cafe and the method of serving tea to customers was quite interesting. Unlike other normal cafes, teas were served in the Korean traditional way. You may get confused once you receive the tray by a server.
"In order to prevent you from getting confused,
let me explain how to drink the Korean style green tea."
⓵ Put that small sieve on the tea bowl
⓶ Pour the tea through the sieve into the bowl
⓷ Pour the sifted tea into the small teacup
⓸ Enjoy
Oh! another tip for you: You can refill the hot water as many times as you want.
Raise your hand and say "Re-pill-hae-ju-se-yo"(never mind).
The most popular tourist attraction in Insadong is 쌈지길(Ssamjigil). You may laugh when you see the logo of Ssamjigil because it looks so much like the Mcdonalds' one. It was created in Dec 2004 and has become one of the most famous tourist attractions as a shopping mall for souvenirs and trinkets. You can see a lot of high-quality traditional and modern artifacts which are made by master artisans in one place. Furthermore, Korean classic foods such as '전주비빔밥(Jeonju Bibimbap)', '불고기(Bulgogi)', '빈대떡(Bindaetteok, Korean traditional pancake)', and Korean traditional teas await you there.
Leaving Insadong behind after having a good time there, I headed for 청계천(Cheonggyecheon stream) on foot. On the way to the stream, I came across 보신각(Bosingak). 보신각 is the pavilion which houses a massive bell. Maybe some say "It's just a big bell. What's the point?" However, the big bell means quite a lot to Korean people because every December 31st, people get together to see the bell chime for a new year. Similar to how American people gather around Times Square in New York to celebrate a happy new year, 보신각 has been the place for embracing a new year and wishing luck. Although it's hard to hear the bell actually chime in this day and age, it has been standing there as a great historical asset after a long time of adversity, as a valuable object which used to let the citizens of Joseon know the time.
HOW TO GET THERE
To Insadong
<Adjacent subway stations>
⓷⓹ 종로3가역
⓷ 안국역
To Bosingak
<Adjacent subway stations>
⓵ 종각역
"Download and use Google Maps, Naver Maps, or Kakao Maps!"
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WORDS BY
Minsu Kim - koreaonthescreen@gmail.com
PHOTOS BY
Minsu Kim - koreaonthescreen@gmail.com
PROOFREAD BY
Gabriela Enriquez
