One of the lovely night view spots: You should include it in your itinerary! (동대문, 낙산공원)

I had wanted to see night views for a long time. Even though I've lived in Seoul for approximately 10 years so far, I haven't gone anywhere to enjoy night views in Seoul - I had been busy making ends meet.

 

It was buried within my subconscious that I wanted to enjoy Seoul's night views and the thought materialised after starting my blog. So I made a decision to visit somewhere very scenic for night views and alighted on visiting Naksan park(낙산공원).

 

Before starting this post, I'll tell you why I chose the Dongdaemun area for night views.

• The area is very good to walk around and has unique vibes.
• There are so many good restaurants, shops, and cafes.
• One can enjoy a combination of modern architecture and traditional relics.
• You can overlook part of Seoul from the mountain.
• You can make a one-day-long route ranging from Dongdaemun to Daehangno on foot.

Now, let's start the trip!

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1. DDP, 동대문 디자인 플라자

Dongdaemun Design Plaza

downloaded on Crowdpic

 

DDP(Dongdaemun Design Plaza) is a multi-culture complex that reminds you of a space station or base. Due to its futuristic and unique appearances, it's become one of the most intriguing tourist attractions in Seoul.

 

As you can tell by its name, it's used as venue for various contents such as fashion events and exhibitions for exhibiting new designs. Living up to its reputation as a design hub, you can also enjoy Seoul Fashion Week every year and get to meet lots of fashionable people there.

 

 

 

The building was designed by Jaha Hadid(1950-2016), who, as the first woman, won the Pritzker Architecture Prize, otherwise known as the "Nobel Prize" of architecture. DDP exists as the world's largest three-dimensional amorphous architecture that is designed with Korea's cutting-edge construction technology developed by Samsung.

 

DDP was built on the site of Dongdaemun Baseball stadium.

After taking it down, Only the two lights remain. 

 

Because of COVID-19, It was closed and I couldn't explore the inside of the building - I'll visit it again and make another post for it sooner or later.

 

Lots of shopping malls, restaurants, and cafes surround DDP.

It gives you pleasure and convenience.

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2. Heunginjimun Gate, 흥인지문

 

 

 

Heunginjimun Gate is the east gate of the Seoul city wall and its other name is Dongdaemun Gate. Although it was built in 1398(during the reign of King Taejo), the current gate was rebuilt by the last king of the Joseon dynasty, King Gojong.

 

Out of its name Heunginjimun, Heung means "to prosper" and In means "benevolent".

 

For lunch, I had chicken soup(Dak-gom-tang, 닭곰탕). It only costs 3,500 won per serving

- if you pay by card, 100 won will be added per serving.

Unless you speak a little Korean, it can be slightly hard to order a dish.The way to order something is quite simple; you should write a dish you wanton the papers that the cook gives to you.

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3. J. HIDDEN HOUSE (Cafe)

The weather was very sunny and hot. Just then after finishing lunch, I was craving some tea so we went to a cafe, which was near Heunginjimun Gate.

 

Turn right at the corner where you see this golden plaque.

 

It was slightly hard to find the cafe as if you were finding Wally(or Waldo in America) - actually, not to that degree - because it was hidden around the corner in a narrow alley. You should wide-open your eyes to see a golden plaque on the wall while walking through the street.

 

 

The first impression I got from the exterior of the cafe before getting inside was "What is.. this..?"

It looked very shabby. However, I changed my mind once I entered. The inside of the cafe was quite nice and unique.

The cafe was remodeled with a Korean traditional house; Hanok, which had a courtyard. So it was quite interesting to see a tranquil and traditionally themed cafe in the busiest fashion district in Seoul.

I really enjoyed the peaceful atmosphere, supplemented with serene vibes and fragrant smell of freshly baked croissants.

 

We had an iced peppermint tea and an earl grey milk tea.

(Swipe right)

 

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4. From Heunginjimun Gongwon park to Naksan Gongwon park. (흥인지문공원 through 낙산공원)

 

I headed for Heunginjimun Gongwon park after tea time. It's the starting point leading to Naksan Gongwon park, which is located right by Heunginjimun Gate.

From the park, I started a little bit of climbing for Naksan Park. It doesn't look that steep but I couldn't help but feel so hot while climbing. However, the overlooking views from the town walls were beautiful enough to let me forget the heat.

 

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5. Ihwa Maeul village on the way to Naksan Gongwon park. (이화마을)

 

I continued walking to Naksan Gongwon park. The weather was scorching and I sweated a lot. I saw a drinking fountain on the way and I quenched our thirst there. The taste of water after sweating a lot was completely refreshing.

Not far from the drinking fountain, there were a rough-map stand and two divergent paths. 

After some time thinking, I took the left-hand fork.

 

 

The vibes it produced were quite retro and charming. Not only houses but also cute and atmospheric shops were there to greet visitors. Although I didn't go inside the shops because I wanted to reach Naksan Gongwon park quickly and then head for Daehangno(대학로), I kept thinking about visiting the shops later again.

 

 

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6. Naksan Gongwon park, 낙산공원

 

I finally reached the park. The views at the peak of Naksan Gongwon park were awesome. It was so nice to overlook the amazing views of modern buildings and the mountains of Seoul. And above all, the harmony between modern buildings and the town walls running along the mountain was incredible and amazingly good.

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7. Eat Soondaegook(순대국), Korean sausage stew, in Daehangno(대학로)

 

 

"A loaf of bread is better than the song of many birds."

All the walking had made me hungry. Because it had been a while since I ate Soondaegook(순대국) and above all, because it was my favourite Korean food; I went to a restaurant that specialised in Soondae(Korean sausage).

 

The restaurant is in Daehangno where many universities are located. In Daehangno, you can feel the youthful vibe throughout the area because of the presence of many trendy restaurants, cafes, artworks, shops, buskers, and especially theatres.

 

There are lots of small theatres to see plays and musicals. If you can speak a little bit of Korean, it's definitely worth it to watch.

 

Historically, the reason why it got its current name, Daehangno, was because Seoul National University was located in the area until 1975 when it moved to Gwanak-gu district - leaving only the medical department. Out of Daehangno, 대학(Dae-hak) means "university" and 로(Ro or No) means "street". Centering around Seoul National University, lots of stores, shops, and theatres had gathered and the area became a collection of streets lined with cultural venues.

 

Daehangno street

(Swipe right)

 

I finally reached the Soondaegook restaurant, named 순대실록(Soondae-sillok). I could feel its pride in their Soondae. They were promoting their own way to make Soondae, which originated from the traditional recipe in the Joseon era.

 

I had a Soondaegook(standard one) and a Cheong-yang pepper Soondaegook(spicy one). They were lovely. Even though Soondaegook is regarded as a middle-aged men's food in Korea, I really enjoyed them. As a matter of fact, it has become one of my soul foods.

The restaurant is famous for its characteristic menu item, Soondae steak(순대스테이크). So it's obviously worthy of trying.

 

LOCATION

Second Floor, 127, Dongsung-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul, Republic of Korea

OPENING HOURS

7:00 - 24:00

Everyday

 

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8. The end of the itinerary with glamourous night views. (Naksan Gongwon park, DDP)

 

Now, it's time to finish the trip with lovely night views. It would not be wrong to say that I've got through all these things in order to see the night views of the area.

The vibes that the town and fortress walls generated were peaceful and sentimental. While walking back to DDP, the atmospheric views made me feel happy and romantic.

I hope you can enjoy its vibes indirectly through the photos I took.

 

Note: It's a residential area so you should be quiet while looking around!

 

 

 

 

ROUTE

The red spots and lines are the route I took.

You don't have to stick to the route. Feel free to explore according to your taste.

 

ADJACENT SUBWAY STATIONS

for DDP, Heunginjimun Gate

 

②④⑤ 동대문역사문화공원역

①④ 동대문역

 

for Daehangno

④ 혜화역

 

If you enjoyed this post, and then give me some help, I'd really appreciate it!

 

WORDS BY

Minsu Kim - koreaonthescreen@gmail.com

PHOTOS BY

Minsu Kim - koreaonthescreen@gmail.com

PROOFREAD BY

Gabriela Enriquez

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