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.
1. DDP, 동대문 디자인 플라자
Dongdaemun Design Plaza
downloaded on Crowdpic
DDP was built on the site of Dongdaemun Baseball stadium.
After taking it down, Only the two lights remain.
Lots of shopping malls, restaurants, and cafes surround DDP.
It gives you pleasure and convenience.2. Heunginjimun Gate, 흥인지문
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.3. J. HIDDEN HOUSE (Cafe)
Turn right at the corner where you see this golden plaque.
The first impression I got from the exterior of the cafe before getting inside was "What is.. this..?"
We had an iced peppermint tea and an earl grey milk tea.
(Swipe right)
4. From Heunginjimun Gongwon park to Naksan Gongwon park. (흥인지문공원 through 낙산공원)
5. Ihwa Maeul village on the way to Naksan Gongwon park. (이화마을)
6. Naksan Gongwon park, 낙산공원
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
8. The end of the itinerary with glamourous night views. (Naksan Gongwon park, DDP)
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
@koreaonthescreen
@emeskei_
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