Insadong - Tea, Brushes and Old Treasures

Photo: Mario Sanchez Prada, CC BY-SA 2.0 (cropped)

A stop on Seoul Palaces, Bukchon and Insadong, a free self-guided tour.

You are at the top of Insadong-gil, the main street of Insadong, lined with galleries, tea houses and shops selling ink brushes, hanji paper and celadon pottery. The name joins two old Joseon neighborhoods, Gwanin-bang and Daesa-dong, and a small stream once ran where the street is now.

In the Joseon era this was a home for officials and their families. Under Japanese rule many households were forced to sell their heirlooms, and the area became Korea's biggest market for antiques and art, a role it still plays in its side alleys.

This is a good place to rest and taste. Duck into a traditional tea house in one of the side lanes for a cup of jujube, citron or ginger tea, or look for street snacks such as hotteok, a sweet filled pancake, and honey-thread candy pulled by hand right in front of you. Notice the shop signs, too: many of them, even for global brands, are written in Korean letters to suit the neighborhood.

Getting here: Walk back to Anguk Station, cross Samil-daero, and enter Insadong-gil, the pedestrian-friendly street that heads south from the intersection.

Did you know?: When Starbucks opened here in 2001, local protests led it to put up its sign in Hangul - reported at the time as the first Starbucks with a sign in the local language.

Photo op: Step into a side alley off Insadong-gil and frame the low tiled roofs and hanging shop signs, with the bustle of the main street just beyond.

Insadong - Tea, Brushes and Old Treasures

Stops on this tour