Traditional Seoul meets its modern counterpart and the
convergence zone is in Insadong-gil. Hanbok-wearing youths lazily stroll the
alleys, scoping out the latest café installation. Old teahouses seem quietly tucked
in little corners, while new coffee shops perch themselves at the top floors of
the buildings. There are antique shops next to cellphone shops, and a kitschy
mall surrounded by aging houses that now serve tradidional Korean food to
tourists like us.
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| Traditional Cafes in Old Houses |
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| The main youth attraction in Insadong: Ssamziegil |
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| Cartoon characters lead you downstairs to the money changer and the restrooms |
In that mall, Ssamziegil, the Korean cutesy culture is in full force.
Cartoon characters welcome you into the building. One of the first food stalls
you may see is the Poop Cake. Weird, but delicious. It’s really just a waffle with nutella inside.
Koreans (and Japanese)
have an odd affinity for the potty variety as upstairs, we found an actual toilet café. Okay, Seoul. Calm down with
the kitsch.
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| You sit in toilets converted into chairs, and you're served food and coffee in cute little toilet cups and bowls! |
But noooo! They won’t be calmed down! Further up to the very top of Ssamziegil is this. The Wall of Love.
I’m baffled. Everyone seems to love these things. You buy the little
cards at the store, and you write love notes to your significant other and hang
it ceremoniously on an empty space, not unlike the “locks of love” that pop up
anywhere there are bridges in a big city.
Back out into the streets, it’s a much more interesting mix
of shops. Don’t be scared to meander along the alleyways. You’ll surely find a
cute coffee shop, a restaurant or at the very least, some very interesting doors
and windows.
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| A cafe/ restaurant in a traditional hanok in one of the alleys of Insadong. |
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| A modern take on the hanbok |
Make sure you have some cash to spare! There are lots of trinkets to buy here, certainly if you’re going souvenir shopping, this is a haven for all sorts of souvenirs—Korean chopsticks, ceramic pots, Korean stationery, key chains, your name spelled in Korean as a personalized stamp…
Money Changers are available at the end of the main street of Insadong, downstairs in Ssamziegil or if
you’re coming from the train station, there are banks across the street as
well. Restaurants and cafes might accept credit cards but the street vendors don't.
How to get here:
Take the Anguk Station (Seoul Subway Line 3), Exit 6.
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