The Old Alleyways of Seochon

The seasons have finally changed in Seoul and the heat and humidity that haunt the summer days has been replaced with the moderate temperatures of autumn.  The leaves are just beginning to change on some of the trees and I realized the other day that it has quite literally been months since I've really been off the hill and out in the city.  I'm not certain I've even ridden the subway since I've been back to Seoul this year.  So, in an attempt to get out of my apartment and into the city I signed myself up for a couple of walking tours in various parts of Seoul--some that I've never set foot in even after three years of living here.  In my defense, this is a massive city, but now that I'm considering a change of venue in the near future I've got to start taking advantage of all there is to see and do here in my current home.  

Today's walking tour had us meandering through the old alleyways of Seochon, an area not far from Gyeongbokgung Palace.  In fact, I took the subway to the Gyeongbokgung stop which was just one station passed where I usually get off for one of my favorite shopping and cultural areas called Insadong.  When I first emerged from underground all I saw were buildings--nothing cultural in sight and so I wondered, "what the heck is actually worth seeing here?"  Enter Dr. Fouser who lives in this area and has obviously spent a great deal of time getting lost and found in these old alleyways.  This area was heavily affected during the Japanese occupation so we first learned about and identified many of the Japanese style houses, which have a different architectural style than traditional Korean houses called hanok.  We then went on the search for hanok--some in their original state from the early 1900's, some completely rebuilt, some mildly renovated.  Essentially, the majority of our tour was spent seeing the different hanoks and how they have been restored or, in many cases, repurposed as galleries, shops, or restaurants.  We also learned about how these hanok are different from those in the Bukchon hanok area where the preservation rules are much more stringent.  I'm looking forward to seeing those hanok soon and perhaps even staying overnight at a hanok in the future.  During the three hour walking tour so many facts drifted through my head that I can't even begin to recall all of them as I was also interested in capturing photos as I walked.  Here is a collection of images from today's walk...

Mt. Inwangsan beckons from behind the buildings

The first signs of autumn leaves changing!

For Daniel--a random guitar hanging out on a wall.

The site of what was once a minor palace.

Narrow alleyways that reminded me of the hutongs in Beijing.

Cool brick patterns.

This way!

The renovated roofs of hanoks now have gutters to help with water problems!

Intricate door fixtures were a lovely sight.

A hanok homestay...hmmm!

Lovely tile!

Roller skaters filming a commercial (I think!)

A snazzy, renovated hanok redone in the Bukchon style.

More door fixtures.

Rusty wall art!

Kimchi pots!!

And now from a crazy angle!

Practicing using my camera's focus points and playing with depth of field.

My next walking tour is on October 20th and will be about the fortress wall in Seoul.  I imagine it will be pretty cool and I hope to be able to take more photos then!  As I waited for the photos to upload and thought back on what I heard and saw today, I thought about what it must have been like to live here during the Japanese occupation--to have your culture stripped away as the Japanese attempted to make Korea a part of the country of Japan.  Having traveled to Japan twice, there are marked differences in the two cultures and I assume it could not have been easy to simply assimilate as the national treasures of Korea were systematically destroyed in a ploy to psychologically damage the people.  Somehow, the Korean people were able to bring back the building of Korean style houses in these neighborhoods during that time and these hanok have managed to survive thanks to people about my parents' age who have the time, money, and desire to see these homes preserved and lived in.  Living in Yonhi-dong and backing vibrant Sinchon is great, but there is no true Korean character here.  If you travel to Tokyo you feel sort of the same thing.  All you see are gray and tan buildings, mirrored high rises, and apartment buildings so today's walk was a refreshing break from the neon lights, fast food joints, movie theaters, coffee shops, and chaos that I am used to.  I enjoyed the quiet alleyways free of cars and full of culture and history--I'm ready for a bit more of that!