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Insa-dong was a residential area throughout the Yi Dynasty, but shops were opened following the Japanese occupation in 1910. Soon, antique shops began to appear along both sides of the street. During the 1920s and the 1930s, they were complemented by rare book stores. The street began a process of invigoration in the 1950s. Since then, the commercial area, restricted to the southern part of Chongno during the Japanese occupation, began to extend northwards. At the end of the 1960s, ancient painting-related establishments such as calligraphy shops and paperhangers began to concentrate in the area. In the 1970s, the modern exhibition centers of the Korean Culture and Arts Foundation art hall and the Dongduk Art Museum were opened. Western Insa-dong is home to the Chogae Temple, the center of Korean Buddhism, where every spring, a lantern festival is held in honor of Buddha's Birthday. Insa-dong is where foreign visitors might most easily encounter traditional Korean culture, both in the form of artifacts and food. In fact, it is a significant tourist location, the most favored in Seoul by foreigners who are frequent sights in Insa-dong, curiously examining books, wares, and paintings. An antique market is held on weekends, where fortune tellers will tell your fortune based on the year, month, day and hour of your birth. In addition, you can also take part in the making of such traditional food as rice cakes. Those interested in collecting Oriental pottery can find an enormous array made of celadon or white porcelain. It is also possible to purchase tea ware for everyday use. There is no pressure here to buy. Rather, the sales staff are happy simply to show you around their stores. The prevailing atmosphere is peaceful and folk-like, quite different from other markets. Insa-dong is famous for its shops which sell contemporary versions of the hanbok (traditional Korean dress) - composed of a ch'ima (a skirt) and jukori (a blouse). There are various, all-season hanbok for men, women and children which can be worn just like any other form of clothing. Bags and shoes made of the same fabric as the hanbok are also available as well as small key chains, fans made of hanji (Korean paper hand-made from mulberry trees), postcards, cards and name cards - all products imbued with Korean tradition and charm. Insa-dong is the place for good bargains: prices are relatively cheap compared to those in the department stores, while the quality is superior to that of products sold in other markets or shops. After an afternoon shopping in Insa-dong, nothing is quite so restorative as a visit to a traditional tea room. Located on every corner in Insa-dong, these are places where tea can be enjoyed with traditional Korean snacks. Here, a variety of teas can be sampled: green tea, ginseng tea, ginger tea, ssanghwa tea, adlay tea, citron tea and fig tea, hot enough to warm up anyone on the coldest of a Korean winter's day. To cool down in the heat of summer, sikhye and sujungkwa teas are ideal. One of the most popular tea rooms is "Juntongdawon." This is a traditional tea room, situated within the Kyungin Art Gallery, itself regarded as synonymous with culture in Insa-dong. Located in what was once a traditional Korean house, its spaciousness was created by removing the walls of the main hall, the main living room and the room on the opposite side of the main living room. The garden's scenic beauty, viewed from the windows, is evocative of the countryside. In addition, paintings are exhibited daily for the enjoyment of patrons. Even though Juntongdawon is the biggest tea room in Insa-dong, it is usually quite busy even on weekday afternoons. From time immemorial, Koreans have drunk tea to enhance their leisure hours. The methods of drinking tea are many and various. Newcomers to Korean tea should not be afraid of imbibing too much but should bear in mind the following points of etiquette: When drinking, no sound should be made. On finishing your tea, savor the aroma left in the cup. Traditionally, the Korean appreciation of tea and its preparation is based on the five senses: the sound of tea boiling in the pot; the aroma of the tea; the image presented by the tea wares and the tea itself; the taste of the tea; and the tactile sensation provided by the touch of a teacup. Insa-dong features not only tea rooms, but also traditional Korean restaurants. Just enter any narrow alley, and mouth-watering aromas will tempt your appetite. Newcomers often find it difficult to locate the narrow alleys where the restaurants are located, but the effort spent is well worth the result. Since Insa-dong was declared a "street without vehicles" on April 13th 1997, a cultural market is held every Sunday, giving visitors the opportunity to experience traditional Korean games as well as folk art. In rapidly changing Seoul, it can be a playground for children, and, at the same time, an opportunity for them to encounter traditional Korean culture at its finest. Insa-dong is a microcosm of Korean culture; in this context, its cultural and commercial value is enormous. The recent visit of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II to Insa-dong during her state visit to Korea served to boost its popularity even further. For academics, it has long been the subject of study as a cultural area. Thus far, Insa-dong has sufficiently maintained its unique character to be an excellent showcase of traditional Korean culture. A concern of residents and merchants alike, though, is that Insa-dong may lose its character to succumb to commercialism, pointing to the sale of modern paintings and non-traditional products on the street. Already, the more commercially minded merchants have opened electronic game rooms and beer houses. To address these problems, the area has been designated a special cultural zone, and civil and government organizations have made joint efforts to curb those activities which can hamper the cultural environment. In addition, the continuous development of a variety of events and products which represent Korean culture are being pursued with the assistance of financial support from the government and by easing administrative and construction regulations. Their efforts are well-placed. The coming 21st century harbingers a tide of globalization which threatens to submerge national cultures, entailing both a consequent loss of national identity and intangible resource. Locations such as Insa-dong are both representative locations and wellsprings of such cultures, and it therefore behoves public and private institutions to ensure their preservation by what means they can. Insa-dong is ideal for development as a place where visitors might experience traditional Korean culture in its most distinct form; and for Koreans, as a place where they might reaffirm their cultural identity. In the globalized world of the future, it is in such unique locations as Insa-dong that the common heritage of the human family can be preserved and serve as an inspiration for future generations. By Miyauchi Akio Insa-dong is located between Anguk-dong Rotary and Tapgol (Pagoda) Park on Chongno Street, Seoul Useful numbers |
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Laden with an atmosphere
of antiquity, Insa-dong is located in Chongno in the heart of Seoul,
and is a mecca for tourists seeking authentic Korean cultural artifacts.
Throughout its 600-meter length, over 300 shops, exhibition halls,
galleries, tea rooms, restaurants, antique fine art shops, craft
shops and pottery shops are located side by side. Together, they
create a varied and vivid atmosphere in which the past and the present,
and the older and the younger generations coexist. It has become
one of Korea's most famous cultural sites, Seoul's equivalent of
Soho in New York City and Montmartre in Paris.