Having spent a fair amount of time exploring Seoul, I was quite familiar with perhaps its most famous hanok village: Bukchon Hanok Village. These villages that one can find throughout South Korea are areas/neighborhoods with renovated or reconstructed traditional Korean buildings. Eager to see more of these beautiful neighborhoods, I decided to venture a ways from the touristy city center to see the lesser known: Eunpyeong Hanok Village.

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Where is Eunpyeong Hanok Village?

North and slightly to the west of downtown Seoul, Eunpyeong is a large district; not just the little neighborhood of traditional buildings I was venturing to see. It’s beautifully nestled beside the famous Bukhansan mountain. So, how do you get to Eunpyeong Hanok Village? The closest subway station is Gupabal Station on the number 3 line from which there are a couple of buses that you can take about 20 minutes to Eunpyeong Hanok Village. A good navigation point to use is Eunpyeong Hanok Village Museum (which is of course another cool thing to check out here!)

One of my favorite things about Seoul and Korea in general is the juxtaposition of the old and the new. You can often find sleek modern architecture right next to traditional relics or recreations from the past. As I got off the bus, mere yards away from high rise apartments, I walked through the entrance of a stone gate and was suddenly in another world, surrounded by the characteristic curved roofs of the Korean hanoks.

What is a Hanok?

So what specifically is a hanok? By now, perhaps you’ve guessed, it simply refers to the traditional Korean homes. These beautiful structures date back many centuries and were quite sophisticated for the time of their origins.

They are environmentally conscious, designed to keep the interior breathable and cool in the summer yet warmly insulated in the winter. The materials of wood, stone, and soil create their soothing palette of various shades of black, brown and white. The window panes are made of a type of thick paper.

And still more fascinating, I learned that traditional Korean architecture is mindful of a building’s harmonious placement amongst its natural surroundings such as its position near mountains and bodies of water. You can observe this more evidently with famous landmarks such as Gyeongbokgung palace that some curves of the roof flow with the lines of the surrounding mountains.

And how would I compare Eunpyeong Hanok village to Bukchon Hanok Village? I find Bukchon certainly more touristy as is understandable given its larger size and more central location near other tourist attractions. So, Eunpyeong was pleasantly much more quiet and peaceful.

I perceived Bukchon’s village to feel more… dare I say “lived in”; a slightly rougher array of alleyways and a diverse collection of shops. Eunpyeong’s felt almost like a pristine museum of perfect examples of hanok architecture. Both have their charms for sure.

Update: If you are curious about more of the architectural details these gorgeous structures, I recently stumbled upon this great book full of inciteful knowledge of the beautiful interiors of Korean Hanoks.

A little note: though not something I undertook on my excursion, if you want a pretty impressive view looking out over Eunpyeong Hanok Village, try 1인1잔 ( loosely pronounced “eel een, eel jan”): a beautiful café and restaurant. Check them out on Instagram!

But alas… a little pricey for me. I was in the mood for some cheaper eats, so I had some delicious takoyaki (actually a Japanese street snack but found in Korea as well) at a stall on the road leading into the mountains directly behind the village. I was on my way to part two of my journey…

Jingwansa

The beautiful Jingwansa temple sits proudly at the base of the mountain with well marked hiking trails nearby. It’s a good base for hiking Bukhansan. However, if you’re not in the mood for a big hike, there are so many pleasant areas to walk just around the temple with lovely paths around tall pines, little streams and waterfalls.

It’s a well sized complex with the characteristic bold colors and intricate patterns (called Dancheong, 단청) of Korean temples.

There is even a temple stay offered here. Temple stays are a wonderful immersive experience to follow monks in their daily activities. It’s a great way to learn about meditation and Buddhism as it’s practiced in Korea.

With places to sit and soak in the beauty, as well as the trails leading into the mountains, it was a perfect ending to the day. As a foreigner moving about homogeneous Korea, sometimes I’ll encounter much less touristy areas where I think to myself “Ah… I see I’m going to… extra stick out here.” But I needn’t have felt nervous. From the friendly owners of the takoyaki stall, to the families at the temple who heartily waved at me, I’d say I was quite warmly greeted.

A day at Eunpyeong Hanok Village and Jingwansa is a remarkable peaceful repose, just a short trip from the louder bustle of downtown Seoul. A beautiful, concise, yet ample slice of traditional Korean architecture and culture. I certainly hope, if you’re ever in South Korea, that you stop by!

Thank you for reading! If you’re planning a trip to South Korea, I hope you’ll check out my South Korea packing list for all your travel essentials!