Autumn Soul Day 7 – Seoul – Date with Marie at Insadong

Tonight we will be meeting a Canadian friend, Marie who is living in Seoul at Insadong. She will be showing us around.

Insadong is well known as a traditional street to both locals and foreigners and represents the culture of the past and the present.

With Marie

There are about 100 galleries in the area and you can see every example of traditional Korean fine art from paintings to sculptures.


A mixture of historical and modern atmosphere and is a unique area of Seoul that truly represents the cultural history of the nation.

Stores in Insa-dong specialize in a wide variety of goods that can mostly be purchased in Korea such as hanbok (traditional clothing), hanji (traditional paper), traditional teas, pottery & folk crafts.

Approximately 40% of Korean crafts are exchanged in Insa-dong. Some products even trace back to the Three Kingdom Period (57 B.C.-668 A.D.)


Nearby shops include cafés, restaurants, ateliers, and galleries specializing in a diversity of items.

Marie took us to try authentic, traditional Korean cuisine somewhere in the alley of Insadong.

Even the restaurant features traditional Korean architecture.

Restaurant Interior

Marie ordered a traditional Korean dinner for us to try.

Korean Feast

She too recommend us to try Makgeolli a traditional Korean alcohol drink made by fermenting a mixture of boiled rice, wheat and water, which gives it a milky, off-white color, and sweetness. It contains about 6–8% alcohol.

Makgeolli

After the sumptuous dinner, we took a stroll in Insadong again. During weekends, some streets are blocked off from traffic and it becomes a cultural space.

Stores set up booths outside and others set up shops (Korean candy merchants and fortune tellers.) There are traditional performances and exhibits as well.

It was an enjoyable night. Thank you very much Marie for your time showing us around and treating us to a sumptuous traditional Korean dinner. We truly appreciate it. Kam Sa Hab Mi Da Marie !

Took photo with Koreans in hanbok back at our hotel.

Also Check Out My South Korea Travel Guide :

About Tommy Ooi 509 Articles
Luxury Hotel Reviewer & Destination Blogger. Passionate for travel, exploring new culture & indulging divine food, Tommy has traveled to 42 countries & 140+ destinations.

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