Seochon Hanok Village

Seochon means the west village, and it is the district on the far side of Gyeongbokgung from Bukchon - historically where the middle-ranking officials, interpreters and technical staff of the court lived rather than the aristocracy, which is why its hanok are smaller and packed tighter. It has stayed a real neighbourhood: laundry, hardware shops, a butcher, small print works, and Tongin market at its centre, where a token system lets you buy a tray and fill it from the stalls. Among the alleys are the studio house of the painter Park No-soo, now a municipal gallery, the site associated with the poet Yi Sang, small independent bookshops and a number of galleries. The lanes run uphill toward Inwangsan and the views open at the top end. It is quieter and less costumed than Bukchon, and residents ask visitors to keep noise down in the lanes.

What you actually see

• The tight alleys - smaller hanok packed close, still lived in.
• Tongin market - the tray-and-token stalls at its centre.
• Park No-soo's house - the painter's studio, now a gallery.
• The uphill lanes - views toward Inwangsan at the top.

When to go

April to June and September to November. Weekday afternoons are best. Many small shops close on Mondays and the market is quieter early.

Honest expectations

There is no single sight - it is a neighbourhood to walk, and people expecting a preserved village find it ordinary. It is residential: keep quiet in the lanes and do not photograph into houses.

Nearby

Gyeongbokgung is over the road; Bukchon and Insadong are east.