Yangnyeongsi Herbal Medicine Market

Yangnyeongsi opened in 1658 as one of the official herb markets the Joseon court established to collect medicinal material as tribute, and it has traded on the same ground ever since - which makes it one of the oldest continuously operating medicine markets anywhere. The quarter is a few streets of wholesalers and clinics: sacks and drawers of dried roots, bark, fungus, seeds and antler, weighing scales, and the smell, which is the thing everyone remembers and which carries down the whole block. A free museum on the street sets out the history of the market and of Korean herbal medicine, with a room where you can try the scent jars and a hanbang foot bath. An autumn festival brings demonstrations and a street market. Whatever is claimed for the goods across the counter is commerce, not medical advice - for anything to do with your own health, that belongs with a clinician.

What you actually see

• The wholesale streets - drawers and sacks of dried medicinal material.
• The smell - the defining feature of the quarter.
• The free museum - the market's history and the scent room.
• The autumn festival - demonstrations and a street market.

When to go

Any season; autumn for the festival. Weekday mornings are when the wholesalers actually trade. Many shops close on Sundays.

Honest expectations

This is a working trade district, not a visitor attraction, and English is scarce. We do not offer any view on herbal remedies and nothing here should be read as health guidance - take medical questions to a qualified practitioner.

Nearby

Seomun market, Kim Gwangseok street and the Modern History Street tour are close.