At the Bukchon Traditional Cultural Center, I found this nice striking red flower at the cozy garden that caught my attention.
One of the sculptures at the vicinity of Bukchon Hanok Village
Beautifully curved tiles
While wandering around, I bumped into this Hanok style tea house and gallery
Amazing looking tree at the Bukchon Hanok Village residential area.
One of the wooden doors in Bukchon Hanok Village
The picturesque alleys of bricks wall in this residential area are narrow since the olden days.
Well maintained plants at the alleys
The designs of Bukchon Hanok Village are still well-maintained and give privacy to the residents here. There’s no way I can peek what are beyond the door inside. But no worry, there are few Hanok-style guesthouses for visitors who wish to serve as a getaway to escape the busy city life and seeking a quiet, traditional setting to rest and relax. The cheapest single occupancy room cost around 35,000won per night.
Feel relaxed with the tradition ambience, I continued my 20 minutes stroll to Daehangno, a street of filled with youngsters, art sculptures and theaters. On top of that, a university is also located here. It’s a good place for people watching. There are numerous cafes and pubs with beautiful exteriors and unique interior designs that offer wide range of food varieties.
If I’m not wrong, Daehangno is one of Seoul cultural district. Correct me if I’m wrong.
The slightly shorter statue of Gandalf of Lord of the Rings outside the cinema
On weekend, Maronnier Park and its surroundings turn into a performance stage for young talents. The outdoor stage at Maronnier Park is open at all times, but too bad, there’s no performance on that day. As I walk along the street, I saw many groups of youngster promoting and selling performance tickets, by setting up a simple temporary booth consists only a table and few chairs.
One of the theaters building near Maronnier Park.
Art sculptures scattered around Daehangno
Since the weather is cool, I decided to take a walk back to Insadong and visit a nearby temple called Jogyesa Temple. Upon reaching Insadong, I saw a mobile van blasting loud music and a group of voluntary dancers dancing with their dedicated colour attire. Guess what, it’s an election campaign for the next Seoul presidential post. The contestant will either give speech or play their recorded speech. If I remembered correctly, there were nine contestants fighting for this presidential post.
What amused me was; the Korean will even dance along with dancers. I guess this is a healthy way of campaigning. Unlike other countries, banners and posters all around, de-beautified the town.
After enjoying the so-called street performance, I headed to a nearby temple called Jogyesa Temple, which is a center for Zen Buddhism in Korea. Since there’s no gate, this temple is opened throughout the year and the admission is free.
In front of the Daeungjeon, the main temple building is a 500 years old baeksong tree. The temple is built in 1938.
Stone statue of a Buddha
The exterior of the temple building is painted with colourful painting
A seven storey stone pagoda in front of the main temple building
A bell pavilion
Buddha statue inside the main temple building
Not too sure why this dummy post is here.
As I walked along the street around Jogyesa Temple heading back to my hotel nearby, there are many Buddhist specialty shops that sell things like prayer beads, Buddhist writings, incense, monk attires, as well as souvenirs.
