The strong rain and wind has been going at it for the past several days, and only getting stronger by the day. But I know for a fact that if I go downtown, I’d still see more than a few tourists going around, umbrellas and raincoats in tow, doing all the touristy things visitors do when they come here. I can relate. I’ve been to several places where the weather was not at its best, but that did not stop me from exploring what I can of it. Like that time we went to Insadong, strong lashing rain and all.
After managing to walk ourselves out of the Bukchon Hanok Village, we followed the road signs and the walking map in our hands, and proceeded to Insadong, which is several minutes away if you walk. It was drizzling, and we thought of taking the subway, but then it was just one stop away. so we decided to walk.
And then it just… poured.
In fact, it was pouring so hard, we had no choice later on but to purchase another umbrella because sharing the only one we had was not much protection any longer. It was also quite difficult to find your way around if you’re trying to stay relatively dry at the same time, so it took several turns and roundabouts before we found the place we were aiming for.
But before, that, welcome to Insadong.
There is a reason why many tours recommend packing Sinchon, Samcheongdong, Bukchon Hanok Village, and Insadong in one day. Of course, if you’re the type of check and savor everything leisurely, you may find a day to be insufficient.
Insadong is considered to be one of the more vibrant and culturally colorful parts of Seoul. This richness in culture and history is the primary reason why foreigners and international visitors flock to this neighborhood.
Considering its proximity to the Five Grand Palaces and the equally colorful and historical Samcheongdong and Bukchon, that comes as no surprise. Just like Samcheongdong, Insadong has a wealth of coffee shops, restaurants and dining places, and specialty or novelty stores.
What is noticeable, however, is that Insadong has lots more stores that offer shopping opportunities. So yes, it can be considered a bit of a tourist trap.
And then there are the art galleries. Lots more of them around here. So from art pieces to antiques, there’s bound to be more than a few of those spots here in Insadong.
Apparently the most famous one is the Hakgojae Gallery, which also functions as a folk art center, and the Gana Art Center. I’m not sure we passed by those, but we did see the Insa Art Center.
At one point the rain was pouring so hard that we took shelter in the front of a commercial building until it somehow eased a bit, then continued walking to our destination.
But before that, we decided to go inside the O’Sulloc Tea House in Insadong. (Oh, and did I mention that there are also numerous tea houses, apart from cafes, in Insadong?)
O’Sulloc is one of the most renowned brands and largest producer of tea in South Korea, more specifically green tea. Their farms and the original tea museum are located in Jeju, and is inarguably one of the more frequented places for tourists.
Alas, on both times I went to Jeju, I wasn’t able to go there, (And I tell myself that is one of the many reasons for me to go back. Yes. *fistpumps*)
Insadong is home to many hidden gems and hole-in-the-wall dining places, coffee shops, restaurants and tea houses, you’d be spoiled for choices. In fact, as we passed by some alleyways, we managed to get glimpses of interesting dining places hidden in alleyways and then up narrow stairs to somewhere~
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Souvenir stores abound in this area, ergo the tourist trap bit.
It’s very tempting, to say the least, to score any of these souvenirs. But we kept reminding ourselves that buying souvenirs is not on the agenda, and we don’t want to be carrying much stuff around as we still expect to go to a couple of other places after this, and we were still hoping that some of these same items will be cheaper at the market in Namdaemun.
So we made do with just “window-shopping” and feasting our eyes at all the offerings.
Rog was on the lookout for those stainless steel rice bowls with cover, and cutlery. I don’t quite remember how much the price was, but I know for sure that spoon and fork sets were cheaper at Namdaemun for several thousand Korean wons than here.
So yeah, if you’re going to purchase souvenir items in bulk, you might want to try looking around at the markets first before considering buying from Insadong.
Those socks, though.
I can totally see tourists buying these Gangnam Style print foot socks. The locals? Not so much.
In Samcheongdong, we passed by a number of small boutiques housing local brands for apparel, particularly women’s fashion. There are also several of them here, and dang, they all look so colorful and inviting!
Finally, we got to our destination, the ones we targeted from the beginning: Ssamziegil.
Ssamziegil is basically a commercial complex in the heart of Insadong. Many describe it to be an “Insadong within Insadong”, because within that space seems to be an amalgam of all the things you will find in the greater Insadong area.
This building was the place we went around in circles, looking for. We ended up asking a couple of store keepers along the way how to get to Ssamziegil, and they very kindly gave directions. The first time, we totally failed to follow the instructions given to us. The second time was a charm, and we found it.
Considering the architecture of Ssamziegil, it also counts as one of the art and cultural centers in Insadong. It is square, and occupies close to 43,000 square feet.
From outside, it looks unique yet nondescript, but things get more interesting when you go past the entrance. You see, it utilizes and open air concept, with the middle practically open to the sky. On the side is a walkway that wraps around the square building in a spiraling fashion.
So as you walk up the walkway (no stairs, except from the ground floor to the 2nd floor), and if you continue walking you will end up on the fourth and top floor.
Over 70 shops that offer everything from the cute to the unique and edgy line the sides of the building as you walk up. Like these cat-themed curio items. So cute~!!
What caught our eyes, however, was this small shop that sells tiny cactus plants in tiny pots. Some of these cacti are even enclosed in a clear plastic tube which you can hang from a piece of string and wear as a pendant.
We came back to this shop and bought several of these miniature cacti plants (so small, they are only as big as my thumb. So cute!).
The shop name is emotipot, and you can check out their website www.emotipot.com. And their Facebook page.
It is called emotipot because “emotion + pot – emotipot”. Or so their card says.
Finally we arrived at the top floor, where you can check out the Sky Garden. On a clear day, you’d be able to enjoy the clear sky with a view of the area surrounding Ssamziegil, since it is open air.
This section had these round plastic things filled with messages and then hung on the wall. It seems it follows the concept of the love locks and messages at Namsan Tower (check out my blogs about my first visit and my second visit).
For a fee (I forgot how much, but I think somewhere between 1,000 to 2,000 KRW, you can purchase one of these round things, write something – anything – then hang them up.
We just took pictures, haha!
It is also here where the food places are, and if you can spot something on the “menu” down below?
No? You don’t see those shapes?
Yes, ladies and gentlemen, that’s what we came here for, to be honest. To check out the Ddong Cafe.
You might recognize if better by its English name, the Poop Cafe.
But I will stop here, because I am dedicated a separate post to Poop Cafe. Because it deserves it. 🙂
If you’re the artsy fartsy type, but you want a more laidback atmosphere when it comes to art appreciation, then Insadong is probably right up your alley. Or if you simply want to check out shops with unique novelty items, you can lose yourself in the motley of curio shops and boutiques that dot the streets of Insadong, not just inside Ssamziegil.
This place has something for everyone to enjoy, and don’t let the sky opening up and crying buckets of ruthless tears tell you otherwise.
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