The streets surrounding Insadong are a treasure trove of craft shops, souvenirs, clothing, arts, pottery, lacquerware, ceramics, fans, signs as well as art galleries and eating establishments. The restaurants will set you back a bit though, and are hidden around side alleys and snake-like paths.
But there is truly an amazing atmosphere, a tranquil air to the place even when hordes of visitors descend upon it. You can amble along at your own pace, gazing at all the sights around you. Parades are often taking place there and you can catch sight of fabulous traditional dress, headresses, jewellery, horses and carriages and see re-enactments of historical events.
Throw in the street stalls and you're abounding in delights. Men and women wheel carts up and down the street, calling out to one and all to buy their wares - dried food, packets of tea, balloons, small plastic Korean flags, wooden massagers, T-shirts and more. One little man was playing an accordion on a bench in the sunshine, a big smile on his face.
The food stalls appeal to many, particularly the "hotteok" stall - warm grilled dough with molten brown sugar and cinnamon inside. Lovely and truly scrumptious!
Families are everywhere, ready for a bargain. Couple are aplenty, and old men playing games such as "Baduk" - a board game featuring black and white stones - in little side roads, usually sitting outside someone's shop or stall.
On rounding a corner, it's never certain what you are going to find. A small "park" area where an old theatre used to stand, and nowadays young males practice their taekwondo moves, women sit and chat wth a coffee, and small children chase each other with whoops and screams. Young couples hold cell phones out and take pictures of themselves together, and then move off slowly and languorously towards a shop.
The shops are quite astounding. There are the usual touristy objects that can be dismissed if you are more of a discerning customer. Upon closer inspection, particularly at the back of these craft shops, you'll find some hidden gems. Beautifully handpainted boxes inlaid with mother-of-pearl, and with fascinating scenes of birds and butterflies. Talking to the shop assistants, I was able to learn that these are symbols of luck. Red is also considered an extremely fortunate colour, and so many jewellery boxes and other lacquered products are red.
Insadong has to be one of my favourite places in Seoul - both as a getaway from work and as somewhere wonderful to go and be for a few hours.
Just down the road from Insadong is Tapgol park. It's a pleasant place to sit, being surrounded by trees, memorials and a stone tower. This park is important as on March 1st 1919, it was the place where the Declaration of Independence was recited and the people shouted their independence "hurray". The Koreans believe that the spirit of independence lives in Tapgol park due to it being the place of the independence movement. There are monuments and memorials to praise the independence movement, and there are statues of important men who were a part of the struggle.
In the centre of the park is Pal-Gak-Jung, which is an octagonal pavilion. It was used in times of old as a musical performance area for the Imperial household, but now it is a seating area for old men and women relaxing during the day. Sometimes young couples sit there, or men on their lunchbreak, whiling the time away with a good book. All remove their shoes before stepping up.
The most important feature of Tapgol park for me was the Wongak temple 10 level stone tower. It was constructed in 1465 and is 12 metres high. Each level has carvings of plants, animals and other wonders, plus Buddhist scriptures. The design looks distinctly Chinese, and must have been very much influenced by Chinese culture as at that time, Korea was one of many "tribute" countries bordering China. The Chinese protected Korea as long as the Joseon Kings accepted the Chinese Emperor's power. The Koreans had independence as long as they paid the tribute to China 3 or 4 times a year. This lasted a very long time, and this relationship with China meant that the Koreans relied too much on them for defence. As a result Korea was militarily backward, having neither the trained men nor the adequate equipment for fighting. When Japan defeated China in 1894, they also took Korea almost without any shots being fired.
At the very bottom of the ancient crumbling stone tower is the picture of a dragon. The tower is spectacular to look at, as unlike many palaces and temples which have been burned and then recently rebuilt, this is something truly old that has been preserved. However, in order to preserve it, the stone tower has been put inside a tall, wide, and ugly glass tower. It is very difficult to take a photo, especially if the sun is shining, and the glass somehow diminishes the tower's splendour. Nevertheless, it is an astounding piece of ancient architecture, and if there's a chance to see it, take it.
