Seochon (서촌) is one of the oldest neighborhoods of

Jongno-gu Bosingak bell pavilion Jongno District () is a district () in central Seoul, South Korea. It takes its name from a major local street, Jongno, which means "Bell Road". Characteristics Jongno District has been the center of the city for 600 ye ...

in northern

Seoul Seoul (; ; ), officially known as the Seoul Special City, is the Capital city, capital and largest metropolis of South Korea.Before 1972, Seoul was the ''de jure'' capital of the North Korea, Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea ...

South Korea South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and sharing a Korean Demilitarized Zone, land border with North Korea. Its western border is formed ...

. It translates as "West village" or "Western village" as it is west of the

Gyeongbok Palace Gyeongbokgung (), also known as Gyeongbokgung Palace or Gyeongbok Palace, was the main royal palace of the Joseon dynasty. Built in 1395, it is located in northern Seoul, South Korea. The largest of the '' Five Grand Palaces'' built by the Joseo ...

. It is also thought that the name could have derived from Mt Inwangsan as the mountain used to be called "Seosan" or "old mountain in the west." Seochon is traditionally associated with the

Joseon Joseon (; ; Middle Korean: 됴ᇢ〯션〮 Dyǒw syéon or 됴ᇢ〯션〯 Dyǒw syěon), officially the Great Joseon (; ), was the last dynastic kingdom of Korea, lasting just over 500 years. It was founded by Yi Seong-gye in July 1392 and ...

dynasty and

Korean literature Korean literature is the body of literature produced by Koreans, mostly in the Korean language and sometimes in Classical Chinese. For much of Korea's 1,500 years of literary history, it was written in Hanja. It is commonly divided into class ...

Boundaries

Seochon is located west of the

Gyeongbokgung Palace Gyeongbokgung (), also known as Gyeongbokgung Palace or Gyeongbok Palace, was the main royal palace of the Joseon dynasty. Built in 1395, it is located in northern Seoul, South Korea. The largest of the '' Five Grand Palaces'' built by the Joseo ...

, at the base of Mt. Inwangsan. The Seoul City Wall and the Sajik and Jahamun

subway Subway, Subways, The Subway, or The Subways may refer to: Transportation * Subway, a term for underground rapid transit rail systems * Subway (underpass), a type of walkway that passes underneath an obstacle * Subway (George Bush Intercontin ...

tunnels are the boundaries of the neighborhood. The neighborhood is composed of fifteen smaller neighborhoods called "dong." Seochon is located at 36° 39' 25.794'' N 127° 24' 4.3848'' E with an average elevation of 33.141 m / 108.732 feet.

Culture and traditions

Korean Korean may refer to: People and culture * Koreans, ethnic group originating in the Korean Peninsula * Korean cuisine * Korean culture * Korean language **Korean alphabet, known as Hangul or Chosŏn'gŭl **Korean dialects and the Jeju language ** ...

literature is filled with references to Seochon neighborhoods. While few original landmarks remain intact, the neighborhood contains many historical signs and is the birthplace of

King Sejong Sejong of Joseon (15 May 1397 – 8 April 1450), personal name Yi Do ( Korean: 이도; Hanja: 李祹), widely known as Sejong the Great ( Korean: 세종대왕; Hanja: 世宗大王), was the fourth ruler of the Joseon dynasty of Korea. Initi ...

. Traditionally, the area is of great significance to shamanists and

geomancy Geomancy (Greek: γεωμαντεία, "earth divination") is a method of divination that interprets markings on the ground or the patterns formed by tossed handfuls of soil, rocks, or sand. The most prevalent form of divinatory geomancy in ...

, partially due to its proximity to the

Inwangsan Inwangsan is a mountain with a height of 338 meters, located in Jongno-gu and Hongje-dong, Seodaemun-gu, central areas of Seoul, South Korea. The name literally means "mountain of generous king" in Korean. The mountain covers an area of 1,086,69 ...

mountain. The neighborhood also contains the

Seoul Sajikdan The Sajikdan is a Korean Neo-Confucian altar located in Seoul, South Korea used to perform the national soil and grain ceremoniesJongmyo shrines, along with the Gyeongbok palace. Protected historical landmarks in the neighborhood also include a cluster of over 600

hanok A ''hanok'' () is a traditional Korean house. ''Hanok'' were first designed and built in the 14th century during the Joseon dynasty. Korean architecture considers the positioning of the house in relation to its surroundings, with thought giv ...

, the

Yi Sang Kim Hae-Gyeong ( hangul: 김해경, hanja: 金海卿, September 23, 1910 – April 17, 1937), also known as his pen name Yi Sang ( hangul: 이상, hanja: 李箱) was a writer and poet who lived in Korea under Japanese rule. He is well-known ...

and Yi Sangbeom Houses, and the Pak No-soo House in

Ogin-dong Ogin-dong (옥인동) is a '' dong'' (neighbourhood) of Jongno-gu in Seoul, South Korea. It is a legal dong (법정동 ), administered under its administrative dong (행정동 ), Hyoja-dong, of which it covers the westernmost part, until the f ...

, which was recently restored and opened as th
Pak No-soo Art Museum

Tongin Market

Located in

Hyoja-dong Hyoja-dong is a '' dong'', neighbourhood of Jongno-gu in Seoul, South Korea South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and sharing a Korean ...

, the Tongin Market dates back to 1941 when Korea was still under

Japanese Japanese may refer to: * Something from or related to Japan, an island country in East Asia * Japanese language, spoken mainly in Japan * Japanese people, the ethnic group that identifies with Japan through ancestry or culture ** Japanese diaspor ...

rule. After the

Korean War {{Infobox military conflict , conflict = Korean War , partof = the Cold War and the Korean conflict , image = Korean War Montage 2.png , image_size = 300px , caption = Clockwise from top: ...

, the market grew, and stalls in the market grew in demand. The market now contains over 70 stores, including several restaurants and a grocery store for tourists.

Landmarks

Sajik Park

Sajik Park was designed in the

Choseon Dynasty Joseon (; ; Middle Korean: 됴ᇢ〯션〮 Dyǒw syéon or 됴ᇢ〯션〯 Dyǒw syěon), officially the Great Joseon (; ), was the last dynastic kingdom of Korea, lasting just over 500 years. It was founded by Yi Seong-gye in July 1392 and r ...

era and opened to the public in 1922. It was built for worshiping the Earth and harvest gods and is one of the oldest parks in Seoul.

Tongui-dong

Tongui-dong Tongui-dong is a '' dong'', neighbourhood of Jongno-gu in Seoul, South Korea South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and sharing a Korea ...

is a neighbourhood in Seochon. During the Joseon Dynasty, High court officials walked through this place to go to work, and merchants and craftsmen set up shops there. It was also the home of several famous historical figures, including the painters Yi Jung-seop and Yi Sang-beom and the poets Yun Dongju and

Daelim Contemporary Art Museum

The Daelim Contemporary Art Museum is located in the residential area of Tongui-dong, and is near the Gyeongbokgung Palace. The Daelim Museum began as a photography museum, eventually widening its scope to include design and a wide range of other art fields.

The National Palace Museum of Korea

The National Palace Museum of Korea has a large collection of art and objects from the palaces of the

Joseon Dynasty Joseon (; ; Middle Korean: 됴ᇢ〯션〮 Dyǒw syéon or 됴ᇢ〯션〯 Dyǒw syěon), officially the Great Joseon (; ), was the last dynastic kingdom of Korea, lasting just over 500 years. It was founded by Yi Seong-gye in July 1392 and ...

era. The Museum attempts to raise the public's knowledge of the artistic and cultural legacy of the Joseon Dynasty through its various exhibitions and educational programs.

References

External links

{{coord missing, South Korea Neighbourhoods of Jongno-gu Tourist attractions in Seoul