I've been wanting to visit Samcheong-dong since my 1st trip to Korea this year, yet I didn't find the time to do so. I was told that it is a charming area with nice cafes, restaurants and lovely shops scattered along the street.
Bukchon Hanok Village and some palaces are also located in the same area.
Somehow, I managed to venture there by squeezing out some time at night. Sadly, it was dark and I couldn't see the beauty of the many artistic and interesting buildings in their full glory. It was enough though to see that the shops have their own distinctive character and unique charm.
It's also interesting to see new and old traditional buildings side by side and how they seem to sit so well together.
And if you walk into the alleys, you'll discover more shops. It made me feel like I was on a treasure hunt.
With the many cool cafes and restaurants around, we easily found a Korean restaurants for dinner.
I asked for the recommended dishes and was told that we have to try their Traditional Korean Meal. And oh, what a spread it was!
I must say it was really 맛있어요 (delicious)!
The rice was prepared in a special way; it was served with oysters! So good that I could even eat it on its own, 진짜요 (really)! I had a really hearty meal that night in Samcheong-dong. =)
One of the shops I really love there was Accessory Kitchen. I bought myself a ring and a scarf from there as keepsake.
If I were to visualize what my ICING Accessories would look if we were to have a retail store of our own. This would be very close to it. Moreover, the brand colour is green! In almost the same shade as ICING's and it's my favourite colour! Yipee!
The only drawback about Samcheong-dong is the slight difficulty in locating it. We were walking for a while not knowing whether we were on the right track or not. Thankfully, the directions given by a passer-by was easy to follow.
If you exit from Exit 1 of Anguk station (green circle in map), just turn your right and walk straight all the way. In about 5 mins, Gwanghwamun Gate will come into sight. Once you see it, just turn to your right and walk for another 5 - 10mins.
At the end of Samcheong-dong gil, the road will split into 2 and just keep to the right one (follow the purple arrow) that'll lead you into Samcheong-dong.
I've also uploaded how the view of Gwanghwamun Gate looks like from the 2 streets that intersect. If you want a clearer map, just drop me a note here.
On a positive note, there's many art galleries and interesting shops from Anguk Station to Samcheong-dong.
It's indeed one of life's little pleasures to enjoy a a cool autumn night, appreciating artistic creations as I take a stroll down the streets.
Posts
