Celebrating Chuseok @ Namsangol Hanok Village

What could be more fun than having outdoor activities in the holiday season like this?

We searched on the internet and bumped into an info from Korea Tourism Organization that some parks or palaces around Korea were having lots of Chuseok-theme activities for anyone to enjoy.

So, we decided to go to Hanok Village which was just a 30-minute ride by subway. After getting off at Chungmuro station, we were glad to have decided to come here.

Why? our kids loved it.

First: there were varieties of first-hand experiences for children to take park in. There were traditional Korean kite making, sculpture making, Korean mask making, etc. The one that attracted Eyra and Freya was the kite-making activity.

After paying 8,000 Won for two, they were ready to make their own first kite of its kind.

They glued and tied them up all by themselves.

Of course, parents supervised them..^^

The colorful kites seemed to have captured Eyra's creativity. 

In the chilling temperature (for us^^) of around 15 degree Celsius, the children were happy and seemed not to care of its surrounding...but to glued themselves into what they were making.

Tatatata......It's done.! They were so amazed at how things worked. They did it by themselves and they were just impatient of flying their kites off into the sky.^^

Aha....I knew it, Eyra and Freya chose the color and pictures of their favorite, ducks and dolphin.

It was a good thing that the sky was blue and that lots of things to do and see where just right there.

Afterwards, we went into several traditional houses available in the complex. Eyra learned about how things worked in the traditional Korean houses. Her Mom was just as curious as Eyra was.^^

This is pretty much how the house looked. Lots of visitors thronged into the house to take a closer look at it.See the white tent? I just learned that some Chuseok-related ceremonies were held in the morning.:( oh, no.... Had we known about it.

Still, it did not hamper or dampen our spirit of enjoying our time there. After all, there were other things to do and see inside Hanok Village. See the tteok that Mom was holding? We just bought it and ready to eat it...on the spot.

Eyra loved the green and yellow ones. She kept eating and munching the glutinous tteok.

One of the interesting things about this Hanok village is that it is located right at the center of the city (see the Namsan Tower?) that makes it accessible through varied means of transportation. So, we would take the  kids here again to learn more about this. 

Pose@! Action! 

Oops..it was getting dark.

But...we haven't seen all. So, let's go and start exploring...

Off we went to circle around another house. The Hanok village indeed offers to its visitors a rare chance of seeing authentic Korean traditional houses right in the middle of the city. Sky scrappers that dotted the village seemed to be the striking contrast of how modern and traditional legacies could exist at the same time and space.

While happily clutching her self-made kite, Eyra was happy to tag us along into the journey of learning or at least admiring the beauty of Korean traditional house/architecture.

Freya, too, was seen clutching her kite and her Mom was busy taking pictures into the interior of the house. 

I love the chimney (that's what I think it is...though I am not so sure)^^ Gosh, I wish there'd been some guide telling us what that was.^^

Anyone knows what those Chinese characters say? Hmm..wish I knew.

Freya:"Daddy, could you take my picture, please?"

* *Oh, sure, Honey..^^

Mom: "Me, too, please....^^"

**Oh...well, okay^^

This kind of stone-wall is typical of Korean wall. Well, I am not sure about it myself. But, judging from the fact that I found it at many other places, I think it could be it.

The red & blue lanterns hanging above were another typical Korean festivity-must have items.

*.* Have a Great Holiday*-*

Seoul Millennium Time Capsule (Part 8)

Seoul Millennium Time Capsule is located inside the complex of Namsangol Hanok Village.

To celebrate the 600-year anniversary of the appointment of Seoul as the capital city of Korea, a specially designed ceremony was held in 1994. 600 items representing Seoul and the lives of its citizens were buried in a capsule; the capsule is scheduled to be opened on November 29, 2394, which will be the 1000-year anniversary of the appointment of Seoul as the capital.

Interestingly, there were several mayors of other major cities in the World, including Jakarta, who attended the ceremony and signed a special note of congratulation to the city of Seoul. If I am not mistaken, the representative from Jakarta was Mr. Surjadi Soedirdja. 

Others came from Tokyo, Bogota, Paris, Istanbul, and other cities that have Sister City agreement with Seoul. Each of the mayor's words are carved on the cover of the time capsule as seen on the picture.

Hmmm…I wonder what the future people of Seoul would think about its city when they open the time capsule in the year 2394!!!! I think it is a great idea.!

Fact: Lots of CD, DVD, microfiche are stored inside the capsule. Even, an instruction  or manual on how to open the time capsule is also included. It sounds so science-fiction like, Yet..it is a fact. 

Namsangol Hanok Village <남산골 한옥마을> part 7

En route to the rear gate of the village....

 I was so intrigued to take a picture while lying myself on the green plain terrace of neatly trimmed lawn where the Seoul Tower shooting up beyond. 

Actually, I was not supposed to be inside the lawn….but I was so tempted to take myself into jeopardy should I be caught by the CCTV…which I am sure I was--. At least, it was a relief that I managed to lay myself on the green lawn and my friend, Jobirson, took a quick snap of me being there. 

What an experience!

Isn’t that worth-it? (at least, I would say it isJ). 
A special token of nostalgia from the Hanok Village

Namsangol Hanok Village <남산골 한옥마을> part 6

A Blend of Old and New, that would be how I describe it.

One striking visage that I would not definitely miss to catch was the contrasting view of blend between Korean high-rise buildings and its traditional ones.

That is all the more reason why I deliberately took these snaps.
Isn’t it captivating to be in the place like this?

Well, maybe not..for some. But, as for me, it was indeed a view worth-saving for. Simply loved it.

Namsangol Hanok Village <남산골 한옥마을> part 5

 I was eating the tteok that I got from the dorm while taking a rest in one of the houses. What is more intriguing than try pretending to eat the original tteok the way the nobles used to eat back then, i.e. right on the veranda of the house itself. Hmmm….

I don't know what flower it is, yet..I thought it was worth-capturing. Oh, t took me some time to take this pic since I got to wait until no one was around or passing through the gate...:) I did it anyway!!!









A better angle where I could shoot the rooftop as well. It was cloudy and drizzling. Wish the sky was blue!

After strolling along the relatively huge complex, I managed to take another pic of the house, too. I love the ones with flowers blooming that would unmistakenly represent the Korean traditional house.  

Namsangol Hanok Village <남산골 한옥마을> part 4

Now comes the serious ones:

I was entering several complexes of houses that from what I learned were the real houses of Korean nobles. This is what I least I learned from those: some of the houses were those of past nobles.

Some are those of a carpenter named Yi Seungeop who used to live in Samgak-dong; a noble named Gim Chunyeong whose house is now restored and relocated into this village; a house of Min Family, Yun Taekyeong and Yun Family.

From what I learned, they used to be built in the late 19^th century and the first 20^th century. Most of them did resemble the façade of what Koreans used to be in those eras. It is indeed interesting to see them intact like these, though it was said that actually two third of the houses were actually gone. Hmmm….too bad.

Anyway, as usual, I got a chance to take pictures in some of the house vicinities and at the rear end of them. While others portrayed the kitchen, studying room, and the halls, I did not take a snap of most of the houses. 

Anyway, the houses are mostly having simple architectural design, but what caught my attention were the decorative pillars and rooftops that I think only the upper class people could afford to build them.

Still, what lingered on my mind was the simplest fact that these traditional houses were right in the middle of Metropolitan Seoul, which I am sure…would give them an advantage of being visited regularly by the locals and tourist alike. They would surely learn a bit or more about Korea’s past. I envy this…because the big Metropolitan of Seoul managed to secure this location as the sanctuary of these houses. The enclave in itself is all the more attractive.

Namsangol Hanok Village <남산골 한옥마을> part 3

Before I knew, I was already enjoying the diverse traditional games of Korean people/children back then; the diverse old lifestyle of Korean people back then; and other that I would not dare to even try.

 

I also caught a glimpse of two (three) girls dressed in Korean traditional costumes playing a traditional Korean see-saw called Nol-Ttwigi . Unlike the usual see-saw that most people know where riders sit atop either side of the see-saw, nol-ttwigi participants stand on their side, then jump up, forcing their partner into the air on the opposite side. 

This game is popular among females, usually during traditional holidays and festivals, just like Chuseok that I was into yesterday. I think it was fun, I mean...it looked fun and easy...but...most of us who tried on it....did not even jump higher than 10 cm!!!! It is as easy as it looks.

I had also noticed that lots of other Korean traditional games were displayed. Yut (four sticks game)..where I could see the huge sticks scattered among the floor. It looked fun as well.

This one is called hmmm...let me think....I think...it is...ooops I forgot what it is called. hehehe

hmm...oh oh...I know..it is Tuho...Yes...that's what it is. We stand on the line then throw the sticks into the small barrel. good luck with that. I found it quite difficult :) 

Then, on another lot of the festivals, I saw a kite-making booth where parents and their children could have a chance to try their skills in making Korean traditional kites called yeon (연). 

The colorful pictures put on the kites were what made them distinctive.  

Namsangol Hanok Village <남산골 한옥마을> part 2

I was a bit excited since I’ve been to this kind of place before. But, it turned out that it offered so many other things I never tried before. First, I was lured to try take a picture with a draped figurines out of Korean drama. Some people (or most I guess) did try squeeze their faces into the small hole that would fit enough for their visage to represent the figurines in place.
I never thought that many people would try on it. I did not.

I was more intrigued by the chance of taking a picture with Seoul Tower beyond as the background.

 Oh oh...I saw jipsin or Korean traditional sandals made of straws! They were interestingly woven and would you just look at the colorful little ones.
Aren’t they just cute?

 And...do you see the ones above them? They are so big that I think 3 people can fit into those:) I think it was just made for a mere fun:)

So, here I was.

I was carrying a traditional backpack that farmers used to carry on their back. I think it is called 지게 (jige).

I did try on it which turned out to be a bit heavier than I thought it would be. Hmm, indeed, it was a new experience for me.

This one looks pretty awkward on me. Well, no harm trying, though. I tried to show off how heavy it actually was. Instead, I put a grin on my face. Well, just for an act of taking picture, that's why.

This picture shows my friend, Jobirson, and me taking a picture in front of the straw handicrafts or household utensils used by Koreans in the past.

This one shows Jobirson showing us an egg holder/keeper made of straw. How cute and inventive is that! 

Never knew this before. J