South Korea - The Artsy Side Of Seoul

Hello there!

Having completed my earlier travel posts on several interesting countries and regions, including Japan, Maldives, Indonesia, US, Europe, New Zealand, Australia and United Kingdom, I was browsing through my photos to see where I should write about next.

And interestingly, I realised I haven't posted about Seoul, South Korea, despite having visited a few times. My first trip was in 1998 when my parents brought me overseas. Thereafter, I visited Seoul with friends back in 2019, and then last year 2025, and then last month in 2026, where I fell and injured myself. You can read more about it here.

Like the saying goes, you get back where you fall. So it's probably about time I write about my Seoul adventures. Starting from the 2019 one. Hehe.

Here's my earlier post(s) from this series!
South Korea - Discovering Seoul From Above
South Korea - Adventures At Lotte World
South Korea - Into The Underwater World At Lotte Aquarium
South Korea - We Go Gangnam Style

Aside for the bustling city and pop culture, Seoul has a lot to offer when it comes to arts and culture, especially when the country has a deep history for those who are aware. So I will be sharing two different and interesting places which showed the different side of Seoul and South Korea for me. And first up, that's Bukchon Hanok Village.

Bukchon Hanok Village is a residential area now, and the unique point that draws tourists to this place is the traditional houses. Over here, there are rows and rows of traditional houses, also known as hanok, and there are no skyscrapers or tall buildings, even though it's not far from the city actually!

The streets were narrow and the hike uphill was quite tiring at times. At times, I stood to rest and took some photos. In every photo, one could see many visitors taking photos, some in traditional costumes (which can be rented in shops nearby), and it was definitely an unique experience for each visitor.

So I will leave you to enjoy some of the photos that I took within the area!

The second place with an artsy and cultural element is Ssamziegil mall. It was a mall that sold many interesting and unique art and craft. But what struck was the design the building. Lots of greenery at the entrance which was pleasing to the eyes. When I entered the building, the colourful designs surprised me! It was so beautiful and it definitely complements with the shops over there. Even though the weather was hot, I had a fun time exploring the creativity of the shops and their handicrafts.

One of the more memorable ones was this. I am guessing it is supposed to be a penguin version of the Russian dolls toy. Hehe.

So that's all I have for my Seoul adventure! It's an interesting city and there's something for everyone, whether you are looking for arts, or cafes, or just shopping. For me, I have come to appreciate the convenience of cities and I always feel at ease travelling within the cities and that's why I have been returning Seoul once in a while. That said, I think I should also explore other parts of South Korea too.

And that's all I have today! Have you been to Seoul or South Korea? Let me know in the comments below!

Finally, thanks for reading my post in the community under World Map Pin!