Insadong

One of Seoul’s more famous tourist spots, Insadong is an area where traditional streets selling souvenirs (antiques, books, paintings, ceramics, traditional clothing, as well as modern nic nacks) sit in the midst of Seoul’s busy central districts, and provide an interesting alternative to the hustle and bustle of the city. Art galleries and traditional tea houses add to the interest of the area.

Insa-dong aims to please - getting off the subway up to the beginning of the main street is easy, and finding the main street requires no grey matter whatsoever. In case you're wondering what 'dong' means, the closest meaning would be 'ward' or 'district'. Therefore, Insadong is 'the district of Insa' or 'the ward of Insa' - a local government unit servicing a given geographic area within a much larger city.

Although Insadong has the reputation for being touristy, you’ll still find many Koreans out enjoying the sights and fresh air, although most of them pass right by the obvious souvenir stands in favour of the craft stores or restaurants.