Hanoks refer to houses built in the traditional Korean style. Today's hanoks are made with passed down wisdom of their ancestors. Hanoks are made using natural materials, such as wood and earth. Hanoks radiate with beauty from the curves of the eaves to the gorgeous Dancheong pattern.
In the past few years, there has been a revival of hanoks in Korea, and Hanoks remain everywhere in Incheon. An increasing number of people are choosing to stay in hanoks – they are rated as high-end, ‘trendy’ spaces, and even some dramas and movies are being shot in hanoks. There are also many museums, lodgings, and hanok cafes made from renovated hanoks. Let's go see a hanok and feel the tradition, culture and history associated with the area.
Recommended Travel Sites
Late Autumn vibes in Hanoks
Ganghwa Angelican Church was built in 1900 and is Korea's first hanok church building. The overall shape of the building is in a traditional hanok style, but the interior uses Western-style architecture, so you can feel the harmony of the East and the West. The Dosol Museum is a gallery and cafe hanok. You can enjoy high-quality exhibitions such as paintings, photos, and crafts, and you can enjoy a cup of tea while sitting in a hanok and enjoying the autumn scenery.
In addition, the Hanok Village in Songdo is surrounded with the high-rise buildings of Central Park, shows a unity of tradition and modernity. Walk in the gardens after eating in the restaurants at the Hanok Village. Just like Buyongji, the lotus pond at Changdeokgung Palace, which is always full of lotus flowers, Wolmi Park Traditional Garden, located in Jung-gu, is also a garden with a hanok, and these kind of gardens help you feel the beauty of Korean tradition.
※ Recommendation: Ganghwa-gun _ Ganghwa Angelican Church, Dosol Museum
/ Yeonsu-gu _ Songdo Hanok Village / Jung-gu _ Wolmi Traditional Park
Activities
Traditional Korean culture experience centers
Lotus Lantern International Meditation Center, located in Ganghwa Island, operates a variety of temple stay programs for foreigners such as one-day meditation, monk experience, and relaxation type, and there are several monks who can speak Korean and English. Jeondeungsa, the oldest temple in existence, also has a temple stay program for foreigners, where you can experience tea ceremony, temple pilgrimage, and meditation. Sochang is a natural cotton fabric used as diapers for children. It was once produced in Ganghwa Island, but now there are about 10 factories remaining that make Sochang. The Sochang Experience Center was initially a dyeing factory hanok built in 1938 and was renovated into the experience center. You can experience stamping a handkerchief and a traditional tea ceremony. Gyeongwonjae Ambassador Incheon in Songdo is a hanok hotel born at the fingertips of five Korean masters, and was selected as the best accommodation at the 2016 Korea Tourism Star Awards. You can take commemorative photos wearing hanbok with the hanok hotel in the background, and you can play traditional Korean games in the front yard of the hotel. Woninjae in Yeonsu-gu means the source of Incheon Lee clan, and is also guards the graveyard of Lee Heogyeom, the founder of Incheon Lee clan. Built in the early 19th century, it is a good place to look around and feel the beauty of a hanok. If you visit the Wolmi Cultural Center in Wolmi Park, you can try on the costumes of kings and queens of the Joseon Dynasty and traditional Korean wedding costumes. You can also experience making traditional rice cakes and gangjeong yourself.
※ Recommendation: Ganghwa-gun_ Lotus Lantern International Meditation Center,
Jeondeungsa Temple (Temple Stay), Ganghwa Yeonmijeong Village (Korean Cooking Class),
Sochang Experience Center (Sochang Craft, Tea Ceremony Experience)
/ Yeonsu-gu_Gyeongwonjae Ambassador Incheon (Hanbok Experience, Traditional Play),
Woninjae Won (Homage) / Jung-gu_Wolmi Cultural Center
Accommodation
Unique Traditional Korean house experience
Golden Grass in Ganghwa Island is an 80-year-old hanok lodge. In the front yard, there is a lawn that has been as carefully cultivated as the name of the house, and there is a Jangdokdae and a well, so you can feel the beauty of Korea traditional culture. Namchwidang's Hanok Story is a hanok inn built by the owner according to the traditional method, and is a hanok experience house designated by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism. A lot of attention was paid to the details so as not to be uncomfortable for travelers when they come to stay. In the evening, you can have a barbecue party, and rent bikes and board games.
Gyeongwonjae Ambassador Incheon is a 5-star hotel built in a hanok building. The appearance of a hanok hotel located in the midst of the modern high-rise buildings in Central Park is magnificent. Siwoojae, located in Yeonsu-gu, is an accommodation operated in a 120-year-old hanok. Although the building is old, it has been renovated in a modern style so there is no inconvenience in staying. Hotel Wolmi Inn in Wolmido is an inn operated in a building with a Hanok style design. The interior atmosphere is very beautiful, using modern interiors and traditional Korean furniture as props.
※ Recommendation: Ganghwa-gun _Golden Grass, Namchwidang
/ Yeonsu-gu _ Gyeongwonjae Ambassador Incheon, Siwoojae / Jung-gu_Hotel Wolmi Inn
Food
Relax with a cup of tea at a hanok café
The Cafe Driuni building in Ganghwado Island is a hanok with a quiet atmosphere. It has the traditional pattern of bars, pillars, and rafters that can only be seen in a hanok. The outside view seen through the window is very nice. At Daliswim Cafe, you can enjoy traditional tea, coffee and desserts. You can enjoy watching the sunset over the West Sea in a hanok.
The Huisosig Cafe is a hanok cafe that sells coffee, drinks, cakes, and cookies, and allow pets. Hollys Coffee Incheon Hanok Village, located in Songdo Central Park, operates a modern cafe inside a traditional hanok. The beauty of hanok is unique and harmonious among the high-rise buildings of the city center. Located in Dongincheon The Opening Port is a traditional wooden house-style cafe that has been renovated and operated in an old hanok house. When you enter the building, the'ㅁ'-shaped yard stands out.
※ Recommendation: Ganghwa-gun_Driuni, Daliswim Cafe, Huisosig
/ Yeonsu-gu_Hollys Coffee Incheon Hanok Village / The Opening Port
Shopping & Nightlife
Purchase special Incheon souvenirs
Hwamunseok and ginseng are special products of Ganghwa Island. Hwamunseok is a mat made in a traditional way, and ginseng is a traditional medicine used in oriental medicine. Hwamunseok can be purchased at Ganghwa Doryeong Hwamunseok, and you can also experience making Hwamunseok. If you visit the Ganghwa Folk Flea Market, you can purchase luxurious Hwamunseok and Ginseng. Gyeongwonjae Ambassador Incheon National Souvenir Store sells souvenirs designed luxuriously with traditional Korean patterns. You can purchase wallets, ballpoint pens, and envelope knives that can be used in real life. Open Port is a place that makes and sells souvenirs made from the Incheon open port area. It sells badges, key rings, and pendants made with the appearance of the port opening.
※ Recommendation: Ganghwa-gun _ Ganghwa Folk Flea Market, Ganghwa Doryeong Hwamunseok
/ Yeonsu-gu_ GyeongwonJae Ambassador Incheon (National Souvenir Center) / Jung-gu_ Incheon OpenPort