The National Folk Museum of Korea is located
within the grounds of the Gyeongbokgung Palace and uses replicas of historical
objects to illustrate the history of traditional life of the Korean people.
The museum has three main exhibition halls, with over
98,000 artifacts: History of Korean People features materials of everyday
life in Korea from prehistoric times to the end of the Joseon Dynasty in
1910; Korean Way of Life, which illustrates Korean villagers in ancient
times; and Life Cycle of the Koreans, which depicts the deep roots of Confucianism
in Korean culture and how this ideology gave rise to most of the culture's
customs.
The museum also features open-air exhibits, such as
replicas of spirit posts where villagers used to pray, stone piles for
worship, grinding mills, rice storage shelters and pits for kimchi pots.
Insa-dong is a neighborhood of the Jongno-gu district
of Seoul. The main street is Insadong-gil, which is connected to a multitude
of alleys that lead deeper into the district, with modern galleries and
tea shops. At one time it was the largest market for antiques and artworks
in Korea. Insadong-gil is well known as a traditional street to both locals
and foreigners and represents the culture of the past and the present.
It contains a mixture of historical and modern atmosphere and is a "unique
area of Seoul that truly represents the cultural history of the nation."
The majority of the traditional buildings originally belonged to merchants
and bureaucrats. Some larger residences, built for retired government officials
during the Joseon period, can also be seen. Most of these older buildings
are now used as restaurants or shops.
The area is well known for sightseeing, with approximately
100,000 visitors on Sundays reported in 2000. Insadong is also a visiting
spot for foreign dignitaries such as Queen Elizabeth II and the princes
of Spain and the Netherlands. It contains 40 percent of the nation's antique
shops and art galleries as well as 90 percent of the traditional stationery
shops. Particularly noteworthy is the oldest bookstore in Seoul, and the
oldest tea house. There are daily calligraphy demonstrations and pansori
dancing performances.
~ Wikipedia
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