Seongbuk-dong Collectors' Hill
A temple, a 1938 museum and a scholar's hanok
≈1.3 km · ≈20 min walking · Hilly · Seongbuk-gu · Start: Hansung University station · End: Hansung University station
A leafy hillside of embassies and old houses. Start at a temple that was once a famous restaurant, pass Korea's first private museum and end in the hanok home of an art historian.
Stops
- Gilsangsa Temple (길상사(서울))
Once Daewongak, a grand restaurant of the 1970s. Its owner gave it to the monk Beopjeong, and it became a temple in 1997. Calm wooded grounds. - Kansong Art Museum (간송미술관(서울 보화각))
Bohwagak (1938), Korea's first private museum, built by the collector Jeon Hyeong-pil to keep national treasures in Korean hands. It opens for seasonal exhibitions. - Choi Sunu House (최순우 옛집)
The 1930s urban hanok where the art historian Choi Sunu lived, saved by the National Trust of Korea. A small courtyard garden with his study kept as it was.
Best time: Spring or autumn, Tuesday to Saturday. Take a taxi or the temple shuttle up, then walk downhill.
Tips
- Choi Sunu House usually opens from April to November, Tuesday to Saturday.
- Check Kansong's dates before you go: it is open only during exhibitions.
Access
Seongbuk-dong sits on a steep hillside. Gilsangsa Temple is at the top of a long climb, and paths inside the temple have steps.