Start Off 2017 in Seoul!

Start Off 2017 in Seoul!

Welcome in the New Year and Celebrate the Lunar New Year in Seoul

2017 has dawned, and the Lunar New Year is fast approaching! The holiday is one of Korea's most important events, and there will be festivities taking place all over the city. Spend January in Seoul and make memories with cool cultural events, delicious warm food, and unique Seoul experiences.
 

Lunar New Year Celebrations in Seoul

(Source: Visit Seoul Net)

Lunar New Year is one of Korea's most important holidays. The Lunar New Year takes place on January 1st of the lunar calendar, and this year the holiday falls on January 28th. The holiday period this year will start on January 27th and last until January 30th which means that Koreans will be able to enjoy a four-day weekend. Although each household celebrates the holiday differently, the central element of the celebration revolves around spending time with one's immediate and extended families, eating tteokguk (sliced rice cake soup), and holding a memorial ceremony for one's ancestors. Many families will also play traditional folk games during the Lunar New Year. Tourists who would like to take part in Korean Lunar New Year activities in Seoul can go to celebrations that will be open to the public and taking place at several Seoul locations.

At Namsangol Hanok Village, the concept of this year's holiday event is a feast at homes of noblemen. Visitors will be able to tour five homes of Korean noblemen while enjoying Lunar New Year festivities. There will be folk games, traditional arts performances, and free tteokguk for visitors to enjoy. Furthermore, there will fun activities such as writing wish notes and making crafts. The Seoul Baekje Museum will also hold celebrations and visitors can play folk games such as jegi chagi (a game similar to playing hackey sack) or tuho (throwing sticks into a container). There will also be performances of folk songs and traditional Korean instruments to enjoy. Lunar New Year only happens once a year, so be sure to enjoy the holiday in 2017, or you will have to wait for next year!

More Info

Namsangol Hanok Village

Event Date & Time : Jan. 28th and 29th, 2017 / 11:00-17:00

Address & Directions : 28 Toegye-ro 34-gil, Jung-gu, Seoul / Chungmuro Station (subway lines 3, 4) exit 4, roughly 5 min. away on foot

Website (Korean) : https://www.hanokmaeul.or.kr/

Seoul Baekje Museum

Event Date & Time : Jan 29th and 30th, 2017 / 13:00-17:00

Address & Directions : 71 Wiryeseong-daero, Songpa-gu, Seoul / Mongchontoseong Station (subway line 8) exit 1, roughly 5 min. away on foot

Website : http://baekjemuseum.seoul.go.kr/
 

Warm Your Body and Soul in Seoul

January is the coldest month of the year in Korea, so tourists and locals alike will be looking for ways to stay warm. Fortunately, there are plenty of ways to keep away the cold in Seoul! Warm both body and mind at these locations in Seoul.

Solgaheon looks like a beautiful house from the outside, but it's actually a healing cafe. The scent of pine fills the space and visitors can enjoy traditional Korean tea with relaxing experiences such as a healing foot bath or moxibustion. Both the foot bath and moxibustion are beneficial to one's circulation, relieving fatigue, and even has health benefits. Foot bath tubs are located both indoors and outdoors. Visitors who opt for the indoors can enjoy their foot bath in a cozy room, and those who opt for the outdoor tub will be able to enjoy the bright blue skies. The water for the bath is very hot as it's said that heat of the water will aid in circulation. A traditional herbal essence, specifically chosen for each visitor, will be added to the hot bathwater in order to further enhance the benefits of the foot bath. While at Solgaheon, patrons can also order a variety of light dishes and cookies. The dotori pizza is a stand-out dish; it's made with healthy acorn flour and served with a generous topping of vegetables.

Food is a great way to warm yourself during the winter months. It's hard to go wrong with soup, and a healthy, delicious Korean dish is samgye-tang (ginseng chicken soup. Samgye-tang is best known to Koreans as a summer food. In Korea, hot foods are often eaten in the summer months and it's thought that the heat of the food neutralizes the heat of the summer. However, samgye-tang is also an ideal winter food as it's full of protein and served piping hot. The two primary ingredients are a whole chicken and ginseng. The chicken and ginseng are cooked together in a pot along with several additional ingredients. The additional ingredients vary by region and personal preference; they can include ingredients as varied as mung beans, perilla, medicinal herbs and abalone. Fusion versions of samgye-tang may be prepared with more novel ingredients. Fight back against the winter's cold temperatures with hot, delicious samgye-tang!

More Info

Solgaheon

Address & Directions : 150-4 Changdeokgung-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul / Anguk Station (subway line 3) exit 3, roughly 8 min. away on foot

Hours of Operation : 11:00-21:00 (closed Mondays)

Telephone : +82-2-738-3366

Tasty Samgye-tang Restaurants

Madang Neoreun Jib

Address & Directions : 3-4 Naksan-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul / Hyehwa Station (subway line 4) exit 2, roughly 5 min. away on foot

Hours of Operation : 10:00-22:00, Saturdays 10:00-22:00

Telephone : +82-2-3675-3838

Gangwon Jeong

Address & Directions : 13-10 Wonhyo-ro 89-gil, Yongsan-gu, Seoul / Namyeong Station (subway line 1) exit 1, roughly 6 min. away on foot

Hours of Operation : 11:30-20:30 (break time 14:30-17:30) closed 1st, 3rd, and 5th Sunday of the month

Telephone : +82-2-719-9978

Gobong Samgyetang

Address & Directions : 2nd Fl, 21 Myeongdong 7-gil, Jung-gu, Seoul / Euljiro 1(il)-ga Station (subway line 2) exit 6, roughly 5 min. away on foot

Hours of Operation : 10:00-22:00

Telephone : +82-2-756-2300
 

Craft Memories and Souvenirs of Seoul

(Source: Visit Seoul Net)

Aromind

The popularity of fragrances and perfumes is timeless, and there are countless perfumes available for sale in malls and stores all over the world. It's fun to buy perfume, but to make perfume yourself is a special experience. At the Aromind Perfume Studio, visitors can make their own perfume to take home. Aromind is located in a hanok (traditional Korean house) and the laid-back, cozy atmosphere of the hanok is the perfect place for a relaxing crafting session. There are 30 scents to choose from, and each perfume typically requires three scents. There are several different kinds of perfume bottles to choose from as well. Visitors can create a signature perfume that is perfect for them. It's been said that scent is connected to memory. Create your own perfume to remember your time in Seoul by!

Cafe 553

Cafe 533 is a spacious cafe and crafts workshop located near Dobongsan Mountain. Visitors can craft a wide range of small leather goods. The term "workshop" may bring to mind a stuffy, formal environment, but Cafe 553 is the total opposite. The entire space feels welcoming and it is full of plants, flowers, and sunlight. Reserve* a crafting session to make your own one-of-a-kind accessory. Crafters will cut, sew, and dye their leather pieces by hand, under the guidance of an instructor. There are many different items that crafters can learn to make. They include cellphone cases, pencil cases, wallets, clutches, bracelets, and more. There's nothing more special than being able to create a unique souvenir of your visit to Seoul!

More Info

Aromind

Address & Directions : 150-4 Changdeokgung-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul / Anguk Station (subway line 3) exit 3, roughly 8 min. away on foot

Hours of Operation : 11:00-21:00 (closed Mondays)

Website (Korean) : http://aromind.modoo.at/

Telephone : +82-507-1451-4991

Cafe 553

Address & Directions : 57 Dobongsan-gil, Dobong-gu, Seoul / Dobongsan Station (subway lines 1, 7) exit 1, roughly 8 min. away on foot

Hours of Operation : 10:00-20:00

Website (Korean) : http://cafe553.modoo.at/

(*Reservations are required for crafting. For assistance with making a reservation, please call the 1330 Korea Travel Hotline at +82-2-1330. Service is available in several languages, including English.)

Telephone : +82-70-7500-5266