Jongno Cheonggye Special Tourist Zone (종로 청계 관광특구)

Jongno Cheonggye Special Tourist Zone (종로 청계 관광특구)

- Homepage
tour.jongno.go.kr

- Tel
+82-2-2148-1861

Jongno Cheonggye Special Tourist Zone stretches from Seorin-dong to Changsin-dong between Cheonggyecheon Stream and Jong-ro. It includes Youth Street, Gwangjang Market, Sewoon Electronics Department Store, lighting stores, pharmacy & medical device stores, badge stores, Stamp Street, Stationery · Toy Market, Aquarium Street, Shoes Market, and other markets totalling to approximately 14,000 shops. Nearby attractions include modern high-story buildings as well as Gyeongbokgung, Changdeokgung, Changgyeonggung, Deoksugung, and Unhyeongung Palaces, Jongmyo Shrine, and Insa-dong, merging traditions, modernism, culture, and markets alike.



Thought to be at the heart of Seoul, Cheonggyecheon Stream is located in the dense cultural area of Seoul where various press networks, organizations, bookstores and other major corporations are situated. Walking along Cheonggyecheon Stream is a famous activity for tourists. Also, the area is the venue for the Seoul Lantern Festival every winter. Keeping its traditional scene including narrow alleys, old-fashioned hanok buildings and various stores still fully intact, the tourist zone has enough fun places for sightseeing as well as tasty restaurants in every corner for a more enjoyable visit.

- Address : 99, Yulgok-ro, Jongno-gu, Seoul


※ Presentation Information
- Information and Guides
• 1330 Travel Hotline: +82-2-1330
(Korean, English, Japanese, Chinese)
• For more info: +82-2-2148-1861

- Parking
27 parking lots are available at ancient palaces, arts galleries and around Cheonggyecheon Stream.



- Available Facilities
Tourist information center, interpretation center, luxury hotel, tourist hotel, duty-free shop, tourist restaurant, etc.

Amenities including restaurants and tourist information centers are available near Cheonggyecheon Stream.

- Restrooms
Public restrooms are available at ancient palaces, arts galleries, hotels and Cheonggyecheon Stream.

- Interpretation Services Offered
Ancient palaces provide culture and tourism guides in English, Chinese and Japanese at certain hours of the day.

Moving tourist information center provides multilingual tour guides and travel handbooks.

Multilingual handbooks including English, Chinese and Japanese are available at the tourist information centers, ancient palaces and museums.

◎ Nearby Tourism Infobox

⊙ Changdeokgung Palace Complex [UNESCO World Heritage Site] (창덕궁과 후원 [유네스코 세계문화유산])

- Homepage
https://royal.khs.go.kr

Changdeokgung Palace was the second royal villa built following the construction of Gyeongbokgung Palace in 1405. It was the principal palace for many kings of the Joseon dynasty, and is the most well-preserved of the five remaining royal Joseon palaces. The palace grounds are comprised of a public palace area, a royal family residence building, and the rear garden. Known as a place of rest for the kings, the rear garden boasts a gigantic tree that is over 300 years old, a small pond and a pavilion.

The palace gained importance starting from the time of Seongjong, the 9th king of Joseon, when a number of kings began using it as a place of residence. Unfortunately, the palace was burned down by angry citizens in 1592 when the royal family fled their abode during the Imjin War. Thanks to Gwanghaegun, the palace was restored in 1611. Even today, it houses a number of cultural treasures, such as Injeongjeon Hall, Daejojeon Hall, Seonjeongjeon Hall, and Nakseonjae Hall.

Changdeokgung Palace’s garden behind the inner hall, called the "Secret Garden," was constructed during the reign of King Taejong and served as a rest area for the royal family members. The garden had formerly been called Bugwon and Geumwon, but was renamed Biwon Garden, or Secret Garden, after King Gojong came into power. The garden was kept as natural as possible and was touched by human hands only when absolutely necessary. Buyongjeong Pavilion, Buyongji Pond, Juhamnu Pavilion, Eosumun Gate, Yeonghwadang Hall, Bullomun Gate, Aeryeonjeong Pavilion, and Yeongyeongdang Hall are some of the many attractions that occupy the garden. The most beautiful time to see the garden is during the fall when the autumn foliage is at its peak and the leaves have just started to fall.

Though it has been treasured by Koreans for centuries, Changdeokgung Palace and its complex was recognized as a World Cultural Heritage site by the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Committee in December of 1997 during the committee meeting in Naples, Italy.

⊙ Insa Art Space (인사미술공간)

- Tel
+82-2-760-4722

Insa Art Space was established in 2000 to support artists who are experiencing financial difficulties. In 2005, Art Space started to develop artistic projects and in 2006, the gallery began to provide project consultations, and publishing and marketing, to develop into a stronger self-sufficient gallery. Currently, the gallery provides special exhibitions for artists and independent curators.

⊙ Bukchonmaru hanok guesthouse [Korea Quality] / 북촌마루 한옥 게스트하우스 [한국관광 품질인증]

- Homepage
http://www.bukchonmaru.com

- Tel
+82-10-3253-8751

Bukchon Maru is a two-storey hanok guesthouse in Jongno, Seoul. It’s positioned on a hill between the second and third of the famous ‘eight scenic views of Bukchon’, and offers splendid views of the city. Guests can enjoy a simple Korean breakfast and a morning chat with visitors from various countries. The guesthouse is close to Anguk subway station, making transport super-convenient, and major local attractions include the Royal Palaces, Insa-dong, and the Blue House.

⊙ Changdeokgung Injeongmun Gate (창덕궁 인정문)

- Homepage
tour.jongno.go.kr
www.cdg.go.kr

- Tel
+82-2-3668-2300

Serving as the main gate of Injeongjeon Hall, Injeongmun Gate was established in 1405 (5th year of King Taejo’s reign during the Joseon dynasty). Later on, the gate was destroyed by multiple fires during the Imjin War (Japanese invasion of Korea in 1592), therefore current form of the establishment displays designs that are more often seen in the late 19th century's. In addition, a lot
of subsidary marks and buildings are removed from the original places and relocated passing the time, however, still remains to represent prestigious ambience.


Injeongmun Gate served as the place for several coronation ceremonies of kings, prince's succession of throne, and many other national affairs celebrated by the royal members who gathered and aligned around this gate.

⊙ Hyangnamu Tree in Changdeokgung Palace (창덕궁 향나무)

- Homepage
www.cdg.go.kr
www.cha.go.kr

- Tel
+82-2-3668-2300

Hyangnamu or 'Aromatic Tree' in Changdeokgung Palace is estimated to be about 700 years old, meaning it had likely been planted before the palace was built. It stands 12m in x_height, measures 5.9m in girth around the roots, and has branches spreading in all four directions. It is designated and protected as a National Natural Monument.

⊙ Inwoohouse [Korea Quality] / 인우하우스 [한국관광 품질인증]

- Homepage
https://inwoohouse.modoo.at

- Tel
+82-2-742-1115

Inwoo House is a traditional hanok down an alley in Gye-dong, Jongno, Seoul. There is a swallow's nest under the eaves, and the pride of this house is that the swallow family returns every spring. Each room in the house has a private bathroom. Residents can sample Korean culture by taking part in traditional paper crafts, knot bracelet making, and fan decorating. The location is convenient for restaurants, cafes, and convenience stores, and Gyeongbokgung Palace, Changdeokgung Palace, Insadong, and Samcheong-dong are all within walking distance.

⊙ Isae - Gahoe Branch [Tax Refund Shop] (이새 가회)

- Homepage
www.isae.cokr

-

⊙ Lagidang [Korea Quality] / 락이당 [한국관광 품질인증]

- Tel
+82-507-1358-3701

Lagidang is a foreigner-only guesthouse in the heart of Bukchon Hanok Village in Jeongno-gu, Seoul. Public transportation links are good, with Exit 3 of Anguk Subway Station just a seven-minute walk away. The house has a fine view over Bukchon Hanok Village, and early-rising guests will also catch the sunrise in the south-eastern sky. The guesthouse is decorated with art works and Joseon-period antiques. 

⊙ Nakseonjae Hall (낙선재)

- Tel
+82-2-2148-1822

Located inside Changdeokgung Palace, Nakseonjae Hall is a one-story structure built in ikgong style (bird wing-shaped eaves placed on top of the pillars) with a hip tiled and gable roof. It has 6 kan in the front and 2 kan (traditional unit of measurement of the space between pillars) to the sides. It originally belonged to the nearby Changgyeonggung Palace, but came to be considered a part of Changdeokgung Palace in more recent years.



The hall was constructed in 1846 (12th year of King Heonjong’s reign) and it is collectively called Nakseonjae together with the adjacent Seokbokheon Hall and Sugangjae Hall.


Behind the building is a flower garden made of stacked large stones. The chimney, the flowers, and the oddly shaped stones harmoniously blend into one another to create an outstanding landscape gardening.



This work was created by the Korea Tourism Organization for 21 years and opened as the first type of public Nuri. You can download it for free from the Korea Tourism Organization, https://kto.visitkorea.or.kr/eng.kto