Unhyeongung Royal Residence (서울 운현궁)

Unhyeongung Royal Residence (서울 운현궁)

- Homepage
www.unhyeongung.or.kr

- Tel
+82-2-766-9090

Located near the Gyeongbokgung Palace, Unhyeongung Palace was a residence of royalty in Joseon period. It was the place where Gojong (1582-1919, reign 1864-1907), king of Joseon (1392-1897) and emperor of the Korean Empire (1897-1910), was born in, as well as the place where Heungseon Daewongun (1821-1898), his father, had resided in. Buildings include Noandang Hall, Norakdang Hall, and Irodang Hall. The Royal Residence offers programs like traditional weddings and traditional culture experiences, while the exhibition hall showcases Joseon-era artifacts. 

- Address : 464, Samil-daero, Jongno-gu, Seoul


※ Presentation Information
- Experience Guide
Cultural tour, traditional wedding, traditional culture experiences

- Information and Guides
+82-2-766-9090

- Parking
Not available

- Day Off
Mondays

- Operating Hours
April-October: 09:00–19:00 / November-March: 09:00-18:00



- Available Facilities
Museum

- Admission Fees
Free

- Interpretation Services Offered
Audio guide available in English, Japanese, and Chinese

- Operating hours: April-October 09:00-18:00 / November-March 09:00-17:00

- Rental fee: 1,100 won



* Rent an audio guide and listen while walking through Unhyeongung Royal Residence.

* Purchase a voucher for the audio guide rental at the ticket booth and exchange voucher with the audio guide at the audio guide rental counter.

* A valid ID, including passport, must be submitted for audio guide rental. It will be returned when the audio guide is turned in.
* Storage of personal belongings are not allowed at the counter.

◎ Nearby Tourism Infobox

⊙ Onion Anguk Branch (어니언 안국)

- Homepage
www.onionkr.com

Onion is a café situated in a hanok dating back to the 1920s. Renovated with careful preservation of the daecheongmaru and madang, the café offers a glimpse into traditional Korean architecture. The signature menu item is the vanilla bean latte, and popular desserts include pandoro and salty butter bread. Its proximity to nearby attractions such as Gyeongbokgung Palace, Changgyeonggung Palace, and Changdeokgung Palace makes it a convenient stop for those exploring Seoul's major palaces.

⊙ Suestar.1 [Tax Refund Shop] (슈스타.1)

-

⊙ Slow Steady Club - Samcheong Branch [Tax Refund Shop] (슬로우스테디클럽 삼청)

-

⊙ Moonguesthouse(문게스트하우스)

- Homepage
http://www.moonguesthouse.com

- Tel
+82-2-745-8008, +82-10-8704-9981

The Moon Guesthouse is situated near a number of interesting tourist destinations including Unhyeongung Palace (3min on foot), Bukchon Hanok Village (5min on foot), Changdeokgung Palace (5min on foot), and Changgyeonggung Palace (10min on foot). The guesthouse was named ‘moon’ (‘door’ in English) because it has many 176 doors and windows. Upon entering by the gate, visitors will see a ‘ㄷ’-shaped hanok building in the courtyard, in which a wooden bedstead and a table are placed. On the opposite of the hanok building there is a wall roofed with tiles engraved with Korean patterns such as deer, pine, turtle, etc. Flowers in the flowerbed lined up along the wall are in bloom and the bonsai are also well-kept in the house.

Renovated and opened as a guesthouse in September 2011, Moon Guesthouse consists of a bonchae (main building) and a byeolchae (detached house). The rooms are decorated with red clay and hanji (traditional Korean paper handmade from mulberry trees), and have under-the-floor heating (ondol). Each room is equipped with an air-conditioner, and has a 40cm-thick layer of red clay over the ceiling for insulation, making the rooms cool in summer and warm in winter. The house has seven individual guestrooms and five modern bathrooms, but the entire building (bonchae or byeolchae) can be rented, too. In particular, the unhyeondang of the bonchae is very popular as it can be converted into one large space for special events, group workshops, etc. simply by opening all the sliding doors (Bunhapmun – Goryeo construction style). This room, which is decorated with a flower-patterned windscreen, a landscape painting, and calligraphy, has been used as a shooting location for various TV programs including KBS2’s TV reality program Man’s Qualification and its variety show The Human Condition. The guestrooms are also equipped with traditional furniture including a cabinet inlaid with mother-of-pearl.
The guesthouse also provides a variety of experience programs from 11am to 3pm, including tea ceremony, wearing Hanbok (traditional Korean clothes), making kimchi and gochujang (red chili paste), playing a traditional musical instrument, making a rubbing of a stone inscription, calligraphy, drawing orchids on a fan, and so on. The house has about seventy hanbok and other clothing accessories, as well as a royal costume. Its calligraphy and drawing orchid programs are run directly by the owner, who used to work as a classical Chinese teacher at a high school.

⊙ Jirisan Restaurant (지리산)

- Tel
+82-2-723-4696

Jirisan is one of the representative Korean restaurants in Insa-dong, an area known for its traditional culture. One of the trademarks of this restaurant, besides its amazingly delectable bean and tofu dishes, is a wooden sign that welcome guests into a neat and cozy interior.



Each day, fresh beans are ground at the restaurant to prepare dishes such as soybean paste, soft tofu, and bean-curd tofu stew. Bean-curds are prepared by using seawater, which gives the tofu a unique flavor. The fresh and clean taste of the tofu is one of the many reasons that choosey tofu aficionados flock to the restaurant.




Not just limited to tofu, Jirisan presents customers with a full-range of side dishes such as kimchi, japchae (glass noodles with sautéed vegetables), cucumber kimchi, seasoned seaweed, braised lotus roots, roasted yellow corbinas (a type of fish), leafy greens, bean-curd stew, and more. The restaurant gives visitors a chance to experience a hearty traditional Korean-style meal, but has thoughtfully toned down its seasonings to appeal to a wider audience (particularly those not used to spicy foods).




One of the recommended menu items is the Jirisan set meal, which offers diners the chance to sample foods that are popular in the Jirisan region. Adventurous diners may want to try the sea urchin soup or dried Pollack soup.




The restaurant, originally a traditional Korean house, has been modified over the years to better suit the needs of its customers. The walls surrounding the structure were removed and a glass ceiling was installed to allow guests to enjoy the natural light of the sun as they sample some of the area’s best traditional Korean cuisine.

⊙ Insadong Sagwanamu (인사동사과나무)

- Tel
+82-2-722-5051

This is where you can dine on the outdoor terrace. This restaurant's signature menu is steak. This Western dishes restaurant is located in Jongno-gu, Seoul.

⊙ Nwijo (뉘조)

- Homepage
www.nwijo.com (Korean only)

- Tel
+82-2-730-9311

Nwijo is a Korean table d'hote restaurant located in Insa-dong where you can enjoy course meals made from hundreds of wild herbs. Starting with pumpkin porridge and water kimchi, basic dishes such as wild herb salads, pancakes, kimchi with boiled pork slices, and mixed roots are served along with set menu and wild herb enzymes as a standard part of the meal.

⊙ Nuri (누리)

- Tel
+82-2-736-7848

Located in the neighborhood of Insa-dong, traditional Korean lunch box and tea restaurant Nuri brings out the true beauty of hanok while implementing western dining culture with tables and chairs.



Nuri uses the finest grains directly from agricultural regions throughout the country, offering nutritious rice along with mildly seasoned side dish menus, taking advantage of the ingredients' natural flavors. Nuri uses its effective take-out and delivery system to cater to businesses and events.

⊙ Jeontong Dawon (전통다원)

- Homepage
https://kyunginartdawon.modoo.at/

- Tel
+82-2-730-6305

Jeontong Dawon is a hanok-style tea house located in Insa-dong. It offers seating both inside the hanok and in the outdoor garden, allowing guests to choose their preferred spot. Visitors can enjoy various types of traditional Korean tea along with traditional Korean snacks such as yugwa (fried rice sweet). It is situated within the Kyung-in Museum of Fine Art premises, offering the opportunity to explore the museum as well.



This work was created by the Korea Tourism Organization for 24 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