How I Spent my Chuseok Weekend
Chuseok is one of the most important holidays celebrated in South Korea. Comparable as a, “Korean Thanksgiving,” Chuseok is a time for families to gather, share a meal, and show gratitude towards their ancestors and the coming harvest. During this time, the usually bustling streets of Seoul become deserted as everyone packs up shop and heads out of town for the weekend. As exchange students my friends and I were warned many times that nothing was going to be open. “Stock up on food now or you’ll be going to Starbucks,” they said. Nevertheless, I was determined to make the most of the holiday and wondered what I could do regardless of the lack of family to celebrate with and the stores closing.
So… What can you do in Seoul during Chuseok? Here are some of my highlights.
Wear Hanbok to Gyungbuk Palace
First, my friends and I rented out hanbok. Hanbok is a traditional Korean dress characterized for its vivid colors and flowing shape, often worn by both Korean men and women during special occasions like Chuseok. There are many Hanbok rental shops within Seoul, providing an easy and fun way for foreigners and Koreans alike to partake in the cultural festivities!
The King Hanbok
With endless colors and styles, it was slightly overwhelming to choose! Luckily, the staff were extremely helpful in picking dresses that suited us and were historically accurate. While today it's more common for people to matching color tops and bottoms, traditionally they paired contrasting colors like blue and yellow. After getting dressed we got our hair styled into braids and decorated with dainty pins.
The entire look, including the rental time of 4 hours, cost 15,000 won (10,000 for the dress, 5,000 for the hair).
getting hair done!
After getting dressed my friends and I headed over to Gyeongbokgung Palace, one of the five Grand Palaces built during the Joseon Dynasty and a main tourist hub for foreigners everywhere.
(Note: If you wear hanbok at any time of year you get in for free, but the palace also grants free admission for everyone during Chuseok weekend!)
We spent a few hours in the Palace taking photos and enjoying the scenery. Surrounded by vibrate flowers, the beautiful palace architecture, and the distant mountains you'll feel as if you've been transported back in time. It’s easy to forget you’re still in modern Seoul!
We recieved the photos within the next two days. Here's how a few of the final pictures turned out! (to see more head over to my instagram at @emieyes_ and a huge thanks to @j_ace_son and @koreanchan_ for the photos!)
After returning to the store and changed back into our original clothes, we shared a small treat of songpyeon (special holiday rice cakes), before headed out for lunch.
songpyeon
Clockwise beginning top left: ricecake and dumpling soup, bibimbap, kimchi pancake, traditional noodles
Overall the experience was amazing and I highly recommend it to everyone coming to Seoul
Go to a Hanok Village
After Gyungbok Palace I headed over to Namsangol Hanok Village, an open park and neighborhood recognized for its hanok (traditional) style houses. Many families like to take their kids here to play traditional Korean games like yutnori (shown below) and kite flying.
The Hanok Village really captures a sense of peace and serenity. Flowers bustle in the wind and the sounds of running streams and happy children giggling fill the air.
N Seoul Tower (Namsan Tower)
After walking around in the Hanok Village for a couple hours we all took a bus to Namsan Tower. The weather became pretty stormy at this point with rain and winds beginning to intensify. At the base of the tower is the famous, “love locks.” Vistors can buy locks and write cute messages on them before hanging them up on the walls surrounding the tower. It’s common to find notes to boyfriend and girlfriends, spouses, friends, and family!
After looking at the locks I went inside and up towards the viewing platform. The view was amazing and it’s a definite must-see if you’re in Seoul.
Go to the Han River for a light show
To put a nice closure to our day my friends and I went to the Han River to watch the water show at Banpo Bridge. The Han River is a popular location for natives and foreigners alike to sit and picnic. The popular meal of choice is chicken and beer, called, ‘chimek,' in korean.
In conclusion, I had a wonderful Chuseok! I learned that it’s best to stick to more foreign-heavy areas and tourist spots. Palaces, museums, and national landmarks are always good options; not only will these areas be open, but they will likely offer discounts during the Holiday! Sometimes it is a little difficult to plan for the weekend, so remember to just go with the flow! I definately had my fair share of instances of wanting to go somewhere and it being closed. At some point, you might just have to eat in a Starbucks, and that’s okay. With that in mind, happy Chuseok!
