Bukchon Hanok Maeul and the tiled roofs between Seoul’s royal palaces

Bukchon Hanok Maeul in Seoul is a historic neighbourhood of traditional Korean houses, known as hanok, set between the royal palaces of Gyeongbokgung and Changdeokgung. Sitting on a slope in Jongno-gu, the area preserves a large cluster of tiled roofs and timber-framed homes that trace their origins back to the Joseon Dynasty, yet remain part of a working residential district.

A North Village between palaces and shrine

The name Bukchon literally means “north village”, a reference to its position on the northern side of Cheonggyecheon Stream and Jongno in the old centre of Seoul.Bukchon, or “north village” in English lies in Jongno-gu and stretches across several neighbourhoods including Gahoe-dong, Gye-dong and Jae-dong, forming a belt of traditional housing set into the hillside.

Geographically, Bukchon Hanok Maeul occupies ground between Gyeongbokgung Palace to the west and Changdeokgung Palace to the east, with Jongmyo Shrine lying nearby to the south.The village is situated between Gyeongbokgung Palace and Changdeokgung Palace and within walking distance of Jongmyo, so palace walls, shrine roofs and hanok courtyards form a continuous historic landscape. This position once made Bukchon a desirable quarter for nobles and high-ranking officials of the Joseon court, who could live close to royal and Confucian centres while remaining slightly apart from palace compounds.The area was once home to nobility and high-ranking officials during the Joseon Dynasty

Hanok architecture on a Seoul hillside

Bukchon Hanok Maeul is defined by its concentration of hanok, the traditional Korean houses built around courtyards with timber frames, earthen or plastered walls and tiled roofs. Jongno-gu records around hundreds of such homes in Bukchon, forming one of the densest surviving clusters of hanok in the city.An old residential district containing about 860 Korean traditional houses gives a sense of the scale: street after street where rooflines in dark tiles overlap, broken only by alleys, small courtyards and occasional modern insertions.

Many houses in Bukchon date from the Joseon Dynasty, which lasted from the late fourteenth century to the early twentieth century, while others were built or altered during the period of Japanese rule in Korea.The houses date mainly to the Joseon Dynasty and the Japanese colonial period At street level the architecture feels remarkably consistent: rows of single- or two-storey dwellings with wooden doors and gatehouses, perimeter walls built in stone or brick, and eaves that step down the slope in long bands of grey clay tiles. Narrow lanes bend and climb with the hillside, sometimes opening to wider viewpoints where tiled roofs frame the domes and towers of central Seoul in the distance.

A living neighbourhood of homes, workshops and quiet alleys

Unlike a museum village, Bukchon Hanok Maeul remains a residential neighbourhood where many properties are private homes. This living character is visible in details such as parked cars tucked beside gates, pot plants and laundry in courtyards and the presence of schools, small businesses and community centres among the hanok. Along several streets, however, former dwellings have been adapted for uses that welcome visitors: traditional culture centres, craft workshops, tea houses and galleries sit behind wooden gates that retain the proportions and materials of the original houses.Walking through the neighborhood, visiting the Bukchon Traditional Culture Center, and browsing the art galleries are all free

The layout of Bukchon means that walking here brings a sequence of views and small changes of level. Some alleys rise steeply between high boundary walls, others run almost level along contour lines, and several terraces act as informal viewpoints where the tiled roofs form a layered pattern against the backdrop of newer apartment blocks and office towers. The mix of long-term residents, small-scale tourism infrastructure and heritage policies has created a district where daily life and conservation meet: modern conveniences sit behind traditional facades, and restoration programmes have repaired or rebuilt hanok in line with established typologies while keeping the area in use.Bukchon features a cluster of traditional hanok between Gyeongbokgung Palace, Changdeokgung Palace, and Jongmyo Shrine

Visiting Bukchon Hanok Maeul: what travellers from Western Europe should know

• Bukchon Hanok Maeul lies in Jongno-gu on the northern side of central Seoul, between Gyeongbokgung Palace and Changdeokgung Palace, and is reached easily on the Seoul Metro via Anguk Station on Line 3.
• The neighbourhood sits on a hillside, and many streets involve walking up or down slopes with occasional staircases; approaches to some viewpoints follow narrow alleys without pavements.
• Jongmyo Shrine and Insadong’s streets of shops and galleries lie within walking distance, making it straightforward to combine Bukchon with other historic sites in the same part of Seoul.
• The official language is Korean and the currency is the South Korean won.

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Frequently asked questions about Bukchon Hanok Maeul

Where is Bukchon Hanok Maeul in Seoul?

Bukchon Hanok Maeul is in Jongno-gu in central Seoul, on the northern side of the old city centre between Gyeongbokgung Palace and Changdeokgung Palace.

What can visitors expect when walking through Bukchon Hanok Maeul?

Visitors walk through a residential area of hanok houses on a hillside, with narrow alleys, tiled roofs, small workshops, culture centres and viewpoints over both traditional and modern parts of the city.

What makes Bukchon Hanok Maeul distinctive among historic areas in Seoul?

It combines one of the largest surviving concentrations of hanok houses with direct proximity to royal palaces and Jongmyo Shrine, while remaining a lived-in neighbourhood rather than a separate heritage park.