Insa-dong (인사동)
Insa-dong (인사동) is located in the heart of Seoul. There is one main road in Insa-dong with alleys on each side. Within these alleys are galleries and traditional restaurants, teahouses, and cafes. There are about 100 galleries in the area. While I did not think to take pictures of the area, I do have two pictures to share: a little coffee shop that has been in operation for over 25 years, and my lunch of chicken bulgogi (닭불고기).
After shopping in Insa-dong, we visited Namsan Park (남산공원), where we got to see the Seoul City Wall and Namsan Seoul Tower.
Namsan Park is a historical site. The Bonghwadae (beacon mound) at the top of Mt. Namsan was once the center of capital defense. During the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910) the capital was changed to Hanyang (now called Seoul). To protect the city from invasions, castle walls were built on the four major mountains of Mt. Bukaksan, Mt. Inwangsan, Mt. Naksan, and Mt. Namsan. On Namsan peak, five beacons were built to report the news from local governments to the central government with a five-signal system.