5 top things to do to experience Korean

thanksgiving day (Chuseok) as a foreigner

Chuseok (Korean thanksgiving day) is just around the corner. As one of
the biggest and most important holidays in Korea, Chuseok is a familyfocused traditional holiday which resembles Chinese Moon Cake Festival.
Chuseok falls in the fall, and during these few days, Koreans usually go back
to their hometown and spend time with their beloved family. Henc, Chuseok
is very meaningful to Koreans as it is not just a festival but a time to meet
their loved ones and express their longing to family. Living in Korea can be a
very special experience to foreigners especially during Chuseok where most
of the shops will be closed. Dont worry, you dont need to be a Korean to
celebrate Chuseok. Today I will tell you the ways you can enjoy Chuseok as a
foreigner besides experiencing traditional Korean culture.
1. Experiencing Korean culture through Chuseok cultural events.
In fact, there are a lot of Chuseok cultural events holding in different
locations in Seoul. This year, Chuseok falls on September 15 th (which is
August 15th by the lunar calendar) while Chuseok festivities will
continue a few days from 14th to 18th. During this period, a variety of
cultural events and festivals will be held at museums, palaces and
hanok
villages
in
Seoul.
There will be traditional Korean performances at the National Museum
of Korea, as well as thrilling percussion performances. Visitors will
really be able to feel the music. The National Folk Museum of Korea will
offer traditional craft making activities with hanji paper, and will have
food tasting. Sample traditional foods like songpyeon (half-moon rice
cake) and sikhye (sweet rice punch). There will also be traditional
Korean games for visitors to participate in. Try your hand at games like
spinning tops and tuho (throwing sticks into a cannister). The Seoul
Museum of History will be putting on a family-friendly puppet show,
hosting traditional games and cultural activities. The museum will also
have traditional foods to sample.
The
major
tourist
attraction N
Seoul
Tower can
be
seen
from Namsangol Hanok Village. While N Seoul Tower is ultra modern,
Namsangol Hanok Village is decidedly traditional. Make your own
songpyeon, learn about charye (ancestral memorial services), play folk
games, take part in an arm wrestling match, and watch a
ganggangsullae (circle dance) performance. Deoksugung Palace is
famous for its Changing of the Guard ceremony and there will be
Chuseok festivities to enjoy as well. The theme of this year's activities
is "Chuseok Appreciation" and there will be activities and performances

for people of all ages to enjoy. The opening ceremony will feature
tradtional Korean music and traditional Korean dance. The celebrations
will be a treat for both the eyes and ears. ("Visit Seoul - Celebrate
Chuseok
Like
a
Seoulite!",
2016)
More Info
National Museum of Korea
Address : 137 Seobinggo-ro, Yongsan-gu, Seoul (Ichon Station, subway line
4, GyeonguiJungang Line, exit 2)
Date & Time : Sept. 15th (Thurs) 15:00~16:00
Website : http://www.museum.go.kr
National Folk Museum of Korea
Address : 37 Samcheong-ro, Jongno-gu, Seoul (Anguk Station, subway line
3, exit 1 / Gwanghwamun Station, subway line 5, exit 2)
Date : Sept. 14th (Wed) ~ 18th (Sun)
Website : http://www.nfm.go.kr
Seoul Museum of History
Address : 55 Saemunan-ro, Jongno-gu, Seoul (Gwanghwamun Station,
subway line 5, exit 7)
Date & Time : Sept. 16th (Fri) 11:00~17:00
Website : www.museum.seoul.kr
Namsangol Hanok Village
Address : 28 Toegye-ro 34-gil, Jung-gu, Seoul (Chungmuro Station, subway
lines 3, 4; exits 3, 4)
Date : Sept. 15th (Thurs) ~ 16th (Fri)
Website : https://www.hanokmaeul.or.kr (Korean)
Deoksugung Palace
Address : 99 Sejong-daero, Jung-gu, Seoul (City Hall Station, subway lines 1,
2; exits 2, 12)
Date : Sept. 15th (Thurs)
Website : www.deoksugung.go.kr
(Retrived from: http://english.visitseoul.net/tours/Celebrate-Chuseok-Like-aSeoulite_/18890)
For more information, please refer to the original article (English, Chinese
and Korean available).
and this article.
2. Experience Korean traditional music through Bukchon Music Festival!
Koreans have their own traditional musical instruments and music.

These music represent the historical culture of Korean and still remain
as one of the most important cultural heritages. This years festival is
unique as the theme is Todays Music. According to the official
website, the festivals aim is to provide an opportunity and a stage for
young artists to showcase their diverse talents and personalities. Dont
miss the opportunity to catch live music of varied genres, such as
Korean traditional music (gugak), world music, classical, jazz and etc.
Besides that, various performances will be held at Bukchon area such
as dance and street performances. For those who plan to visit Bukchon
village, be sure to grab the chance to enjoy the beauty of the village
and the awesome performances that will be taken place.
Date: Sept 10th to 11th
Venue: Bukchon Village (03056 24-5 Bukchon-ro 12-gil, Jongno-gu,
Seoul Bukchon Area)
Phone: +82-2-962-7911
Fee: Free
For more information, please click here.
3. Enjoy

yourself

in

Korean

traditional

house

(hanok)

Do you know that Koreans, especially university students, like to hold a

camp during the beginning of the semester? They called it MT,
which stands for Membership Training. The name sounds formal but
in fact it is not! It is sort of like party where they usually have
barbeque and games, before drinking till dawn. The purpose of having
MT is to foster friendships between members of a club or to release
stress from study. This has become part of the university culture in
Korea lately. Why I am saying this? Instead of staying at home during
Chuseok, why dont you gather some friends and have an overnight
party in a guesthouse with authentic Korean traditional house design?
For foreigners who visit Korea for their first time, I highly recommend to
cap off your Chuseok activities with a night in a real hanok. Perhaps
you can have an overnight party with your friends too! Staying in a
quiet hanok is definitely a great way to experience Korean culture. For
your information, there are several hanok guesthouse in central Seoul
which are close to major tourist attractions. For more information
regarding hanok guesthouse, click here.
4. Get the delicious Korean Chuseok traditional food!
Tteok (rice cake) is a popular and common Korean food which most
Korean people will have as proper meal or supper. In Korean cuisine
culture, tteok can be added to many food to neutralize the taste or
modified to become a stand-out food. Songpyeon, the Chuseoks

representative food, is also made of tteok. Songpyeon are half-moonshaped rice cakes that contain different kinds of sweet or semi-sweet
fillings, such as sesame seeds and honey, sweet red bean paste, and
chestnut paste steamed over a layer of pine needles, which gives them
the fragrant smell of fresh pine trees. [2][3] They were made into various
shapes with the participation of family members and were often
exchanged between neighbors. Other than tteok, hangwa is another
Korean traditional food that people eat during Chuseok. There are
various types of hangwa, most famous types are yakgwa, yugwa and
dasik. Hangwa is usually decorated with natural colors and made of
natural ingredients. There are many places where you can buy
songpyeon and hangwa. It is usually sold in market, traditional market
and even some restaurants. If you want to enjoy songpyeon with cozy
atmosphere while having a great time chilling with your friends, tteok
caf would be a good option. Tteoki Joa and Jilsiru are the most famous
tteok caf in Seoul.
5. Go traveling.
Yes, go traveling. The best way to enjoy Chuseok is to travel around
Korea during Chuseok and see how Koreans celebrate Chuseok. You
can feel the lively atmosphere of Chuseok and experience the culture
of Korean through various Chuseok activities. Here are some places that
are worth going:
1. Naganeupseong Folk Village in Suncheon ( )
2. Oeam Fol Village ()
3. Andong Hahoe Village ()