All field notes

Listen to the rooflines

Bukchon · Seoul

A page with Kapi · 1 min read
Kapi in an illustrated Seoul travel scene
Original illustration · not a navigational map

I would give this page a very quiet title. Bukchon means north village, after its position north of Cheonggyecheon and Jongno. Many closely gathered hanok here took their present form in the 1930s, when traditional homes adapted to a growing city. The rooflines tell a story of change as well as continuity.

People still live behind these doors. A beautiful window is somebody's window; a narrow lane may be their way home. Let's keep our curiosity on the public street and our voices low. Follow the visiting times and boundaries on local signs.

For my notebook, I would draw the space between two roofs. Sometimes the kindest souvenir is the room we leave for someone else's everyday life.

Behind the story

Kapi is a fictional companion. His voice is original storytelling; the historical details below link to their sources.

Seoul Metropolitan Government — Seoul Hanok: Bukchon

Source review:

Another little discoveryA stream finds its way