The core route
1. Hansung University Station — Your starting point, heading into the hillside just outside the old city wall.
2. Choi Sunu's Former House — Start with the modern hanok preserved through public donations.
3. The Kansong Art Museum (Bohwagak) — Visit if a special exhibition is running; otherwise, view the exterior only.
4. Simujang — Visit the house built facing north, away from colonial power.
5. Gilsangsa Temple — Reflect on the meaning of non-possession in a space converted from an entertainment house.
6. Seongbuk-dong's residential streets and city-wall viewpoint — Finish by passing through the wealthy enclave's streets and looking out over the city from the old wall.
Backup routes for different situations
If it's raining heavily
Extend your time at Choi Sunu's Former House's indoor exhibits → Visit Simujang and Gilsangsa briefly, with an umbrella → Skip the city-wall viewpoint section
If the Kansong Art Museum is closed with no exhibition running
- Rebuild your route around Choi Sunu's Former House, Simujang, and Gilsangsa, and view the Kansong Art Museum's exterior only
If walking is difficult, or accessibility is a concern
Skip the sloped city-wall viewpoint section, and limit your visit to the flatter route covering Choi Sunu's Former House and Gilsangsa.
✅ Final check before you leave
- The Kansong Art Museum's special exhibition schedule
- Opening hours for Choi Sunu's Former House, Simujang, and Gilsangsa
- Any photography restrictions in areas dense with ambassadors' residences
- The slope and accessibility of the city-wall viewpoint section
- Any events or dharma talks scheduled at Gilsangsa