Hwangudan Altar (환구단)

3.1Km 2020-05-07

112, Sogong-ro, Jung-gu, Seoul
+82-2-3396-5842

Hwangudan Altar, also called Hwandan Altar, refers to an altar complex for the rite of heaven. The rites were first performed in the Goryeo dynasty by King Seongjong in the first month of 983 (2nd year of his reign), but was repeatedly adopted and abolished, and eventually stopped at the start of the Joseon dynasty.

Then in 1456 (2nd year of King Sejo), the practice was temporarily standardized and the rites were performed at Hwangudan Altar again in 1457. However, rites were again abolished in 1464 (10th year of King Sejo). It wasn’t until 1897 (34th year of King Gojong) when the Joseon dynasty was renamed as the Korean Empire and King Gojong ascended to emperor, that the rite was revived.

Now, Hwangungu Shrine and three stone drums stand at the location of the former altar complex. The three stone drums symbolize the instruments used for the rites. The shrine was completed in 1899, two years after the altar was started in 1897. Today, the Hwangungu Shrine still stands within the hotel grounds of the Westin Chosun Hotel.

Gwanghwamun Seokgalbi (광화문석갈비)

3.1Km 2021-05-25

136, Sejong-daero, Jung-gu, Seoul
+82-2-318-6288

It is a restaurant frequently used as a place for group dinners by office workers. This restaurant's signature menu is grilled ribs on a hot plate. This Korean dishes restaurant is located in Jung-gu, Seoul.

Laderach SFC (레더라 SFC)

3.1Km 2021-03-29

136, Sejong-daero, Jung-gu, Seoul
+82-2-3789-3245

It is a Swiss chocolate shop. The best menu at this restaurant is chocolate drink. This cafe is located in Jung-gu, Seoul.

Seoul Lantern Festival (서울빛초롱축제)

3.1Km 2023-11-23

175 Sejong-daero, Jongno-gu, Seoul
+82-2-3788-8168

The Seoul Lantern Festival is held every year from the first Friday of November to the third weekend of the month for approximately 3 weeks. With various themed lanterns around Cheonggyecheon Stream, visitors can enjoy both traditional lanterns and modern LED lanterns. The festival provides much to see and do with the addition of Gwanghwamun Square Market.

Seoul Papyrus [Tax Refund Shop] (서울파피루스)

3.1Km 2024-04-19

136, Sejong-daero, Jung-gu, Seoul

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Gwanghwamun Market (광화문 마켓)

3.1Km 2024-09-30

175 Sejong-daero, Jongno-gu, Seoul
+82-2-3788-8168

Gwanghwamun Market takes place along with the Seoul Lantern Festival to support local small businesses and promote Seoul night tourism. The market features local store owners and businesses that exhibit and sell seasonal decor, handcrafted items, and winter snacks.

Ilmin Art Museum (일민미술관)

3.1Km 2022-09-27

152, Sejong-daero, Jongno-gu, Seoul

The Ilmin Art Museum located in former Dong-A Newspaper Building, was formed in honor of their honorable and late CEO Kim Sang-man. The museum was established in December of 1996, and with a full renovation in 2001, large exhibition hall and Ilmin collection was placed in. Through the renovation, the combination of glass and steel made Artrium aimed to become one of the best comtemporary museum, connecting the museum to the streets of Gwanghwamun.

This museum boasts a large Ilmin collection. There are 430 pieces of Ilmin collection from Goryeo dynasty (918-1392) to present, 1,200 pieces in the Donga Newspaper's collection of art, and 100 pieces of art owned by Hyundai Corporation. The Ilmin Collection mostly consists of pieces that Kim Sang-man collected from ceramics to aesthetic paintings. The Dongah Newspaper's collection has time-relevant pieces that are important in history.

Namdo Bunsik Seochon Branch (남도분식 서촌점)

3.1Km 2024-02-20

1F, 2 Ogin 2-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul

Namdo Bunsik is a snack restaurant that caters to the tastes of the younger generation by adapting regional traditional cuisine. The flagship menu features namdo tteokbokki, an jeukseok tteokbokki (instant tteokbokki) crafted with various ingredients such as pollack, scallions, and radish, with the broth prepared in-house. The spiciness of the tteokbokki can be adjusted from level 1 to level 3. Another popular item is sangchu twigim (deep-fried lettuce), where deep-fried dishes and pickled onions are wrapped in lettuce for consumption.

Tosokchon Samgyetang (토속촌삼계탕)

3.1Km 2024-03-12

5 Jahamun-ro 5-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul
+82-2-737-7444

Tosokchon Samgyetang is a restaurant specializing in samgyetang (ginseng chicken soup) near Gyeongbokgung Palace. It is housed in several renovated traditional hanok buildings, exuding a nostalgic atmosphere. Samgyetang is a traditional Korean nutritious food made by simmering cleaned young chicken with ginseng, jujube, sweet rice batter, and various nuts. The thick broth of samgyetang, served alongside ginseng liquor, stimulates the appetite. Diced radish kimchi and cabbage kimchi are served as basic side dishes.

Frisbee - Gwanghwamun Branch [Tax Refund Shop] (FR광화문점(금강 프리스비))

3.1Km 2024-04-16

1F, 8, Cheonggyecheon-ro, Jung-gu, Seoul

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Hwangudan Altar (환구단) - Area information - Korea travel information