The Bukchon Museum Old Fragrance displays items that have been collected from Bukchon, a historical village that was once home to the nation’s nobility. For hundreds of years, treasured items in each household were passed down from generation to generation, but since Korea’s rapid development in the second half of the 20th century many of these became obsolete. Opened in 2003, the Bukchon Museum Old Fragrance seeks to preserve artifacts and present them in a cozy, homey environment where visitors can get a sense of how each object was used in daily life. The museum is full of household articles that were absolutely essential parts of life in the past, such as ‘maetdol’ (millstones used for grinding beans or mung beans), ‘jangdok’ (crocks for soy sauce or red pepper paste), and ‘yogang’ (Korean chamber pots that were kept in rooms and used as urinals at night). Visitors are even allowed to touch items on display to better be able to imagine life in Korea before industrialization.From Samcheong-dong (near Gyeongbokgung Palace) to Wonseo-dong (near Biwon, a royal garden in Changdeokgung Palace), Bukchon is an area well-known for its hanok houses (traditional Korean houses). Thanks to the complex structure of hanok, collectors were able to unearth a wide range of articles hidden in storage rooms, under floorboards, and in attics.Visitors to the museum with 10-15 people in their party may participate in programs that allow them to make old-fashioned toys or take part in making ssukgaetteok (rice cake made using mugwort).Near the Bukchon Museum Old Fragrance there are many colorful attractions worth visiting: the Bukchon Hanok Village, Samcheong Park, The Owl Museum, ToyKino Museum, the World Jewelry Museum, and the National Palace Museum of Korea, as well as royal palaces such as Gyeongbokgung Palace.
