Cultural riches in shopping hub

From the old houses we move on to Simsinheon, which means "a house where the heart is found". It was constructed between 2002 and 2004 by professionals.

They collected pinewood, which was more than a 100 years old, and built the house using mortise and tenon joints instead of nails. The house combines tradition and modernity.

The owner has now moved away from the area as it has become a popular tourist attraction and has opened it up to visitors to showcase traditional Korean lifestyle.

In the house, there is a large table in the sitting room. The table is a lacquer piece that has colorful slices of shells as thin as hair. It took eight months for two craftsmen to complete the table.

The doors comprise wooden door frames, traditional paper and fabrics.

And, as is traditional, the doors are lifted up for ventilation in the summer and shut in the winter.

These doors hang over your head, and the main hall has another layer of glass doors, offering reflections of the sky and the clouds.

The Dong-Lim Knot Workshop is located in a traditional house in the area.

There, you can learn how to make simple bracelets, rings and knots from string and view exhibitions of traditional ornamental knots such as waistbands and tassels.

As for shopping, you can visit the city's small markets to buy things that cannot be found in duty free shops.

From March to October, the Seoul Bamdokkaebi Night Market runs every Friday and Saturday from 6 pm to 11 pm at the Yeouido Hangang Park's Cascade Plaza.

There, you can sample snacks from around the world - from food trucks - enjoy traditional and modern performances and buy original handmade accessories and leather purses.

Pretty rings, earrings and bracelets are also available at reasonable prices.

Yeonnam-dong, which is next to Hongik University, has a market with young people and students selling handmade items such as painted postcards on weekends.

It used to be a farmers' market, but as there were very few visitors the local government made it a flea market.

The market is now frequented by young locals, who also visit the nearby alleys packed with restaurants, bakeries and cafes.