Information
Landmark: National Folk MuseumCity: Seoul
Country: South Korea
Continent: Asia
National Folk Museum, Seoul, South Korea, Asia
Overview
In the heart of Seoul, the National Folk Museum of Korea (국립민속박물관) preserves and shares the country’s traditional culture, from handwoven hanbok to the rhythms of village festivals.At the museum, you can explore Korea’s history and traditions through centuries-old pottery, vivid exhibits, and hands-on displays.The museum sits inside Gyeongbokgung Palace, the historic heart of Seoul, where the echo of footsteps on stone courtyards deepens its cultural significance.The National Folk Museum of Korea opened in 1945, right after Korea’s liberation from Japanese rule, to safeguard the nation’s traditions and cultural identity-like the intricate stitching of a hanbok passed down for generations.It first stood just outside Gyeongbokgung Palace, then, in 1993, moved inside the grounds to where it stands today.Being so close to the historic palace lets the museum bring to life the stories of everyday Koreans, from ancient markets bustling with pottery and spice to the present day.The museum safeguards Korean folk culture and invites visitors-locals and travelers alike-to discover its rich heritage, from the bright threads of traditional hanbok to the rhythm of ancient drums.The National Folk Museum sits in a sleek, modern building whose clean lines echo the curved roofs and wooden eaves of Gyeongbokgung Palace.The building mixes sleek, modern lines with touches of traditional Korean design, like curved roof eaves, striking a graceful balance between old and new.Set inside Gyeongbokgung Palace, the museum stands as a quiet reminder of the gap between royal life behind carved wooden gates and the everyday world captured in its exhibits.The museum’s main exhibitions and collections explore the lives of Korean people across the centuries, highlighting folk culture and traditional customs-like the vibrant patterns on a hand-stitched hanbok.You’ll find three main halls and several themed galleries, each inviting you to step into a different corner of Korean life-one might echo with the slow beat of a traditional drum, another lined with bright silk hanbok.First.The museum is split into three main thematic halls.In Hall 1, *The Life of Koreans in the Past*, you’ll find scenes of daily life-like wooden rice bowls and worn hemp clothes-that bring the story of ordinary Koreans through history to life.You’ll see a mix of tools, furniture, and everyday household goods-some worn smooth with age-that Koreans used from ancient times right through the Joseon Dynasty (1392–1897).Visitors can browse artifacts like worn wooden plows, handwoven textiles, and sturdy old chairs, each revealing glimpses of everyday life-cooking over a fire, scrubbing clothes by hand, tending the fields.Hall 2, *The Life of Koreans in the Modern Period*, shows how daily traditions shifted as modern technology arrived and Western ideas took root-like electric lights flickering on in a once-lantern-lit home.It traces Korea’s shift from quiet rural villages to bustling city streets, capturing the rapid industrial growth and sweeping modernization that defined the 20th century.The hall also showcases how families have evolved, how homes are built, and the styles people wear, from heavy wool coats to silk robes.Hall 3, “The Tradition and Culture of Korean Folk Beliefs,” explores the shamanistic rituals and folk traditions that once echoed through village festivals and shaped the heart of Korean culture.The exhibits feature objects tied to shaman rituals, tools for divination, and relics from ancestral rites, like a carved wooden mask worn in midnight ceremonies.Visitors can dive into the rich cultural meaning behind folk traditions, from lively seasonal festivals with music in the streets to intimate rites of passage like weddings and funerals.Number two.Among the museum’s highlights, you’ll find a vivid display of traditional Korean clothing, the flowing silk and bright colors of the hanbok catching the light.The museum displays hanbok in a range of styles, from the simple linen robes of farmers to the silk-embroidered finery once worn by nobles and kings.It also explores the traditions behind making hanbok, the way clothing signaled a person’s social standing, and how these garments were worn in ceremonies-from the bright silks of a wedding to the layered robes marking birthdays and other milestones.Three.The museum showcases a lively mix of folk art and crafts, from hand-painted pottery to smooth carved wood and bright woven textiles.This section shows the kind of craftsmanship once found in Korean homes-the smooth curve of a hand-carved bowl, the quiet artistry of everyday people.Among the highlights are folk paintings, or minhwa, showing familiar scenes of cranes, blooming flowers, and family life, along with ceramics and painted folding screens rich with cultural meaning.Number four.At the museum, you can step inside exhibits of traditional Korean homes, including the graceful wooden hanok (한옥) with its tiled roof.A hanok is a traditional Korean home, and the exhibit lets you step inside its world-showing the sweeping tiled roof, the open courtyard layout, and the warm grain of its wooden beams.The display features a full-scale reconstruction of a traditional hanok, complete with low wooden tables, lacquered chests, and other objects once tucked into its rooms.Visitors can explore the different rooms, from the cozy warmth of the ondol’s heated floor to the smooth wooden maru, where families once gathered to talk, eat, and work together.Five.A lively section of the museum highlights traditional Korean festivals like Seollal, the Lunar New Year, and Chuseok, the autumn harvest celebration, complete with the rituals, songs, and bright silk hanbok that bring them to life.The exhibits display ritual objects, vibrant clothing, and traditional foods once shared at these festivals, along with customs that still thrive in Korea today.The museum shows how these festivals connect to ancestral worship, family bonds, and the rhythms of farming life, giving visitors a sense of why the rituals matter so deeply to Korean identity.The museum features interactive displays and hands-on activities-like turning the wheel of a vintage printing press-making it a great spot for families and students alike.Kids can try their hand at traditional crafts-folding bright paper lanterns, shaping kites that rustle in the breeze-and discover the meaning behind objects once woven into daily Korean life.The museum also hosts special programs-cultural performances with bright drums, hands-on workshops, and engaging lectures-that give visitors a deeper look into Korean folk traditions.School groups and other visitors can join educational activities and guided tours that bring Korea’s history and cultural heritage to life-like standing inside a centuries-old courtyard while hearing the stories it holds.Famous Exhibit: The Traditional Korean Kitchen - step inside and discover the warm heart of a Korean home, where the scent of simmering broth fills the air.That means things like well-worn wooden spoons, heavy stone mortars, and the glazed clay jars where kimchi slowly ferments-a cornerstone of Korean cooking.Farmers’ Tools and Clothing: A showcase of traditional Korean farming gear-plows with worn wooden handles, sharp curved sickles-and the sturdy garments farmers once wore while working long days in the fields.Shamanistic Ritual Objects: Step into Korea’s shamanic traditions, where you’ll find items like a shaman’s feathered hat and other tools used in sacred rites.
