Mokin Museum in Insadong, Seoul

A visit to the Mokin Museum in Insadong, Seoul is the perfect complement to the Chicken Art Museum. Mokins are wooden figures used to decorate funeral carriages. If you read my previous post on the Chicken Museum, wooden chicken figures were used on the carriage as well. It was believed that chickens can guide the dead to the next world so that they won’t get lost.

There are a lot more animals that decorate the carriages as well as plants and fictional beings. The Mokin Museum has a massive collection (5000 pieces) of them but since it’s a small museum can only display a very small part of it.

The museum is located in Insadong. Opposite the Jogyesa Temple is a Buddhist culture and information center. Right next to the center is a small street where the museum is located. There are two Italian restaurants in that street one of which is Palazzo Due which is next to the museum. On the basement floor of the museum is a two-part gallery which doesn’t exhibit wooden figures. The actual museum is in the floor above, take the steps and pay at the counter (5000 Won).

Now you can see the figures!

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Ssamziegil

“Ssamziegil” written twice in different styles

I still don’t know how to pronounce this word, but Ssamziegil is definitely the best place in Insadong. It’s a culture centre with lots of art, craft and other stores. The things they sell there are usually not the ones you can find in the many tourist shops of Insadong.

The whole place has an alternative feel. For example, there are four floors but you don’t need to climb stairs (although you can, and there’s an elevator as well) since you basically walk upwards. The goods you can buy there are not cheap, however.

Crafts in Insadong & Veggie restaurant

After walking a bit aimlessly around Seoul I felt hungry and I took the subway 3 (the orange one) to Anguk. I love the Insadong area, especially the nice mall which has four floors but no stairs: It is constructed in such a way that you neither have to use the elevator (although there is one) nor use the stairs. Some cafes, restaurants and a place where you can pose as a cover girl/boy are on the top floors, while the rest s filled with crafts. Really nice stuff and great if you are looking for gifts. With my money reserves already depleted, I was window shopping only.