Many people flock to the Bukchon neighbor in Seoul to take pictures of the traditional hanbok houses. The Baek In-Je House Museum is one that you can enter into and view what it is like to live in one of these traditional Korean houses.
Bukchon, often referred to as the Bukchon Hanok Village, is a popular destination of tourists to visit. This neighborhood can be found in between the two main palaces in Seoul, Gyeongbokgung Palace and Changbokgung Palace.
Because of its proximity to the palaces, the area was a favorite of many senior government officials. They would live in hanoks or traditional Korean houses made out of wood.
Even today, the neighborhood is home to the rich and you can only admire the hanboks from the outside.
However, if you are curious to enter into a hanok, there is one that is open to the public – the Baek In-Je House Museum.
History of the Baek In-Je House
The Baek In-Je House gets its name from the last person to have purchased the house, Dr Baek In-je.
However, the history of the houses stretches back to decades before to the turn of the 20th century.
The house was originally built in 1913 by Han Sang-ryong, an executive worked at the Hanseong Bank. He lived in the house from July 3, 1913 but fell into debt. This resulted in him having to transfer the ownership of the house over to the Hanseong Bank on June 29, 1928.
During the period when the house was under the ownership of the Hanseong Bank, it was rented out to a religious group known as Cheondogyo or Religion of the Heavenly Way. It was used as a space for meetings and as accommodation for members that were visiting Seoul from other parts of the country.
In January 1935, the house was bought over by Choi Seon-ik. He was a wealthy publisher and journalist who had taken over the Joseon JungAng Ilbo newspaper in 1932.
The house stayed in Choi’s possession till 1944 when ownership was transferred to Dr Baek In-Je, the most renown surgeon of the time and founder of Paik Hospital. It stayed in his family till ownership was transferred to the Seoul Metropolitan Government in November 2009.
The Baek In-Je House Museum opened to the public in November 2015, allowing the public to visit and have a look inside a Korean hanok or traditional house.
Visiting a Hanok at Bukchon Village: What to See & Expect at Baek In-Je House
The Baek In-Je House Museum occupies 2,460 square meters of land at Bukchon Hanok Village. Set on the side of hill, it commands an impressive view of the village.
A hanok is normally made up of a sarangechar (men’s quarters), anchae (women’s quarters) byeoldanchae (detached quarters) and gardens.
The Baek In-Je House is built out of black pine. This is a material that was first introduced at the Gyeongseong Exposition in 1907, just six years before it was built.
As you enter into the Baek In-Je House Museum, you will be greeted by the main gate or daemungauchae.
Typical of the homes of noble families from the Joseon dynasty, the main gate was elevated higher than the surrounding walls. This gave it an air of dignity.
Climb up the imposing stone stairs to reach the beautiful wooden doorway.
Beyond the main gate is the hanok’s lush and beautiful garden with the sarangchae on the left. This was the men’s quarters, where the masters of the house like Han Sang-ryong would have lived.
It also functioned as the reception area and study.
The garden was the public space where social functions would have been held and guests entertained. Together, the sarangchae and the garden occupy half the area of the entire house.
If you go around to the rear of the sarangchae, you will arrive at an inner courtyard.
The building to the left is the anchae or the women’s quarters.
One of the unique features of the Baek In-Je hanok is that the men’s quarters and women’s quarters are connected. Traditionally, men and women’s areas were separate from each other.
In the Baek In-Je House Museum, the sarangchae and anchae are connected by a hallway, allowing residents to move between both parts of the house.
You can enter into the house to view the Japanese-style hallways and tatami rooms.
Red bricks and glass windows were also used in its construction, reflecting the hanok’s modern style.
You can also view the bedroom at the anchae.
The anchae is also special because it has a second floor, a rare feature during the time when it was built.
Take a look at the rear of the anchae to view the kitchen. This is where you can also view the underfloor heating system or ondol. By burning wood, heated air flows under the floor to a chimney at the other end of the house, heating the floor of the house.
A collection of earthenware pots in the garden show where kimchi would have been fermented.
You can also head up to the rear of the garden where a detached quarters or byeoldangchae has been built at the highest point of the property.
This served as a relaxation space for the master of the house and also offers the best view of Bukchon village.
Visiting the Baek In-Je House Museum
Baek In-Je House Museum is a must-visit while in Bukchon as it allows you to enter into a hanok and get a view of what it must be like to live in one. This is the only hanok that you can visit at Bukchon as the rest of the buildings are all residential private properties.
It is designated Seoul Folklore Cultural Property No. 22.
Admission to Baek In-Je House Museum is free. Opening hours are Tuesdays to Sundays, 9 am to 6 pm. It is closed on January 1st and Mondays, excluding public holidays.
Do take note that the Baek In-Je House Museum is located in a residential neighborhood and it is best to keep the noise level down in order to avoid disturbing the residents.
The Baek In-Je House Museum is located at 16 Bukchon-ro 7-gil.
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