On Insadong Street, one can experience the harmony of antique and modern art and cultural traditions in the midst of hectic urban life. One can also purchase various traditional handcrafts and ceramics which reflect the beat and taste of Korea. Entering Insadong, you may think that you visited a street museum with all the large and small art galleries, antique and modern art shops including ceramic ware stores, bookstores, ateliers, traditional restaurants, and traditional teahouses. More than 100 antique shops, old bookstores, and ateliers exhibit all types of products, such as antique drawings, wooden tableware, metallic wares, earthen dishes from the Silla Dynasty, and ceramic ware from the Joseon Dynasty, which give you an authentic taste of Korea.

Insadong is also home to dozens of art galleries, making it the biggest art district in Seoul. Insadong Street and the Bukchon area, or North Village, are where the old narrow streets of Joseon Dynasty still exist as they did for centuries. Connecting the hanok, or traditional house, conservation zone of Bukchon and Jongno, Insadong Street has a large number of narrow alleys that look like a complex spider web. The alleys that have survived the changing times are all interconnected to the main street of Insadong.

It is after 1910 that Insadong started to look like today¡¯s Insadong. During the Japanese colonial period, antique shops and old bookstores, which started to line the streets, transformed Insadong into the street of antique art and books. After independence, traditional Korean art products were sold in Insadong, and this place became the street of traditional culture. Around that time, visitors began to call Insadong ¡°Mary¡¯s Alley¡± because it was the most common place where foreigners can experience the diversity of Korean culture.

Insadong Street is far removed from the hustle and bustle of the busy metropolis. Walking down the street, the visitors can see the traditional and cultural side of Seoul. Antique shops, old stationers and shops specializing in traditional accessories and handcrafts dot the main street of Insadong. Insadong Street, which was once a street of high culture, became a street of popular culture in the 1980s when art galleries, frame shops and traditional teahouses began sprouting up. Today, the area has become a market place of Korean culture, where tourists can get a feel for Korean traditionals.

Automobiles have been banned from Insadong on weekends since 1997, dramatically increasing the number of visitors to the area. An average of 20,000 to 30,000 people visit Insadong on weekdays while on weekends and holidays, an average of 70,000 visitors walk through the area. Insadong has become a favorite tourist spot that attracts many foreign dignitaries.

Several galleries and old bookshops such as Gana Art Shop, Hakgojae and Seungmungak line Insadong Street. Indeed, one of the attractions of Insadong is that one can enjoy works of art while walking down the street. Kyung In Museum of Fine Art, housed in a renovated hanok once inhabited by Park Young-hyo, a late- Joseon period politician, is a must-see attraction. Dawon, a traditional teahouse located inside the gallery is an ideal place to rest after a leisurely stroll along the street.

To explore the interesting places of these small side alleys, one can get a vast amount of information from three Tourism Information Centers that are located on the main street.

The biggest attraction in Insadong is, of course, its antique shops. Accounting for 40% of Korea¡¯s antique shops, the shops in Insadong display and sell quality antiques such as old paintings, ceramics, wood work, metalware, furniture and many other valuable items. Among them, ceramics are especially well represented along the street.

Numerous antique shops are renowned for specific merchandise: Tongmungwan for old documents, Haedonggodoja Research Institute for ceramics, Godosa for daily utensils of the past, Dongmundang and Gondhwarang for calligraphy supplies and Gayajae for old furniture.

Art galleries began to settle in Insadong from the 19th century. There are about 70 art galleries in the district. Galleries in Insadong sell and display both modern art pieces and antiques. The price of artworks range from a few dollars to tens of thousands. Exhibitions are frequently held in these galleries and give Korean artists a chance to gather. Insa Art Gallery and Gyeongin Art Gallery are the most famous.

Most hanbok, or traditional Korean costume, shops in the region sell a simplified, modern version of hanbok. Hanbok usually costs about $200, but the price of top-quality hanbok can go up to a few thousand dollars. Jilgyeongyi Wuriot is the most famous hanbok shop there. Ceramics is another popular shopping item in Insadong. Good quality ceramics have a clean color and make a pure sound when tapped with a finger. Bakyeongsukyo is a famous ceramics shop, which was visited by Queen Elizabeth of England. If hanbok or ceramics are too expensive, traditional- style daily items might be a good alternative. Wuri Segye, Sori Hana, or Tongin Gagye are good places for souvenirs such as silk pouches, Oriental fans or mobile phone strings.

Gana Art Shop inside Insa Art Center offers traditional high-quality items.

Awon Gongbang features metal crafted products, and the National Souvenir Center and Seoul Souvenir Shops are also famous.

Most restaurants in Insadong are in alleys near Sudo Pharmacy. Traditional restaurants in Insadong serve Korean dishes cooked without artificial seasonings in remodeled Korean houses. Sanchon serves good vegetarian temple food along with traditional music performances which include Buddhist dances. The restaurant Jirisan is famous for delicious dishes that offers a truly traditional homemade Korean taste. Sadongmyeonok is famous for manduguk, or dumpling soup. Insadong Hangari Sujebi is known for sujebi which is clear soup with wheat flakes. Gaetmaeul Milbatjip has kalguksu noodle soup.

There are also several teahouses such as Jeontong Dawon, Gwicheon and Yetchatjip that serve a variety of Korea¡¯s traditional teas.

Despite the changing times, Insadong has maintained its essence as a street where traditional culture still thrives. Today, the area is a place where visitors can learn about Korean culture. Insadong does not only represent a showcase of the Korean culture. It also serves as the venue of important historical moments. The Cathedral Headquarters of Cheongdogyo (Tangible Cultural Asset No. 36) and Dohwawon, the home of painting during the Joseon Dynasty, are located in Insadong. Further, Insadong is the origin of the 1919 Independence Movement against Japanese colonial rule and the place where you can find the milestone erected in 1986 to designate the center of Seoul.

The writer is a journalist based in Seoul.