I am recently into neighborhoods of Buam-dong, Chebu-dong, Cheongun-dong, and Gahoe-dong in Seoul. Those neighborhoods all belong to Jongno-gu and none of them is well-known as a tourist attraction. Indeed, I can’t think of any famous landmark in those areas. What I am fascinated by are rather narrow old streets, unique small shops, hipster hanok cafes, the spectacular scenery of Inwangsan, and all the lesser known cultural properties.
So, nowadays when I have some free time, I go exploring nooks and crannies in these neighborhoods. My most recent visit was to Chungwoon Literature Library. I had wanted to visit this library for a couple of years but I managed to visit there only 2 weeks ago. Well, I am a huge fan of libraries. So, I had known I would love this library and yes indeed I had such a great time.
Location
It is a bit far from subway stations so you will need to take a bus. I got off at Gyeongbokgung station and made a transfer to a bus (take a bus 1020, 7022 or 7212 and get off at the stop, Jahamun Pass, Poet Yoon Dongju’s Hill).
It looks like a Seodang, a private school for basic education during the Joseon dynasty. Of course, I’ve never seen any Seodang but if there was one, it would look like this.
The library sign written in Korean looks gorgeous with a hanok background.
You can read a poem in this beautiful pavilion enjoying the panoramic view of mountains and the sound of the artificial waterfall.
I brought my own book and read it in the pavilion for about an hour. But, you don’t have to bring your own books. The library consists of two stories and there are more than 17,000 books on the lower level. In addition, if you are a resident of Seoul you can make a library card and borrow books. Regardless if you are a book lover or not, I believe it is still worth visiting this hanok library. 😉
Chungwoon Literature Library
Website : https://www.jfac.or.kr/site/main/content/chungwoon01
Address : 40 Jahamun-ro 36-gil, Cheongunhyoja-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul
Operating Hours : Tuesday-Saturday 10:00~22:00, Sunday 10:00~19:00
Closed on Mondays
Telephone: 070-4680-4032~3
