With a name like the Seoul Museum of History, you think to know exactly what you’ll find inside. It’s only once you go inside that you find something completely different. Of course it’s a museum, and of course it’s about Seoul. It’s also one of the most interactive displays of history I’ve ever seen, although sometimes the interactive side can get in the way.
Across the street just before you arrive – one of the arm moved up and down, as though he were a smith of some kind.
A few of the things to see outside the museum, without anything in terms of English explanation.
The museum opened in May 2002 with the goal of displaying Seoul’s history, especially the Joseon dynasty (1592-1910). At one point it seemed as though almost all of the displays were of this time period, especially the later part. Thankfully, the museum had enough material from before and after (as recently as the Korean War) to balance things out.
The 700 won entrance fee (about 50 US cents) was easily paid; once inside, I saw the following (and slightly curious scene):
The kid and mom were applying pressure on a piece of paper above an ink-covered plate to create a hand-pressed map of Seoul. Nifty 🙂
It was about now that I was approached by someone from the museum. Did I want to borrow one of the museum’s free video players to use during my visit? Um, sure, why not? I thought. Another person took my ID card to make sure I wouldn’t run off with their fancy device, and off I went.
It’s at this point I should mention something very important: this video player / personal media player thing rocked! Stand facing virtually any exhibit with a white headphones logo (kind of hard to see, but most exhibits behind glass had one), and the location-sensing part would pick up you’re closest to the documents… or the old map… or something else. The device would recite a description of the item (sometimes in a female robo-voice and other times by a human), then show a few different pictures of the item. It became the most enthralling part of the museum – and it was almost too easy to forget about the actual exhibits. I’m only guessing here, but I’m pretty sure the video player thing is supposed to complement the exhibits, not the other way around. Most of the exhibits had descriptions in Korean only, so without the video player an English speaker probably wouldn’t understand the importance / relevance of given items.
A general display of life in Korea.
One of the dresses a noblewoman would wear.
Pots, pans, and quite a bit of food.
Some panels describing a scholar’s accomplishments.
Entering a kids’ area – dress the Korean with a fancy hairdo in any one of several hanbok. If it sounds like playing with paper dolls you’re not too far off.
A sliding puzzle showing a map of Seoul from the Joseon dynasty. It’s rather hard, to say the least.
A large reproduction of a painting that shows part of a royal ceremony. If you click on the picture for a larger version, you’ll discover that each one of those little dots is a person – that’s a lot of mouths to feed…
One of the robes / costumes a king wore, with virtually everything on it having a symbolic meaning.
Although there was another area of donated collection and a special exhibition hall, I felt my brain turning to mush from information overload. The permanent exhibition – complete with the life of people in Seoul, urban development, and the culture of Seoul – was enough. I may venture back to see the rest; it certainly won’t break the bank.
As a final note, the museum is foreigner-friendly. From signs in four languages to complete descriptions on their video player devices, some time went into making the place accessible for everyone. Go on a free afternoon and learn something about Seoul even the residents don’t know.
Directions to Seoul Museum of History: Take line 5 of the Seoul subway system to the Gwanghwamun station. Take exit 7 to street level, then do an immediate 180 degree turn to the left. Turn right at the road about 10 meters away, then walk about 350 meters until the road bears left. The museum should be straight in front of you.
