Korea's traditional arts and crafts find new life in Bukchon

“In the narrow, climbing alleys of Bukchon, where the heavy tiled roofs of traditional hanok houses frame the skyline of modern Seoul, visitors are increasingly being invited to do more than simply observe. They are being asked to create. Jongno District Office said Tuesday that it will expand its roster of traditional craft programs beginning this month, offering 46 distinct workshops at the Bukchon Traditional Craft Experience Center. The move comes as global interest in hands-on heritage tourism surges, with travelers increasingly seeking tactile connections to history rather than the passive experience of a museum tour. The programs, organized in collaboration with 16 local artisan studios, offer a rare bridge between the Joseon-era aesthetics of the neighborhood and modern sensibilities. Among the new additions this year is a workshop dedicated to crafting key rings in the shape of a "gat" — the iconic horsehair hat once worn by aristocratic men in the Joseon Dynasty (1392 to 1897) — as well as classes in traditional weaving and ceramic repair. These join a rotating schedule of

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