Buam-dong

Buam-dong is a neighbourhood of Jongno-gu tucked into the valley between Inwangsan and Bugaksan. Being so close to the former presidential compound, it spent decades under military and green-belt restrictions, so there are almost no tall buildings and its winding lanes and old country villas have survived. Take a bus from Gyeongbokgung Station over Jahamun Pass and you can spend half a day on foot between a city wall gate, a royal villa and the hill where a famous poet walked.

Named after a rock

The name Buam (付岩), "sticking rock", comes from a boulder about 2 m tall that once stood here. Legend said that if you rubbed a pebble against it as many times as your age and it stuck when you let go, you would have a son. In the Joseon era this scenic valley just outside the capital's north-west gate drew royals and powerful families, who built country villas here. Prince Anpyeong, King Sejong's third son, is said to have built his pavilion Mugyejeongsa here because the valley resembled a paradise he had seen in a dream; the painter An Gyeon recorded that dream in the celebrated Dream Journey to the Peach Blossom Land.

What you can walk to

• Changuimun Gate: the north-west of the four small gates of the Seoul City Wall, also called Jahamun. It was built with the wall in 1396, and the present gatehouse dates from 1741. It is the only one of the four small gates whose historic gatehouse survives. The wall trail up Bugaksan (Baegaksan) starts beside it.
• Seokpajeong: originally the villa of Kim Heung-geun, chief state councillor under King Cheoljong. After the Heungseon Daewongun acquired it, he named it Seokpajeong after his own pen name. Broad rock slabs, a stream and old pines make up the garden, and the characters "Samgyedong" are still carved in a rock. It is now looked after by the private Seoul Museum, and you enter through the museum.
• Mugyewon: a traditional-culture space built in hanok style near the site of Prince Anpyeong's villa. The characters "Mugyedong" carved into a rock there are thought to be in the prince's own hand.
• Baeksasil Valley (Baekseokdongcheon): in the woods behind Bugaksan lie the remains of a 19th-century villa, with building platforms, a pond and a rock carved with the words "Baekseokdongcheon". It was designated a national Scenic Site in 2008, and despite being minutes from the city you hear only water and birds.
• Yun Dong-ju Literature Museum and Poet's Hill: a museum created in an old water-pressure station at Jahamun Pass. Its galleries keep the original concrete water tanks, and the hill behind it looks out over downtown Seoul, a popular night-view spot.

The neighbourhood's other side

At Jahamun Pass stands a statue of Choi Gyu-sik, the Jongno police chief killed in 1968 while stopping North Korean commandos heading for the presidential residence. Deeper in the lanes a marker shows where the novelist Hyun Jin-geon once lived. Rice mills and barbershops from the 1960s and 70s sit next to small cafés and galleries, so everyday neighbourhood life and new shops share the same streets.

Tripto tips

• Getting there: from Exit 3 of Gyeongbokgung Station (Line 3), take bus 1020, 7022 or 7212 and get off at "Jahamun Pass / Yun Dong-ju Literature Museum" or "Buam-dong Community Center". There is no subway station in Buam-dong itself.
• Suggested route: Yun Dong-ju Literature Museum → Changuimun → Buam-dong lanes and Seokpajeong → Baeksasil Valley. Allow 3–4 hours.
• Best time: late October to early November, when Inwangsan and Baeksasil turn red and gold, or May for fresh green.
• Watch out: many paths are steep and uneven, so wear comfortable shoes. Parking is very limited, so use public transport. People live here, so keep your voice down in the lanes.
• Check ahead: Seokpajeong (Seoul Museum) and Mugyewon keep their own opening days and hours, so check their notices if you plan to go in.