Enjoy royal court cuisine and admire ancient relics on a cultural mini-trip in Seoul!

▲ The building of Korea House in Seoul was reconstructed in a royal court style.

Reported and photographed by Chen Shichang / Seoul

In addition to its diverse shopping and fashion attractions, Seoul also offers many interesting and enriching cultural and artistic venues. Examples include Korea House, which blends tradition with cuisine, the Samsung Museum of Art with its ultra-modern exterior housing an extensive collection of Korean antiquities, and the daily non-stop performance of "Sketchbook Hero" on the 5th floor of Seoul Theater — all ideal for a cultural mini-trip in Seoul.

▲ The Samsung Museum of Art houses many Korean antiquities. (Photo provided by Samsung Museum of Art)

Samsung Museum of Art
What makes the Samsung Museum of Art unique is that all its collections and exhibits are genuine artifacts. This is because the founder of the Samsung Group, Lee Byung-chul, emphasized the importance of cultural heritage. He began collecting high-value cultural relics that are now too expensive to acquire. Additionally, the museum has strict selection criteria for artworks and even offers Samsung phones for synchronized audio guides.

▲ External installation art at the Samsung Museum of Art (left, photo from Visit Korea). Right: Samsung phones are provided for synchronized guided tours. (Photo provided by Samsung Museum of Art)

The museum interior is divided into three themed sections, each with its own entrance. MUSEUM 1 is the best place to explore Korean antiquities, art, and culture, while MUSEUM 2 showcases modern and contemporary art from Korea and abroad. Language is not a barrier at the Samsung Museum of Art, as multilingual audio guide devices offer synchronized commentary almost everywhere you go.

Korea House
Korean royal court cuisine, best known for its “Hanjeongsik” (Korean royal table d’hôte), features iconic set meals such as “Dae Jang Geum.” The menu includes five-seed plates (five kinds of dried fruits), nine-fold wraps (nine types of rolled items), and royal kimchi — all deeply traditional flavors, but quite pricey. Lunch costs 45,000 KRW (about NT$1,600), while dinner can go up to 230,000 KRW (about NT$6,400). There’s one dining session per evening, followed by one-hour performances, totaling two shows.

▲ Traditional Korean royal court dishes served as Hanjeongsik at Korea House: Five-seed plate (left: five kinds of dried fruits, including raw chestnuts that can be eaten directly, along with dried dates and cuttlefish). Nine-fold wraps (right: julienned cucumber, egg, beef, etc.).

% Strong emphasis is placed on using local ingredients sourced together.