Today, we took a break from company visits to participate in some leisure activities as a group. We started our day by visiting the Bukchon Hanok Village, which is a traditional Korean neighborhood located in the Jongno District. The prefix han- refers to any customary aspect of Korean culture. For example, the word hanbok describes the traditional Korean dresses worn by men and women. The Bukchon Hanok Village was beautiful; although compact, we were able to visit a variety of food and retail stores. We spent our morning walking along cobblestone streets and admiring the tiled architecture of Korean homes.

Later in the day, we returned to the Jogyesa temple to celebrate Buddha’s birthday. Buddha’s birthday is a Buddhist festival which is a national holiday in Korea. The date follows the lunar calendar, and consequently changes every year. We enjoyed our time at the temple by receiving quaint lotus flower pins, touring the temple grounds, and admiring the spectacular lanterns hung by the temple staff. In our spare time, we visited the shops surrounding the temple. We observed several bracelets which pertained to the animals of the lunar calendar. We also had the opportunity to try dried lotus fruit chips which were very tasty. Although our return to Jogyesa was short, it was an extremely enjoyable experience.

Finally, we finished our day at the Insadong markets which are traditional street markets crowded by both foreigners and Korean citizens alike. In a previous visit to Korea, I had visited Insadong before, though it was refreshing to revisit the lined streets and floral decorations. The stores at Insadong sold handmade Korean artwork, silver and jade jewelry, and a variety of souvenirs. At the end of our time at Insadong, we were able to watch a traditional Korean dice rolling game and spent time with fellow travelers visiting the market. Our day of leisure was an extremely rewarding and memorable opportunity to relax in the final period before our departure.