Making Mulberry Paper With Your Own Hands — Hanji Craft at Namsangol Hanok Village

Have you ever felt hanji — the thick traditional paper made by pounding mulberry bark — with your own hands? At a hanok (traditional wooden house) village tucked at the foot of Namsan Mountain in the middle of Seoul, you can cut and paste this paper yourself to make a small keepsake.

At a glance: Location 28 Toegye-ro 34-gil, Jung-gu, Seoul (Namsangol Hanok Village Traditional Craft Center) · Running April 3-Oct. 25, 2026, every Friday, Saturday and Sunday · Hours 10 a.m.-4 p.m. (excluding lunch break noon-1 p.m.), about 50 minutes per session · Choose from hanji paper craft, embroidery craft, bojagi wrapping-cloth craft, mother-of-pearl inlay, making traditional sweets, making accessories, or making a traditional bow · Group inquiries 02-6358-5538.

Sit down at the hanji craft table and the first thing you do is run your fingers over thin sheets of the paper. You can feel the distinctive texture left by pounding mulberry bark for a long time, and each time you dab a bit of paste and layer another piece, a faint papery scent rises. Cutting colorful hanji with scissors and pasting it onto a card or small box is forgiving of mistakes — you can just paste over them — so it's low-pressure even if you're not particularly good with your hands. The slightly rough yet thick texture of the finished piece in your hand is something machine-pressed paper simply can't match.

The craft center sits among several restored hanok, moved and rebuilt to represent both noble and commoner homes from the Joseon dynasty, so it's worth wandering the tiled roofs and courtyards before or after your session. It's within walking distance of Chungmuro Station (Lines 3 and 4), making it easy to pair with a Myeong-dong or Namsan itinerary for a half-day trip.

Each session has limited spots by day, so you may not be able to join on a walk-in basis — it's safer to check availability at the craft center before you go. Groups can call ahead at the number above.