UNESCO hail the hanok regeneration and preservation of Bukchon
One of the proudest moments in Mayor Oh Sea Hoon’s first term as Mayor of Seoul came in September 2009 when UNESCO awarded the city for its work to “conserve the historic and cultural landscape of Bukchon,” as described glowingly by the Chosun Ilbo newspaper . . . .
Seoul Traditional Homes Project Wins UNESCO Award
Seoul’s Bukchon project has won the UNESCO Asia-Pacific Heritage Awards, city officials said Monday. It is the first time for Korea to win the award. The Bukchon project aims to conserve the historic and cultural landscape of the area, including traditional Korean homes or hanok.
The awards have been given to outstanding achievements in conserving or restoring architectural heritage in the Asia-Pacific region since 2000.
UNESCO said one of the Awards of Distinction went to the Hanok Regeneration in Bukchon project since it “has brought about a striking change in people’s attitudes to the city’s residential quarters. With successful collaboration among the municipality, community members, academics and citizens, the large-scale project has raised awareness about the heritage value of the hanok and preserved an important traditional Korean architectural legacy.”
A casual visitor to Bukchon, walking northwards from Anguk subway station, passing the Constitutional Court, is walking along a street that was lined with hanoks. Perhaps they may wonder what the words “hanok,” “preservation,” “heritage” mean to the Mayor and his colleagues at City Hall. They might also be forgiven for questioning UNESCO’s powers of observation.
David Kilburn