A Glimpse into the Lives of Old City Residents: Exhibition at Huso, Suwon
[By Hwang Su-jin]
An exhibition, 《Stories of Life in the Castle Town》, is being held at 'Huso (後素),' an open cultural space located in Haenggung-dong, under Paldalsan Mountain in Suwon, Gyeonggi Province.
Let's take a moment to look back on the lives and emotions of the people who once lived within the castle walls.
A Place Holding 200 Years of History, ‘Huso’
Exterior view of Huso ⓒ Hwang Su-jin
Walking about 200m along Haenggung-gil Road, you'll find
a charming garden and a two-story house that
captures your attention.
This is 'Huso,' an open cultural space
for citizens.
This space is a grand mansion called '99-kan House,' built in 1861.
After serving as the residence of Yangseongwan, it was divided in the 1970s,
with only a portion preserved at the Korean Folk Village.
On plot 28, 'Dr. Baek's Clinic,' designed by architect Kim Seok-chul, who also designed the Seoul Arts Center in 1977, was built.
In 2017, Suwon City purchased it and
reborn it as the Huso Oh Ju-seok Memorial Space.
The interior is designed as an exhibition and education space,
while the second floor houses a library and the 'Oh Ju-seok Study.'
It officially opened to the public in September 2018.
Theme Exhibition 《Stories of Life in the Castle Town》
The current administrative district
of the Suwon Hwaseong Fortress village is Haenggung-dong,
and the legal districts consist of Namchang-dong, Namsu-dong, Maehyang-dong, Buksu-dong, Jangan-dong, and
Sinpung-dong.
The items in this exhibition were collected by (주)더페이퍼 and
exhibited under the name 'Alley Museum' in the Myosu Temple space in Suwon in 2016,
and then donated to the Suwon Museum in 2021.
Clothing of Castle Residents ⓒ Hwang Su-jin
Bridal chests, Joseon-era irons,
old sewing machines, and clubs, etc. Through the exhibition of clothing-related tools used by women,
it vividly shows the lifestyle of the time.
Food of Castle Residents ⓒ Hwang Su-jin
Enameled lunch boxes, side dish containers,
small dining tables, etc.
You can see the beauty and solidity of traditional food culture.
There are head chests, chamber pots, and buckets, named because they were placed at the head of the room.
Everyday items with traces of life are in place,
so you can see the old residential culture.
Oh Ju-seok's Study
Overall view of the study ⓒ Hwang Su-jin
Going up to the second floor along the wooden stairs,
there is the study and art history archive of Oh Ju-seok (1956-2005), a representative art historian of Suwon,
and a resting place.
The name of the open cultural space 'Huso' also
comes from his pen name.
He is credited with sparking public interest in old paintings, including those of Kim Hong-do, through various writings and exhibition planning.
Nearby Attractions
View of the Craft Street and Suwon Museum of Art ⓒ Hwang Su-jin
The Craft Street where Huso is located is
a workshop street where Haenggung-dong artists gather to work,
and it is a space where various workshops and artists' works are exhibited and sold.
Also, the Suwon Museum of Art, located a 10-minute walk away,
《If you come at 4, I'll be happy from 3》
(~2026.02.22.),
《Lingering Moments, Flowing Hearts》(~2026.01.11.),
The 《Symbiosis》 (2026.03.02.) exhibition is in progress.
In closing
The household items in the exhibition are not just simple objects, but
'small histories' containing memories and stories of life.
For young children,
it sparks curiosity about unfamiliar objects they see for the first time,
and for adults, it evokes old memories.
It presents memories.
Through this exhibition, it was a time to look back on our current daily lives.
The objects we use are also
sometime in the future, with new stories to another generation.
I don't know if it will be delivered.
■ Information
✔️ Hours: 09:00~18:00 (Last admission 17:00)
✔️ Closed: Every Monday, public holidays
✔️ Admission: Free
✔️ Address: 34-2, Haenggung-ro, Paldal-gu, Suwon-si, Gyeonggi-do
✔️ Parking: Use nearby public parking lots
Source :https://blog.naver.com/gyeonggi_gov/224090924237
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