Operation of Nowon-gu Choansan Ceramic Experience Center & Woodcraft Experience Center

Choansan Ceramic Experience Center located at San 17-7, Wolgye-dong offers customized programs from one-day experiences to regular specialized practice classes

Mokgongye Experience Center (Mokyewon) in Hwarangdae Railroad Park offers 20 items to choose from, including pencil holders, bookstands, and chairs, with varying difficulty levels

Fully committed to discovering and operating various leisure programs to complete a healing city that adds rest to nature

Nowon-gu (District Mayor Oh Seung-rok) announced that it is operating the ‘Ceramic Experience Center’ and ‘Woodcraft Experience Center’ so that the whole family can enjoy a healthy leisure life.

The Choansan Ceramic Experience Center was established in 2020 at San 17-7, Wolgye-dong, at the foot of Choansan. It is equipped with two experience rooms, an exhibition room, and a kiln room for firing ceramics.

The experience programs are broadly divided into ▲occasional classes for one-day experiences ▲regular classes on a monthly basis. In the one-day experience, where families and friends can bond by making ceramics on weekends, activities include painting on bisque plates and making tableware, flowerpots, and other ceramics.

The tuition fee is 15,000 KRW per person. The ceramics made by participants go through a process of drying, firing, glazing, and cooling over about a month, after which they can be picked up in person or received by delivery.

The regular classes are further divided by age into children’s class (ages 5-7), elementary class, working adult class, and adult class. The children’s and elementary classes foster aesthetic sensibility and develop creative cognition through exploration activities related to sensory experiences, expression methods, and principles of design elements. Programs such as drawing with natural materials, mud play, and character making are held on Saturdays. The monthly tuition fee is 40,000 KRW.

Choan Mountain Ceramic Experience Center Children's Class

The working adult and adult classes focus on making tableware, flowerpots, and interior accessories. With consistent education, participants can advance from basic skills to expert levels. The working adult class is held on Friday evenings, and the adult class on Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday afternoons. The monthly tuition fee is 60,000 KRW. Discounts are available based on criteria for seniors (65 years and older), persons with disabilities, and holders of the Multi-child Happiness Card.

The ceramic experience center operates by reservation through the district website. Applications for the next month’s programs open at 10 a.m. on the 9th of each month. As more people seek psychological healing through pottery in nature, about 4,000 visitors came last year. Around the experience center, there is an ecological park featuring a lawn plaza, walking trails, and a science playground for children, where anyone can rest anytime.

At 606 Hwarang-ro, next to Hwarangdae Railroad Park, there is the Woodcraft Experience Center (Mokyewon). Its programs are divided into ▲experience woodcraft ▲practical woodcraft. Experience woodcraft is open to individuals and groups from elementary school age and up, allowing participants to choose from 19 items of varying difficulty, from relatively easy pencil holders and bookstands to advanced-level storage boxes and bookshelves. Operating hours are Tuesday to Friday from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. and 2 p.m. to 4 p.m., and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.

The practical woodcraft class targets individuals and groups from high school age and up, where participants use various tools such as electric drills, wood burning tools, saws, and electric sanders to make wooden chairs. Since the work is strenuous, it is recommended to participate in pairs or groups. Operating hours are Saturdays from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.

Woodworking Experience

The experience fee is 2,000 KRW per person plus material costs ranging from 3,000 to 15,000 KRW depending on the item. Reservations must be made in advance through the Nowon-gu Office website, and payment is made by card on the day of the experience. With the DIY trend of making furniture and various woodcraft items, about 4,000 people visited last year. Next to the experience center, there is also a Wooden Imagination Playground for preschool children aged 3 to 7.

District Mayor Oh Seung-rok said, “I hope that families and couples will have a time to gift each other memories and emotions while experiencing ceramics and woodcraft,” and added, “We will continue to actively discover and operate leisure programs so that residents can enjoy various experiences.”