[The soul of SEOUL(20)]Alleys in Seoul
KOREA HERALD
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This is the 20th in a series of articles highlighting tourism spots in Seoul. The useful guide for planning weekend trips in the capital city will help readers rediscover Seoul. - Ed.
Ihwa-dong Alleys
Seoul, the capital of Korea, is a large city with a population of over 10 million people, state-of-the-art facilities, skyscrapers and palaces. Its streets turn into parking lots in the morning and late at night and the sidewalks are crowded with people. On the surface, Seoul looks like a typical large city, but deep inside it hides treasures unique to Seoul.
Alleys in Seoul
If you have already looked around major tourist spots in Seoul such as Gyeongbokgung, Myeong-dong, and Itaewon and do not know where to go next, then put on your sneakers and head out to Ihwa-dong, where you can see alleys not featured in ordinary tourist booklets.
Rich sewing history
Start your trip in Seoul in Ihwa-dong, at the Amares Villa Village on the left of Yulgok-ro between Ihwa Sageori and Dongdaemun Station. The first thing that catches the eye is the Mihwa Barbershop, which boasts 70 years of history. Its windows are covered with various signs written in Korean, English, and Chinese, such as “好思多心,” “Korea Barbershop,” “커트전문 (professional cut),” etc.
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Pass Mihwa Barbershop and Yeongjin Mart and go up the hill and you will see a wall painting that cleverly incorporates the stone wall. On the wall of the building next to Yeongjin Mart, the painting portrays a man and a woman. It symbolizes the people who worked at some 2,000 sewing factories that used to be clustered here. Some of the factories are still in business, and here and there you can find thread shops and hear sewing machines running. Make sure to look back when you go up the hill because will not see the painting if you keep walking straight.
Flowers that bloom all year round
Right after the hill is a “guldari,” or small tunnel. The right wall at the entrance of the guldari is adorned with tile artwork. Inside the guldari is decorated with children’s paintings on tiles. Pass the guldari and cross the small bridge called Dongsunggyo and you will see a 360-degree panoramic view of the alley. Keep going up and you will see a statue that looks like a man or a monkey.
After the spiral street, a steep stairway nicknamed “gasp-for-breath stairway” waits for you. It seems a daunting task to climb all the way up. However, paintings of child spacemen, flowers, and birds flying in green woods will tempt you to the top. This is a place where flowers bloom all year round and every day is spring.
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Naksan art project
Keep going up the alley in Ihwa-dong and you will soon reach Naksan Park, next to the Seoul Fortress Wall. The park is nicknamed the camel (”nakta” in Korean) as it resembles the animal’s profile. The “Naksan Project,” which was initiated by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism in 2006, is one of 11 projects carried out in 10 cities nationwide as part of the “Art in City 2006″ project.
Although Ihwa-dong and Chungsin-dong are adjacent to Daehangno, a vibrant cultural district full of youthful spirit, they have been left relatively untouched. This is due mainly to their narrow alleys, which are too narrow for cars to use. The “Art in City 2006,” however, turned Ihwa-dong and Chungsin-dong into works of art and their alleys into galleries, an outcome of the collaboration between public art experts and residents. Take a stroll down the alleys and you will have the impression that you are walking through an art gallery.
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By Annabelle Lee
[Recommended stopovers]
Naksanjeong’s scenic view
The Naksan Fortress Wall stretches from Ihwa-dong and Chungsin-dong to Naksan Park. An peaceful place for a walk and relaxation, Naksan Park has an exhibition hall where you can learn about the history of Seoul Fortress and get information on tourist spots nearby. The Daehangno area can be seen from the park’s octagonal pavilion, Naksanjeong. For more information, call Naksan Park management office at 743-7985.
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Lock Museum
The Lock Museum is between Naksan Park and Hyehwa-dong. Covering an area of some 230 square meters, the museum displays some of over 3,000 antique locks and keys that curator Choi Hong-Gyu collected while running a hardware store. The locks and keys are in various shapes that carry some interesting meanings. For instance, a fish-shaped lock implies that it should keep the contents safe. This saying comes from the fact that fish always keep their eyes open. Locks adorned with colorful threads and various coins were luxury items for women in the Joseon period. Locks from foreign countries, including China, Tibet, and Africa, are also on display. Located behind Korea National Open University near Exit 2 of Hyehwa Station on subway line 4, the museum opens from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Admission is 3,000 won for adults and 2,000 won for students. For more information, call 766－6495 or visit www.lockmuseum.org.
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Naksan Naengmyeon
The restaurant Naksan Naengmyeon, which used to be near Naksan Park, was a favorite place for people who visited the Seoul Fortress Wall. Naengmyeon, literally meaning “cold noodles,” was originally a summertime delicacy but it is now a popular dish all year round. A big portion is priced at 6,500 won and the small portion 5,000 won. You can choose from extra spicy to mild depending upon your taste. It opens from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. and closes every first and third Tuesday. For more information, call 743-7285.
‘Alleys in Ihwa-dong look like galleries without roofs’
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Mayu Yasumoto, 17, and Megumi Dakashima, 18, are from Japan. They just graduated from high school and visited Korea for 5 days before starting college. They looked around various tourist spots, including Myeong-dong, Gyeongbokgung, and Insa-dong, and they say they loved Myeong-dong most, as they enjoyed the shopping. Thanks to the strong Japanese yen against the Korean won now, they could buy t-shirts, scarves, and various fashion items at prices almost 75 percent cheaper than at home.
With exclamations of “sugoi!” (”great!”) they looked round the flower-painted stairway and the guldari. They were curious about the hand-written sign next to an exhibition flyer and asked the meaning of it. “Don’t be a litterbug,” was the response. They looked at each other and laughed. Posing in front of the sign for a picture, the two Japanese girls are ready to explore other alleys in Seoul.
By Mayu Yasumoto and Megumi Takashima
By Annabelle Lee
2009.04.03