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Hallyu

The Sindang Neighborhood

Published Date : Jan 01, 2016 / Edited Date : Nov 04, 2022
 

The markets and alleyways of Sindang-dong take you to a Seoul of an earlier age.
Seoul's gritty Sindang-dong district is as far removed from the glitzy glass and steel of Gangnam as you can get. With its sprawling markets, congested alleyways and salt-of-the-earth denizens, the neighborhood is a virtual time machine taking you back to the the 1970s, when Seoul was a rougher but in some ways more colorful place. The best way to explore this fascinating area is to spend a morning or afternoon simply getting lost in the humble and jumble – each turn may reveal hidden gems, and you'll certainly rub shoulders with a colorful cast of characters along the way.

 

Course : Seoul Folk Flea Market → Dongmyo Shrine → Dongdaemun Apartments → Seoul Central Market, or Seoul Jungang Sijang → Seoul Art Space–Sindang → Hwanghak-dong Kitchen Utensils ㆍFurniture Street → Gwanghuimun Gate → Café Majo & Sady → Dongdaemun Design Plaza

 

 

Everything under the Sun

This walking tour begins at the Seoul Folk Flea Market, a two-story, 5,000-square meter warehouse where you'll find over 900 merchants hawking just about everything under the sun, from rare antiques and high-end booze to, well, just plain junk. The flea market got its start in the 1950s, just after the Korean War. In 2004, some of the sprawling outdoor market was moved to Dongdaemun Stadium to make way for the restoration of the Cheonggyecheon Stream, and in 2008, it was moved to its current home to make way for Dongdaemun Design Plaza.

The new indoor market may look spiffy and modern from the outside, but venture inside and you'll find a chaotic and delightfully claustrophobic space where you'll find a truly vast variety of things for sale. Broadly speaking, you'll find clothing, sundries and antiques on the first floor, with more clothing and sundries, souvenirs and a regional goods corner on the second floor. If you take your time, you'll discover some extraordinary and intriguingly random items for sale – this writer came across a wooden cigar store statue from Newark, New Jersey, complete with walrus mustache and Turkish fez. One can only imagine how that wound up in Korea. If you're looking for antiques, you'll find plenty of old furniture, old paintings and even old money. You'll find plenty of old movie and campaign posters, too.

For a bit of an old-timey coffee break, there's a coffeeshop done up like an old-school Korean-style tea room, or dabang, on the second floor. Be sure to try the “morning coffee,” a 1970's specialty of coffee served with an unbroken egg yolk in the bottom of the cup. Yum. The flea market spills over into the surrounding streets and alleyways as far as Dongmyo Station. Like the flea market proper, the variety of goods on sale is confined only by the limits of the human imagination. If you're looking for old records and LPs – everything sounds better on vinyl, after all – you'll find some used record shops with a wonderful collection of classical music and Western pop from the 60s and 70s. Many of the shoppers here are older and have been coming here for decades.        
 


 

A Bit of History 
Near Dongmyo Station, and surrounding the outdoor market , is the Dongmyo Shrine , a fascinating piece of Korean history that gets far fewer visitors than it should. Completed in 1601, the shrine was built to honor the third century Chinese general Guan Yu. The shrine is built in Chinese style, both in terms of the spacial layout and the extensive use of brick, which lend an exotic charm to the buildings found within. Ironically, given the ocean of humanity surging in the market outside, the shrine itself is blissfully tranquil. Stroll around a bit to clear your mind.

Another historic spot, albeit of much more recent vintage, is the old Dongdaemun Apartments , also located near Dongmyo Station. When it was erected in 1965, the apartment complex was one of the city's most modern – so favored by local TV and movie stars it was, in fact, that it was nicknamed “the celebrities' apartment.” Today, however, it's a bit long in the tooth and definitely shows its age, but the open courtyard and gritty atmosphere bring to mind Hong Kong’s Chungking Mansions or Kowloon Walled City. 
 

 

 

 

Art meets old-fashioned commerce

On the southern side of the Cheonggyecheon is the sprawling Seoul Central Market , or Seoul Jungang Sijang. While it's not nearly as well-known as its bigger cousins, the Dongdaemun and Namdaemun markets, it's got an earthy, “authentic” feel with hardly a tourist in sight. The covered market was founded in the aftermath of the Korean War, when many of the city's rice dealers set up shop here. At one point, some 70 percent of Seoul's rice was traded here. It's still a popular place to pick up grains, fresh vegetables and seafood. Like other markets, it's got its own culinary culture as well. One alley is lined with shops selling rice mixed with barley and seasoned vegetables, or boribap. At the entrance, you'll find a well-known shop making pan-fried buns made from glutenous rice, or chapssal hotteok, filled with brown sugar and honey. While the above-ground market is interesting enough, venture below ground and you'll find another surprise. Several years ago, many of the empty underground stalls were renovated into studios for young artists and other creatives. Collectively called Seoul Art Space – Sindang (Sindang Creative Arcade) , the space is home to about 40 artists and designers, as well as a shop, a collective workshop and a space for public art classes. Interestingly enough, the artwork that hangs near the entrance of the market was produced by the artists who work here.

Surrounding the Central Market is yet another market, this one dedicated to kitchen equipment and supplies . Many of the shops specialize in industrial kitchen equipment for restaurants – the market supplies about 80 percent of the country's restaurants with their equipment - but you'll find plenty of stuff for your home kitchen as well. This writer picked up a cheap wok, for instance.

From the front entrance of Central Market, walk west along Toegye-ro past Sindang Station and the Chungmu Art Hall and you'll eventually come to a row of carpentry and metalworking shops. In the 1960s and 1970s, when Korea was experiencing a construction boom, there were a lot more of these workshops – in fact, to many Seoulites, Sindang-dong used to be virtually synonymous with blacksmiths. Now, however, only a handful remain of these shops remain. One of these shops, Chungnam Gongjakso, is run by a blacksmith who has been plying his trade for five decades. His workshop, full of metal bars, tools of all sorts and a very well-used anvil, is truly a space from a different era.

Just another short walk from there is Gwanghuimun Gate , one of the old city wall's minor gates. During the Joseon Dynasty, corpses were carried out of the city through this gate. Just behind the gate is a branch of Café Majo & Sady , dedicated to two Korean characters whom any Kakao Talk user would recognize. While the cafe is certainly nice, its view of the gate is even nicer. At the end of this walk you'll come to the futuristic Dongdaemun Design Plaza , one of Seoul's newest and certainly one of its most eye-catching architectural landmarks. Designed by British star architect Zaha Hadid, the twisting, turning mass of concrete and steel is said by some to resemble a spaceship that has landed in the middle of Dongdaemun market. Essentially a monument to Seoul's ambition to be a global design center, the multi-use space hosts regular exhibits and performances. There are shops, cafes, restaurants and a park space, too.

 

 
 

Getting There : Seoul Folk Flea Market is a five-minute walk from Exit 6 of Sinseol-dong Station (Line 1) or Exit 9 or 10 of Sinseol-dong Station (Line 2).

Tip: Sindang-dong Tteokbokki Town

Sindang-dong's culinary claim-to-fame is Sindang-dong tteok-bokki, a tasty dish of spicy, pan-fried rice cakes mixed with dumplings, fish cakes, boiled eggs and ramyeon noodles. Unlike the tteok-bokki you can find at street-side stalls all over the country, Sindang-dong tteok-bokki is no mere snack – it's a meal onto itself. The dish is cooked right at your table.

Sindangdong Tteokbokki Town is an alley lined by several busy restaurants. The oldest of these is Ma Bong-nim Halmeoni Tteok-bokki, founded by the eponymous Ma Bong-nim in 1953. Ma added sweet Chinese black bean sauce to the tangy red pepper sauce commonly used in the dish, giving hers a delightfully sweet and spicy taste. The other restaurants in the alley provide standard Sindang-dong Tteok-bokki in addition to unique variations that use ingredients like cheese or extra spice.

Getting there: A short walk from Exit 8 of Sindang Station (Line 2, 6)

 

 

예약 전 안내사항
  • 장기 폭염 예상 기간 프로그램 운영 중단: 7.23. ~ 8.11.
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  • 다음달 예약은 전달 15일 이 후부터 가능합니다.
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  • 보호자가 동반하지 않는 만 14세 미만의 아동 관광객의 경우 현장에서 취소됩니다.
  • 기상특보(폭염, 태풍, 호우, 미세먼지 등)로 인해 도보관광 운영이 어려운 경우 모든 예약은 일괄 취소됩니다.(발효 즉시 취소처리)
    ※예약 당일 기상특보를 상시 확인 바랍니다.
  • 해설 진행 시 발생하는 안전사고에 대해서 서울도보해설관광 사무국과 서울문화관광해설사는 책임을 지지 않습니다.
  • 한국어를 모국어로 사용하는 대한민국 국민의 경우, 외국어 해설 신청이 불가능합니다.
예약 전 안내사항
  • 예약은 관광일 기준 최대 5개월 전부터 최소 5일 전 까지 신청 가능합니다.
  • 희망하시는 날짜 및 코스에 활동가능한 해설사가 없는 경우 예약은 취소될 수 있습니다.
  • 특히 주말 및 공휴일, 봄(4~5월) 가을(9~11월) 성수기에는 예약이 조기마감 되오니 이 점 유의하여 주시기 바랍니다.
  • 예약확인을 위해 도보관광 사무국(02-6925-0777)에서 확인 연락이 진행됩니다.
    (최소 5일~한달 전)3회 이상 전화통화가 이뤄지지 않을 시 예약이 취소될 수 있습니다.
  • 경복궁, 창덕궁, 창경궁, 덕수궁 35인 이상 관람 시, 해당 궁궐 사이트에서 15일 전 단체 입장신청이 필요합니다. (2014.1.1.부터 시행)
  • 해설 진행 시 발생하는 안전사고에 대해서 도보관광 사무국과 서울문화관광해설사는 책임을 지지 않습니다.
  • 보호자가 동반하지 않는 만 14세 미만의 아동 관광객의 경우 현장에서 취소됩니다.
  • 기상특보(폭염, 태풍, 호우, 미세먼지 등)로 인해 도보관광 운영이 어려운 경우 모든 예약은 일괄 취소됩니다.(발효 즉시 취소처리)
    ※예약 당일 기상특보를 상시 확인 바랍니다.
예약 전 안내사항
  • 예약은 관광일 기준 최소 1주일 전까지 가능합니다.
  • 덕수궁의 경우 복지카드를 지참한 관광객에 한하여 무료입장이 가능합니다.
    ※ 중증(1~3급) 동반인 포함 2명 무료※ 경증(4~6급) 장애인 본인 1인만 무료
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  • 희망하시는 날짜 및 코스에 활동가능한 해설사가 없는 경우 예약은 취소될 수 있습니다.
  • 예약확인을 위해 도보관광 사무국(02-6925-0777)에서 확인 연락이 진행됩니다.(최소 5일~한달 전)3회 이상 전화통화가 이뤄지지 않을 시 예약이 취소될 수 있습니다.
  • 해설 진행 시 발생하는 안전사고에 대해서 도보관광 사무국과 서울문화관광해설사는 책임을 지지 않습니다.
  • 기상특보(폭염, 태풍, 호우, 미세먼지 등)로 인해 도보관광 운영이 어려운 경우 모든 예약은 일괄 취소됩니다.(발효 즉시 취소처리)
    ※예약 당일 기상특보를 상시 확인 바랍니다.
예약 전 안내사항
  • 예약은 관광일 기준 최소 1주일 전까지 가능합니다.
  • 덕수궁의 경우 복지카드를 지참한 관광객에 한하여 무료입장이 가능합니다.
    ※ 중증(1~3급) 동반인 포함 2명 무료
    ※ 경증(4~6급) 장애인 본인 1인만 무료
  • 본 프로그램은 수화해설 중심으로 진행되며, 수화가 불가능한 경우 이용이 불가합니다.
  • 희망하시는 날짜 및 코스에 활동가능한 해설사가 없는 경우 예약은 취소될 수 있습니다.
  • 예약확인을 위해 도보관광 사무국(02-6925-0777)에서 확인 연락이 진행됩니다.
    (최소 5일~한달 전)3회 이상 전화통화가 이뤄지지 않을 시 예약이 취소될 수 있습니다.
  • 해설 진행 시 발생하는 안전사고에 대해서 도보관광 사무국과 서울문화관광해설사는 책임을 지지 않습니다.
  • 기상특보(폭염, 태풍, 호우, 미세먼지 등)로 인해 도보관광 운영이 어려운 경우 모든 예약은 일괄 취소됩니다.(발효 즉시 취소처리)
    ※예약 당일 기상특보를 상시 확인 바랍니다.
예약 전 안내사항
  • 예약은 관광일 기준 최소 1주일 전까지 가능합니다.
  • 본 코스는 보행약자(거동이 불편한 고령자, 장애인, 유모차 이용자 등)를 위한 코스입니다.
  • 보호자를 동반하지 않을 시 이용이 불가능 합니다.※ 보행약자 1명당 보호자 최소 1인 이상 동반
    ※ 전동보장구(전동휠체어, 전동스쿠터 등) 사용자의 경우 보호자 1인당 보행약자 최대 4인까지 동반 가능
    희망하시는 날짜 및 코스에 활동가능한 해설사가 없는 경우 예약은 취소될 수 있습니다.
  • 예약확인을 위해 도보관광 사무국(02-6925-0777)에서 확인 연락이 진행됩니다.(최소 5일~한달 전)3회 이상 전화통화가 이뤄지지 않을 시 예약이 취소될 수 있습니다.
  • 해설 진행 시 발생하는 안전사고에 대해서 도보관광 사무국과 서울문화관광해설사는 책임을 지지 않습니다.
  • 미세먼지 비상저감조치 발령 및 기타 기상악화(폭염, 태풍, 폭우 등)로 인해 도보관광 운영이 어려운 경우 모든 예약은 일괄 취소됩니다. (관광일 전날 기준)
Read before Reservation
  • Reservations must be made at least three days prior to the tour date.
  • Additional reservations, one or two days before the tour starts, are only allowed for the tour that is already fixed.
  • In the case of group tour, more than 10people, please contact us by e-mail.
  • Reservations for the following month are available from the 15th of the current month.
  • Please refrain from participating in any tour programs should you be experiencing any symptoms, including fever, coughing, congestion, muscle pain, stuffy nose, and/or sore throat.
  • Reservations for tourists 14 years & under without an accompanying adult or guardian shall be canceled on site.
  • All reservations will be canceled in the event of a weather warning being issued. (e.g. heatwave, typhoon, heavy rain, fine dust, etc.) (Cancellation will be processed immediately upon implementation)
    ※ Please always check the weather warning on the day of the reservation on the site below.
    (https://www.accuweather.com/en/kr/seoul/226081/weather-forecast/226081)
  • The Seoul Guided Walking Tour administration office and tour guide affiliates are not responsible for any accidents that happen to occur during the tour program.
Read before Reservation
  • Reservation shall be made at least 1 week before the tour day.
  • The course is for tourists with mobility problems (Senior, people with disability, stroller user).
  • You may not use the course without an assistant (or companion)
    ※ At least one assistant shall accompany a tourist with mobility problem
    ※ In case of electric assisting device users (electric wheelchair, electric scooter users), one assistant may accompany up to 4 tourists with mobility problem
  • Reservation may be canceled when a guide is unavailable on the desired date and course.
  • Seoul Guided Walking Tour Office (02-6925-0777) will contact you to confirm reservation.
    (At least 5 days~1 month before tour day) Reservation may be canceled when Seoul Guided Walking Tour Office cannot reach you for more than 3 times.
  • Seoul Guided Walking Tour Office and Seoul culture and tourism guide are not liable for the safety accidents during the Seoul Guided Walking Tour.
  • All reservations will be canceled in the event of a weather warning being issued. (e.g. heatwave, typhoon, heavy rain, fine dust, etc.) (Cancellation will be processed immediately upon implementation)
    ※ Please always check the weather warning on the day of the reservation on the site below.
    (https://www.accuweather.com/en/kr/seoul/226081/weather-forecast/226081)
予約前の案内事項
  • 予約は観光予定日を基準に3日前までとさせて頂きます。
  • 個人予約:最大10名
    ※京福級、昌徳宮、昌慶宮は20名様までご予約頂けます。
  • 既にご予約されたコースの中で、グループ別の定員を超えない予約に限り、観光予定日の1日前の17まで追加での予約が可能です。
  • 翌月のご予約は前月の15日から可能です。
  • 発熱または呼吸症状(熱、咳、痰、筋肉痛、鼻づまり、喉の痛みなど)がある場合は、解説プログラムへのご参加はお控えください。
  • 保護者を同伴しない14歳未満の児童観光客は、現場でキャンセルとなります。
  • 気象特報(猛暑、台風、豪雨、PM2.5)によりウォーキングツアーの運営が難しいと判断された場合、全ての予約は中止とさせて頂きます。(発効後直ちにキャンセルを行う)
    ※ 下記のリンクにてご予約当日の気象特報をご確認ください。
    (https://www.accuweather.com/ja/kr/seoul/226081/weather-forecast/226081)
  • 観光中に発生する安全事故について、ソウル徒歩解説観光事務局とソウル文化観光解説士は責任を負いません。
予約前の案内事項
  • 予約は観光日を基準として少なくとも1週間前まで可能です。
  • 本コースは、移動弱者(移動が不自由な高齢者、障害者、ベビーカー利用者など)のためのコースです。
  • 補助人(或いは同行人)を伴わない場合は利用できません。
      ※歩行弱者1人当たり少なくとも1人以上の補助人を伴う
      ※電動補助具(電動車椅子、電動スクーターなど)使用者の場合、補助人1当たり歩行弱者最大4人まで同伴可能
  • ご希望の日付及びコースに活動可能な解説士がいない場合、予約はキャンセルされることがあります。
  • 予約を確認するため、徒歩観光事務局(02-6925-0777)で確認のための連絡が行われます。
    (少なくとも5日~1ヶ月前)3回以上電話が通じない場合、予約が取り消されることがあります。
  • 解説を進行する時に発生する安全事故に対し、徒歩観光事務局とソウル文化観光解説士は
    責任を負いません。
  • 気象特報(猛暑、台風、豪雨、PM2.5)によりウォーキングツアーの運営が難しいと判断された場合、全ての予約は中止とさせて頂きます。(発効後直ちにキャンセルを行う)
    ※ 下記のリンクにてご予約当日の気象特報をご確認ください。
    (https://www.accuweather.com/ja/kr/seoul/226081/weather-forecast/226081)
预约前说明事项
  • 观光日基准最少3日前方可进行预约。
  • 最多可申请10人。
    (※ 景福宫, 昌德宫, 昌庆宫是例外 最多可申请20人)
  • 在已登记的预约团体中,只接待不超过预约人数的团体,可在前一天17时前追加预约。
  • 下个月的预约可从前一月15日开始。
  • 如有发热或呼吸道症状(发烧、咳嗽、痰液、肌肉痛、鼻塞、咽喉痛等),请避免参与解说活动。
  • 无保护者随同的未满14岁儿童游客,会在现场取消解说活动。
  • 气象特报(酷暑、台风、暴雨 、雾霾 等)导致徒步观光项目暂停时,所有预约将一律被取消。(发布紧急措施时立即取消)
    ※ 请在以下网站上随时确认预约当天的气象特报。
    (https://www.accuweather.com/zh/kr/seoul/226081/weather-forecast/226081)
  • 对于解说活动中发生的安全事故,首尔徒步解说旅游事务局和首尔文化观光解说社不予负责。
预约前说明事项
  • 观光日基准最少1日前方可进行预约。
  • 本线路是为了行动不便者(行动不便的高龄者、残疾人、婴儿车利用者等)的路线。
  • 无辅助人员(或同行人)伴随时,不可利用。
    ※ 步行不便者1名至少需要1名以上的辅助人员陪同。
    ※ 电动辅助器具(电动轮椅、电动独轮车等)使用者时,每一位辅助人员最多可陪同 4名步行不便者。
  • 希望观光的日期及线路上无解说员时,预约有可能被取消。
  • 为了确认预约,徒步观光事务局(02-6925-0777)会致电进行确认。
    (最少5日~一个月前) 3次以上无法连接时,预约将被取消。
  • 进行解说时,对于有可能发生的安全事故,徒步观光事务局和首尔文化观光解说员概不负责。
  • 气象特报(酷暑、台风、暴雨 、雾霾 等)导致徒步观光项目暂停时,所有预约将一律被取消。(发布紧急措施时立即取消)
    ※ 请在以下网站上随时确认预约当天的气象特报。
    (https://www.accuweather.com/zh/kr/seoul/226081/weather-forecast/226081)
預約前說明事項
  • 最晚請於預約日期3天前完成預約。
  • 最多可申請10人。
    (※ 景福宮, 昌德宮, 昌慶宮是例外 最多可申請20人)
  • 已完成預約的團體若人數超過限制,可於前一天下午5點前追加預約。
  • 每月15日將開放下個月的預約。
  • 若有發燒或呼吸道症狀(發燒、咳嗽、咳痰、肌肉酸痛、鼻塞、喉嚨痛),請避免參與本活動。
  • 未有保護者同行的未滿14歲兒童遊客,會在現場取消參與資格。
  • 氣象特報(酷暑、颱風、暴雨 、霧霾 等)而導致徒步觀光無法進行時,將一律取消所有預約。(發布限令時將立即取消)
    ※ 請在以下網站上隨時確認預約當天的氣象特報。
    (https://www.accuweather.com/zh/kr/seoul/226081/weather-forecast/226081)
  • 進行解說時,對於有可能發生的安全事故,首爾徒步解說觀光事務局和首爾文化觀光解說員概不負責。
預約前說明事項
  • 觀光日基準最少1日前方可進行預約。
  • 本線路是為了行動不便者(行動不便的高齡者、殘疾人、嬰兒車利用者等)的路線。
  • 無輔助人員(或同行人)伴隨時,不可利用。
    ※ 步行不便者1名至少需要1名以上的輔助人員陪同。
    ※ 電動輔助器具(電動輪椅、電動獨輪車等)使用者時,每壹位輔助人員最多可陪同 4名步行不便者。
  • 希望觀光的日期及線路上無解說員時,預約有可能被取消。
  • 為了確認預約,徒步觀光事務局(02-6925-0777)會致電進行確認。
    (最少5日~壹個月前) 3次以上無法連接時,預約將被取消。
  • 進行解說時,對於有可能發生的安全事故,徒步觀光事務局和首爾文化觀光 解說員概不負責。
  • 氣象特報(酷暑、颱風、暴雨 、霧霾 等)而導致徒步觀光無法進行時,將一律取消所有預約。(發布限令時將立即取消)
    ※ 請在以下網站上隨時確認預約當天的氣象特報。
    (https://www.accuweather.com/zh/kr/seoul/226081/weather-forecast/226081)