Korean wave tourism street number 1, Myeong-dong(2)

[Course 2] Myeong-dong story delivered to each town travelers

Buildings cherishing Korea’s modern history, attractions having new trends, and parks in urban areas lie hidden at every corner in Myeong-dong. How about enjoying a walking tour half the day in the heart of Seoul mixed up with modern times and contemporary ones?

‘zaemiro’, comics road just with interesting the name/ ‘zaemirang’, exhibition space for comics

Unlike Myeong-dong street, the shopping heaven, it’s not yet passed 1 year since the street to Namsan mountain started to change as the cartoon heaven. 70 cartoonists took part in decorating this street. All of them would be recognizable by their names. 

Let’s walk along ‘Zaemiro’, the interesting place just with its name. Start from ‘imagination park’ in front of exit 3 at Myeong-dong station and pass by ‘story post office’, ‘zaemi stadium’ and even cartoon exhibition area ‘zaemirang’ positioned at the edge of the street through cartoon three-way intersection. 

There are plenty of things to see and enjoy. How about looking around the history of Korea’s cartoons from ‘Hani’ of ‘Let’s run, Hani!’ to ‘Janggeurae’, the hero of webtoon ‘misaeng,’ and recalling childhood memories?

Tel: 02-779-6107

Business hours: : 09:00 ~ 18:00 (closed holidays)

travel café ‘walkabout’

Created as ‘Zaemiro’, a cartoon road, this place stands close to lots of guest houses. So is the reason? Here is a travel café where many tourists are looking for. It is full of information and story related to travelling and juicy items. 

It deserves to be a representative travel café of Seoul. It is also good to read travelling books here and there inside the café and dream the journey, mapping it out. Are you on your journey?

 It is good to try starting a day trip from here. Don’t miss a savory brunch available by 3 pm. In addition to this, this café sells various kinds of coffees, foods and beers. So, it is a good place for travelers to visit at any time.

Tel: 02-757-1110

Business hours: weekday 11:00~ 23:00(break time from 15:00 to 17:00) / Saturday 12:00~ 23:00/ Sunday 13:00~ 22:00

the currency museum , the Bank of Korea 

This building had been begun construction to use as the branch of First bank of Japan at first in 1907 and then it had been taken over to former Bank of Chosun by diplomatic arrangement between Korea and Japan. 

After its completion in 1912, this building had been using as the head office of the Bank of Chosun. It has been using as the main office as the bank of Korea since 1950 and is now preserved as a historic site no. 280. It was built on the basis of the Gothic style and became the representative building of the initial Japanese occupation exuding an exotic and unusual atmosphere. 

The whole business of the Bank of Korea was transferred to the new business complex just behind this old building. This building is being used as the currency museum now. You can take a look at the history of Korea’s currencies and interestingly learn various economic common senses here. It has become a very popular place of education for children.  

Owing to preserving and restoring most part of the past original style, visitors can look around the splendid interior of modern architect.

Tel:  02-759-4881

homepage : http://museum.bok.or.kr

-Admission fee: free

-Opening hours: Tuesday ~ Sunday 10:00 ~ 17:00

Closed on: Monday, Lunar new year holidays and Chusok holidays, December 29^th~ January 2^nd, next year

Myeong-dong art hall(the former national theater)

This building, the former national theater, was built in the 1930s and had faithfully fulfilled its role as house number 1 of culture and art in Korea until the national theater moved to Jangchung-dong in 1973 and this building lost its original function. 

Gone through from the center of Korea’s art to Korea’s best commercial area, it was almost driven to be demolished. It was reborn as the name of <Myeong-dong art hall> in 2009. This building was tried to restore its history itself beyond simple restoration of the old building. It actively holds various play performances and professional performing art courses, and etc.

Myeong-dong Church(historical site no. 258)

Myeong-dong Church, located in the middle of Myeong-dong, is the cathedral of archdiocese of Seoul under the Roman Catholic and also is the center of Korean Catholic. It had parish church’s function for the first time in Korea and had represented as the history of Korean Catholic church over last 100 years.

Also it is not too much to say that it has always been in the middle of Korea’s dynamic modern history. Setting aside historical significance of this building, this Gothic style church is clearly contrasted to monolithic urban structures. 

Although it is good to take a photo shoot against the background of Myeong-dong church, it is recommended to have a look around the church and its surroundings, and to feel the solemnity from Andrew Kim Taegon’s statue, Korea’s first Catholic priest, and to meet a gentle smile from a statue of the Virgin Mary in the back of this church.

After experiencing its grandeur and piety with your eyes and your heart inside the church, you can say that you look around this cathedral.

taking a night walking at the Cheonggye creek

Going north a little through Euljiro from Myeong-dong streets, you can find out the Cheonggye creek, the best urban course for a walk. It is one of the best travelling courses in Seoul to walk leisurely following trails both sides of the Cheonggye creek long stretched out from east to west. 

You can almost hardly see those landscapes such as the artificial waterfall refreshingly poured from the starting point of the Cheonggye creek and the wonderful night view which skyscrapers are lined long from side to side alongside the creek in any city around the globe.