Skip to main content

Markets of Seoul

Myeong-dong
If LA is a great big freeway, then Seoul is a great big market. Above ground or underground, there is no dearth of choices. The only limit is how deep your pocket is. 
Myeong-dong certainly has the most appetizing food stalls. From noodles to hotdogs, egg buns to chocolate covered strawberries, skewered fresh fruit to gimbak, you'll happily walk the calories away. Myeong-dong is also home to Lotte Department Store and trendy shops like Zara and H&M.

Subway line 2 at Euljiro 1(il)-ga station or line 4 at Myeong-dong station. 

Namdaemun Underground Market
When it's summer in Seoul, it's best to dive into the underground markets. These markets are sparkling clean and air conditioned.  We passed through this aisle in Namdaemun which is devoted to stationery items though the shoe store took prime corner space. Haggling is key. And calculators will change hands before a deal is reached. 

The Namdaemun market is the best place to buy women's and children's clothes and jewelry. I bought a couple of blouses here. It's actually cheaper to buy than to send your clothes to the hotel laundry and dry cleaning. There were so many stylish and well made blouses to choose from and the salespeople indulged our elementary bargaining skills. 

Subway line 4 at Hoehyeon Station, exit 4 or 3.

Insa-dong
Good bargains can be found in Insa-dong particularly in handbags, backpacks and souvenirs. After using only stainless steel chopsticks at all the restaurants we visited in Seoul, I had to buy my own stainless steel set. I got them at Insa-dong. They will come in handy since I love to eat Asian cuisine.

Insa-dong can be reach by subway line 3, Anguk station.

Shinsegae Food Hall - Tea shop
Shinsegae Food Hall is one busy market especially during lunch hour. It's food court/restaurants are packed full of office workers from the number of businesses nearby. But there are other options for the hungry or the gourmand. There's a cheese and deli counter, a bakery, a wine cellar, a gourmet grocery store, a tea shop, and a dessert station. The main Shinsegae Department Store is on Sogung-no 63, Junggu in Myeong-dong. Metro station is Hoehyeon from subway line 4, exit 7.

Hoehyeon Underground Market
Hoehyeon connects to Shinsegae Department Store. Vinyl, collectible stamps, electronic gadgets and stylish clothes can be found at Hoehyeon underground market. Happy shopping!

Hongdae Night Market
Hongdae market is in the university district. It is the go to market of the young and hip with prices to match their budget. Lots of restaurants and bars.  Was delighted to listen to talented street performers on the streets in Hongdae. We watched an aspiring singer dish out a ballad and accompanying himself on the guitar. 

If you're coming from the center of Seoul, take the metro to Hongdae from City Hall. There's a surcharge when taking the metro late at night. Subway line 2 goes to Hongik University Station, Exit 8 or 9.

When in Seoul, treat yourself to some retail therapy. 

*****

Images by TravelswihCharie



Labels:
Location: Seoul, South Korea

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Filipino Struggles in History - Carlos Botong Francisco

In 1968, Antonio Villegas (then Mayor of Manila), commissioned Carlos "Botong" Francisco to paint the history of Manila for Manila City Hall. The series of large scale paintings was called  Kasaysayan ng Maynila  (History of Manila).  The paintings deteriorated over time and no attempt was made to preserve these historical canvases until 2013 when Mayor Amado Lim sent them to the National Museum for extensive restoration. Four years later, in 2017, Mayor Joseph Ejercito Estrada and the Manila City Council signed an agreement with the National Museum to leave the paintings at the museum so they may reach a larger audience in exchange for museum grade reproductions to replace the originals. Kasaysayan ng Maynila was later renamed Filipino Struggles in History and is now on display at the Senate Hall of the National Museum . Carlos "Botong" Francisco died in March 1969, a few months after completing the paintings. He is one of the first Filipino modernists and
Post a Comment
Read more

The Art of Carlos Botong Francisco - Progress of Medicine in the Philippines

Pre-colonial period Pag-unlad ng Panggagamot sa Pilipinas (The Progress of Medicine in the Philippines) is a group of four large-scale paintings depicting healing practices in the Philippines from pre-colonial times to the modern period. Carlos Botong Francisco was commissioned in 1953 by  Dr. Agerico Sison who was then the director of Philippine General Hospital (PGH) together with   Dr. Eduardo Quisumbing of the National Museum, Dr. Florentino Herrera, Jr. and Dr. Constantino Manahan. These oil on canvas paintings measure 2.92 meters in height and 2.76 meters in width (9.71 ft x 8.92 ft) and were displayed at the main entrance hall of PGH for over five decades. Owing to its location, the artworks were in a state of "severe deterioration" at the beginning of the 21st century from exposure to heat, humidity, dirt, dust, smoke, insect stains, grime, termites and an oxidized synthetic resin used in an earlier restoration. These canvases were restored three times, the last was
1 comment
Read more

8 Heritage Houses of Iloilo

Lizares Mansion The province of Iloilo on the island of Panay has a rich trove of heritage houses, left over from the sugar industry boom in the 19th century. Iloilo also had the largest port in the Philippines at that time which facilitated the export of sugar to foreign shores and deposited money in the hands of the sugar barons. The barons dropped their earnings into the acquisition of properties in Negros and the construction of beautiful homes in Iloilo, many of which are located in the vicinity of the Jaro Cathedral. The Lizares Mansion was built in 1937 by Don Emiliano Lizares for his wife, Concepcion Gamboa and five children. The family fled to safety when World War II broke out and the house was occupied by the Japanese military. The family returned to the house after the war but left once again after the demise of Don Emiliano. It was sold to the Dominican order in the 1960s and was converted in 1978 to a private school, Angelicum School. The mansion now houses the
2 comments
Read more