Shall we walk around Myeongdong? - part 2.

 

I took a different route to leave the mountain, one which several buses and many bikers were taking. It was a downhill road, and a lot of bikers seemed to be enjoying a ride along the path. There were no staircases on the way and the slope was not steep. It made the walk a lot easier.

 

At the time I visited, the trees were turning red and yellow. The fallen, autumn leaves on the road generated picturesque vibes. Coincidentally, the buses running down the road were also yellow. It felt like a feast of autumn. I could enjoy the special autumn atmosphere, going down along the path. 

 

It led to Baekbeom Gwangjang Gongwon Park(백범광장공원), which was constructed to commemorate one of the Korean activists for independence, Kim-gu(김구). It's located on one side of Namsan Mountain. Originally, there used to be a statue of Korea's first president, Rhee-Syngman(이승만), but it was taken down after the 4·19 Revolution, which expelled him to Hawai.

 

The park was quite pretty. The harmony that the modern skyscrapers and the fortress walls produce was especially gorgeous.

 

The building with a dome on top (left) is the science exhibit hall of Seoul Education Office. Free entry!

 

2. 명동거리 (Myeongdong Street)

I've made a lot of good memories in Myeongdong. To me, it was a good area for dating and shopping. I used to enjoy clothes-shopping at Spao(스파오), Uniqlo(유니클로), and A-land(에이랜드). There were also so many cosmetic brand shops, which included Nature Republic, The Face Shop, Missha, etc. Additionally, Myeongdong is where the fancy department stores such as Lotte Department Store, Shinsegae Department Store are located. So, whenever I needed something, visiting Myeongdong was more than enough for me to get things.

 

Before online shopping became mainstream and the coronavirus outbreak hit the world, Myeongdong had literally all sorts of things. It was always crowded and the district, Myeongdong Street, was full of lively vibes which visitors, food stands, and various shops generated together. A long time after I last visited, however, Myeongdong Street looked secluded.

 

A lot of street food stands, which used to stand in a single file in the centre of the street, were gone and only few people were walking through their ways. Not to mention there were many lease banners on vacant shops. It was a bit sad to see the street's economy tumble down. Myeongdong had not been like that.

 

Hoping that the effing coronavirus situation would subside ASAP and the economy would revive, I left the street behind to Seoullo(서울로).

 

Much fewer people, compared to the past, were in Myeongdong Street

I ate Bajirak Kalguksoo Noodle(바지락 칼국수) for dinner in Myeondong. 

Bank of Korea Money Museum is located between Lotte Department Store and Shinsegae Department Store. No entrance fee! :)

 

 

3. 서울로 7017 (Seoullo 7017) <Click!

There used to be a flyover, stretching over Seoul Station. Its name was Seoul Station Flyover(서울역 고가도로), which was built in 1970 to sort out the horrible traffic jam around the station.

 

It was considered a symbol of Korea's industrial development when first constructed. The concept of "flyover" was quite alien to people at that time and it was something new to the visitors to Seoul, who got off at Seoul Station. Even to me - little me - it was fun to ride on the flyover, overlooking the buildings. The flyover must have been awesome to people those days.

 

As time went by, however, the construction had gone run-down and a lot of concerns about its safety had been brought up. The municipality of Seoul decided to put an end to the original use of the flyover after due deliberation and turn it into a pedestrian park.

 

7017, of Seoullo 7017, means from the year of its first construction in 1970 to 2017, when the current park's construction was completed.

 

On the way to Seoullo from Myeongdong Street

 

I walked through Namdaemun Market(남대문 시장) to Seoullo. Due to the coronavirus situation, it was also quiet and less crowded compared to the past. It's not that far from Myeongdong to Seoullo on foot, so a light walking trip, looking around Namdaemun Market is worth it. If you are already too tired to walk, take a subway from Myeongdong Station to Seoul Station. It's only two stops away from Myeongdong Station.

 

The city views from Seoullo

The starting point of Seoullo

Seoul Station at night. The antique building is the old Seoul Station and used as a museum now.

 

Looking back through the photos I took there, I realised that I didn't take any photos of the park. I only took pictures of the views around the park. It's my mistake...

 

If you want to see the entire view of Seoul, go shopping, enjoy street food, and visit some museums, the Myeongdong area will suit your needs.

 

 

If you enjoyed this post, and then give me some help,

I'd really appreciate it!

 

 

WORDS BY

Minsu Kim - koreaonthescreen@gmail.com

PHOTOS BY

Minsu Kim - koreaonthescreen@gmail.com

PROOFREAD BY

Gabriela Enriquez

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