The first place where we planned to visit today is Gamcheon Culture Village. From Busan Station, we took the subway to Toseong Station. The moment we exited the ticket gantry, we could see a wall full of drawings of the village.
The drawings led us to Exit 6 of the subway station and from there, we walked straight and turned right. We then saw a small bus station board in front of the Pusan National University Hospital building. This was where we took the bus to Gamcheon Cultural Village. If you are unsure, not to worry as most people around should be going to the village.
The moment we alighted the bus, the famous colourful village was presented in front of us. Gamcheon Culture Village in Busan is the epitome of beauty and chaos, all rolled into one. Nestled into the side of a mountain, the former slum is a mishmash of pastel-colored, Lego-like houses, painted in 2009 to lure visitors up steep slopes and through its tiny alleys. This is a "Must Visit" Place of Interest for anyone who visits Busan for the first time.
Before we explored the village, we headed to the Information Center to pick up a map that will give us recommended routes to see the highlights of Gamcheon for 2000 won. At 12 designated attractions, including galleries, a café and art shop, we can collect stamps on the map. Out of which, we could receive postcards from 3 of the attractions. The profits made from selling stamp maps are used by the Residents Committee to provide various convenience and welfare services to the local residents.
We first explored the rich history of Gamcheon at the Little Museum, a small attraction that exhibits more than 70 old-fashioned household items donated by local residents, illustrating the vibrant past of the neighborhood. We also got our first stamp on the map here.
We followed the route on the map towards the attraction with a second stamp. Along the way, there were so much to see, especially all the street arts.
While the map will certainly help us find the neighborhood’s most popular attractions, one of the best things to do in Gamcheon is simply get lost in its labyrinth of alleys. However, we had to remind ourselves to keep our volume down as there are still residents staying in this village and be mindful of their privacy.
Gamcheon Village, once a dilapidated neighborhood that housed refugees following the Korean War, was transformed in 2009, when the government’s Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism launched an initiative to turn the area into a creative community. Under the theme, “Dreaming of Busan Machu Picchu,” painters and sculptors added their artistic touch to the streets, homes and businesses of Gamcheon. Nowadays, tourists flock here to marvel at some of the most beautiful street art in the country.
There were many lookout points in various parts of the village to offer visitors spectacular views of the village from different angles.
We continued our stamp hunting adventure and found another one below. With the objectives of collecting all 12 stamps, it made exploring the village more enjoyable and fun.
Following photos show another view of the village from the top.
We tried to explore every corner of the village, including going up a narrow stairs to the top of a tower, where no one else did. We had a short break here, away from the crowd and the scorching sun.
The most popular spot in the village is none other than the Little Prince and Fennec Fox, who left the star and came to the Earth, arrived in Gamcheon Village and look down at the village. Most visitors to the village will want to take photos with the statues and there is always a long line. We heard someone said that the waiting time in the queue should be around 30 minutes. However, after watching several visitors spending a long time trying to take photos from all different angles, we thought it's probably going to take more than an hour if we were to queue up. Being a "smart" visitor, we managed to take pictures of the Little Prince and his pet during the "interval" without having to queue up.
Since we did not join the line, we were not able to take photos right next to the Little Prince. However, we managed to find a spot where we could still have our photos taken with the Little Prince and Fox Fennec sitting behind us. We were satisfied with this instead of queuing for an hour under the hot sun.
We continued on to explore other parts of the village.
Below is a stairs of books, including Jerlene's favourite "Harry Potter".
As we slowly walked down the hill, we could see more street arts all around the village.
After walking past the temple and a small market, we arrived at the exit of the village. In total, we spent around 3 hours exploring the entire village. Though at one point, we were a bit lost and had to back tracked to get the stamp, it was an enjoyable adventure.
And this is to announce that we had met our goals of collecting all 12 stamps! Yeah!
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