Breathtakingly beautiful Gamcheon Culture Village
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Among Busan’s famous locales is a magical place called Gamcheon Culture Village. During the height of the Korean War in the 1950s, this area was where refugees from all over the country made their home. Today, the village is a major attraction visited by 100,000 people a year. On weekends, the village is teeming with people.
Endless number of tourists from around the world visit Gamcheon Culture Village, which is praised as one of “Asia’s finest arts village.” Tourists take photos in front of the fish artworks displayed on the walls of Gamcheon Culture Village.At 3 p.m. on Aug. 21, several groups of tourists busily looked around the village, fanning themselves in the sweltering summer heat.
“I never knew there was such a quaint, scenic village like this in Busan,” said one.
Indeed, Gamcheon Culture Village is an alluring part of Busan. Brightly colored blue, yellow and pink attached houses line the hillside. On their low-rising rooftops are blue water tanks. It feels as if one has been transported to Santorini, Greece.
At the entrance of the village is the Haneul Maru (“sky top”) information center. (070-4219-5556, www.cafe.naver.com/gamcheon2) Along the winding road from the entrance various artworks are on display.
The Haneul Maru observatory offers a bird’s-eye view of the stunning blue Gamcheon Port, and the Ognyeo Peak and peak of Mt. Cheonma. From here, one can get a panoramic view of the beautiful landscape of the village’s colorful houses in neatly arranged blocks along narrow alleyways.
Corre Machado and Serah Alexandra, from France, marveled at the sheer beauty of the village from Haneul Maru observatory.
“This is a must-visit destination for anyone coming to Busan,” said Machado.
Before the start of the alley tour, visitors meet at Gamnae Cafe. It’s operated by a villager and offers coffee, iced tea and patbingsu (shaved ice topped with sweet red beans) for 2,000 won ($1.80) to 4,000 won. At the height of the hot summer season, many come to this cafe to cool off.
The winding interconnected alleys seem endless. In each, there are quaint signposts and sculptures. Directions lead to points of interest along the labyrinthine streets.
Some houses are used as art galleries or rest stops for visitors. At the Gamnae Eoulteo, a bathing house building, one can experience a variety of cultural activities.
When entering Gamcheon Culture Village, one can get a sense of exotic ambience.Yoo Jeong-eun and Kim Yu-jin came from Seoul on a two-day getaway. “This village is so pretty we don’t want to go back home,” said Yoo. “It’s Busan’s best attraction. It will astonish the world.”
It takes about three hours to really enjoy the village. For visitors wearing high heels, comfortable shoes can be rented at the entrance for 1,000 won ($0.90).
The village has also recently received extensive media coverage. Major global news media outlets such as CNN, Le Monde, Al Jazeera and NHK have been introducing the world to the beauty and charm of Gamcheon Culture Village.
On July 16, CNN reported on the village in the article, “Is this Asia’s artsiest town?” Th e article stated that in a city dominated by beaches and skyscrapers, this picturesque village shows a less-known charming side of Busan.
On May 15, France’s Le Monde published an article headlined: “A Gamcheon, l’art au coin de la venelle” or “At Gamcheon, art at the corner of the alley.”
Le Monde said article said Gamcheon Village was like “Lego village,” “Korea’s Machu Picchu,” “the Santorini of Korea.” Qatar’s Al Jazeera and Japan’s NHK also gave broadcast coverage to Gamcheon Culture Village.
The source of news: Dynamic Busan
