hyehwa

one of my fave wall paintings

it started from an episode of 2D1N, where members went in search of the elusive paintings on walls in the seemingly confusing town of hyehwa.i didnt catch that episode, but my friends have, and it became sort of an adventure and challenge to locate it. every time one came back, victorious with pics, i'll ask, "so how do you get there?", they'll always smile a mysterious smile, and go "oh, i duno. you just walk and walk around, until you find it".

right.

so, one day i decided to go in search myself. and true enough, it's not easy. but the whole experience was great, precisely because it was a challenge. i'm not sure if you prefer to be adventurous, because if so, you can skip this page  right now. just in case someone's tight for time, but would hope to catch hyehwa during their short trip, here's how you can find the paintings:

1. get off at hyehwa station and after exiting, you'll see the seoul national university hospital and school of medicine opposite you, i.e. you're standing right in front of the theaters.
2. walk just a couple of steps, and you'll find yourself in front of a huge park:

park at hyehwa station

3. walk into the park, where back-alleys of tiny cafes and restaurants can be found.
4. if you start seeing the following, you're on the right track:

back-alley cafe

sculpture outside a theater

5. from here, it's an uphill walk till you reach a forked path. walk down the right path and soon, you'll find the sculptures, indicating you've finally arrived!

put your hands up!

robot in the bushes

beetlebug letterboxes

sunflowers on the stairs

hyehwa is known for its theaters, thriving art community and young vibrant atmosphere, and it's why i like coming here. not only are you awed by the beautiful wall art, you'd also find yourself immersed in the mystic feel of roadside tarot-reading booths, the myeongdong-esque night market just down the road (walk in the opposite direction of the park, after exiting the station), and the friendly shopkeepers (one gave me a discount on the umbrella, even before i asked, thinking i was a student!)

vibrant retro-looking building

nature painting on a wall

popular WGM show was filmed here!

cute restaurant!

so anyway, take your time to explore hyehwa. it's slightly off-beat, slightly different; but it'd bring lots of good surprises :)

p.s. you can read more of hyehwa experience here!

> back to off the beaten track 

seoul olympics stadium

laser lights during lee seunggi's concert

originally built for the 1988 summer olympics stadium, it is one massive place, featuring the various facilities, sculptures, museums and a park. unfortunately, i've only been there twice, and both times at night, because the olympics stadium is currently also widely used for hosting of concerts!

so if you're a k-pop fan, headed down for the latest snsd or bigbang concert, it'll most likely be held here. located at olympic park station, you'll not be lost if you follow the massive crowds also headed for the same concert. just keep walking, and eventually you'll reach the main stadium, where sometimes tents are set up outside for phototaking, and booths selling food.

some practical advice would be:
1. go to the toilet prior, because the queues are usually super long, even at the cafes outside the concert venue, because like you, everyone else needs to go
2. bring a small camera (to hide from minders), because cameras are not really allowed at some concerts, and if so, the security people are really strict about it! i've seen some climb over seats etc, just to get ppl to stop taking pics.

outside the main concert venue

start of lee seunggi concert

or, if you're a tourist in seoul and have only heard of a concert last-minute, don't worry. usually, tickets are not sold out (despite the worldwide phenomenon of hallyu, competition is still very stiff among k-pop stars in korea itself, so most of the time, even tickets for top A-listers are not sold out), and you can always purchase them on the spot from the ticketing booth outside the main concert venue (that's what i did to watch lee seunggi!)

posing with yg concert poster

inside the concert venue

> back to off the beaten track

lotte mart

main entrance of lotte mart, seoul station

you can't miss it. everytime i get out of seoul station (exit 1), and see the huge neon lights spelling "lotte mart", my heart starts pounding a little harder and my legs move a little faster. supermarkets have that effect on me, but this one is even better- a giant hypermart, three storeys-worth!

not only does it stock your usual household items at economical prices (i buy xin ramen and bottled water in boxes!), they also have cosmetics counters (faceshop etc) and get this, a UNIQLO inside the building! also, walk around the food section, and be prepared for endless food sampling from salespeople selling their products.

if you're going to get your groceries, i'll recommend bringing your own carriers (because you'd have to pay for the bags otherwise, and these are flimsy too). alternatively, there are free carton boxes around, for shoppers to box their own purchases.

view outside lotte mart...

and the view inside!

because lotte mart is located at seoul station, it is extremely popular among koreans, traveling on the KTX train. and it gets busier as the night goes on (the store closes at 12midnight), so be prepared to squeeze a little or fight for locker boxes to deposit your stuff, while you go for more shopping at the nearby departmental store (ZARA!)

depositing stuff in lockers

all squeezed in!

my usual stock of groceries

> back to off the beaten track

dongdaemun stationery street

main alley of dongdaemun stationery street

one of the best places to get cheap supplies of stationery and toys, the dongdaemun stationery street can be found at dongdaemun station, exit 4 (walk straight and turn right after dongil pharmacy). what i love most is the 70s feel to the place, which brings back such fond memories of childhood. the entire stretch of cute pens/crayons, party supplies and toys will also leave one spoilt for choices, but don't worry- the prices are about 20-30% cheaper than normal, so go ahead and BUY!

to read more, you can visit:
- kto website (for background and directions)
- visitseoul.net (for fabulous photos)

stationery-shopping

full array of crayons and pens!

party hairbands!

> back to off the beaten track

off the beaten track

for those seeking a different side to seoul, i've included a few non-touristy spots. these are my favorite places, and if you have time on hand, do visit!

> back to fave places