Gamcheon Culture Village is a town located in Saha District, Busan. In 1950s, the village was established by Korean War refugees who settled in the hillside. After successful art renovation project initiated by the local government in 2009, the village turned into tourist attraction.
Entrance to the village
According to Ms. Jeon Soon Song, President of Gamcheon Cultural Residence Association Village, the village was renovated under Village Art Project, when locals and artists painted the houses in bright colours. Since then, thousands of tourists from all over the world come to Gamcheon to walk along the colorful streets, take photos, try street food and buy traditional handicrafts.
The successful case of project realization improved economy and created new places for local residents as well.
Ms. Jeong Soon Song, President of Gamcheon Cultural Residence Association Village
There is a walking route in the village, the direction of which is set by a colorful fish. You can buy a map for 2000 KRW in the place where the route starts and put stamps on the special page following the route.
Colorful fish that shows the direction
The must-see of the village is definitely the statues of the Little Prince with the Fox. This spot is a very popular photo zone among tourists, as it is located at the top where you can the picturesque view of the village.
Gamcheon Village is full of interesting sculptures and murals. While taking photos and trying delicious street food, you can participate in different activities.
Gamcheon is popular for fishcakes
There are many activity programs, which are regularly held in the village. At Gamcheon Cultural Village Community Centre, which is made from a former bathhouse, you can take part in the workshops like ceramics (make a mug, an accessory or a flower-pot), woodcarving, caricature and tohers. There is even a workshop on making Korean traditional shoes.
One way to get to know the village is to look at the painted walls in the alleys that appeared as a result of the project of artistic transformation of the village. It is a particular pleasure to learn about this place by building your own route.
You can buy a ball for 1000 KRW and read a prediction about your destiny
Gamcheon Culture Village is definitely a must-visit place with its colorful houses, delicious food and quizes. Once you visit Busan, you should come to the unique place that looks like a fairytale.
As Isabelle Pia Sison, Honorary Reporter from the Philippines said, Gamcheon Culture Village is one of her favourite places to visit in Busan.
Photo by Isabelle Pia Sison
"Gamcheon Village has always been an enchanting and beautiful place in my perspective. It was not my first time to visit the place during the ASEAN-ROK Commemorative Summit Invitational Program but its beauty never fades each time. To make this visit even more special, I decided to rent the Korean traditional clothes called hanbok and roam around the village. I just love the fact that you can be able to see colorful establishments, picturesque sceneries, and artsy small galleries in Gamcheon Village.
It has a mix of fun and relaxing ambiances: from taking photos in black and white studios to take home your memories, eating your favorite Korean street food, to chilling on the rooftop of a cafe to enjoy the view. Every time I visit this place, it makes new and unique memories for me to keep and this is surely a place I recommend tourists to visit in Busan," Pia says.
Dana Tugambekova