Every Corner of Korea

Chuncheon Romantic Alley, the sensibility of the rough appearance - Chuncheon, Gangwon, Korea

A humorous tiger at the entrance of Hyoja Village Romantic Alley
A humorous tiger at the entrance of Hyoja Village Romantic Alley

Chuncheon Romantic Alley, the sensibility of the rough appearance

Chuncheon, Gangwon, Korea

Is there another city that goes well with Chuncheon to add the modifier of romance? Chuncheon, like the word “spring”, is a fluttering excitement that makes you unheard of. The attractions that have been loved for a long time, such as the Soyang River Dam, Uiam Lake, Cheongpyeongsa Temple, and Gongjicheon Stream, may have helped make Chuncheon a romantic city, but in fact, the calm elements hidden in various parts of Chuncheon may make Chuncheon a more romantic space. Following the well-known Chuncheon Romantic Market, a romantic alley has now appeared.

Alleyway warmth, art and culture excitement
Is there another space full of emotion and full of personality like an alleyway? Every road in the world has its own story, but here in Chuncheon Hyoja's alleyway boasts a unique story and personality. Hyoja Village Romantic Alley. I'm just curious about the name, and I have a desire to walk around. Hyoja residents and local artists worked together to improve the village environment under the name of the “Romantic Alley Project,” which transforms Chuncheon's deteriorated village into a space filled with art and culture. Thus, Romantic Alley Project No. 1, Hyoja Village Romantic Alley was born.
At the beginning of the narrow alley, there are works by young men with wild ginseng and baby tigers. The title of the work is ‘Ban Hee-an and the Little Tiger’. Ban Hee-an is a figure related to the birth of Hyoja Village. In the middle of Joseon Dynasty, Hyoja Ban Hee-an took care of a seriously ill mother with utmost care. One day, when a mountain god appeared in a dream and went to Daeryongsan, there were three corpses. Among them, the throat of the corpse was cut and orphaned and presented to the mother. Ban Hee-an followed what the Sanshin ordered. When I opened the lid of the pot to give my mother medicine, there was wild ginseng instead of the body's head. So Nomo saved his life. In the winter that year, when Nomo suddenly wanted to eat strawberries, he went to the mountain to get strawberries again. At the end of the twist, he rescued a strawberry, but was lost in a blizzard and met a tiger. But instead of harming Ban Hee-an, the tiger drove him home and disappeared. In 41 years of the Joseon Dynasty, the Hyoja purification was given to praise the filial piety of Ban Hee-an. Later, as the Hyojamun was erected at the entrance of the village, it was called Hyojamun Street and got the name Hyoja. 'Ban Hee-an and the Little Tiger' is a work that explains the origin of Hyoja.
Let's take a look at this work and understand the neighborhood called Hyoja and then go into the alley. You can see a shop called 'Green Mart' at the entrance of the alley. The neighborhood shop, which is gradually disappearing due to the convenience store, saves the alley. You can buy a drink or sit on the floor in front of the store and take a break. A tiger with a humorous expression greets the wall just opposite Green Mart. A mural with harmonious landscapes of Hyo-ja and characters of the Zodiac, including a tiger, is painted on a cement wall that would have been dry, giving a cozy and pleasant feeling. The title of this work is 'The Way to Hyoja Award'. In order to welcome the visitors and wish to be a Hyoja village filled with love flowers, laughter flowers, and happy songs, we depicted tigers and zodiac animals guarding the village. When you enter the alley along the wall, there is a 3D romantic photo zone under the sign “Dongil Petroleum”. If you take a picture here, you can produce it with the feeling of entering Hyojamun.
Hyo-ja's origins ‘Ban Hee-an and the Little Tiger’
3D photo zone with virtual Hyoja Moon as background
The secret azit hidden in the romantic alley, the small library
Along the way, you will see a playground and a modern, modern building that doesn't match the local atmosphere. It is the Children's Library “Damjak Small Library” (033-256-6363). It is a structure that takes off the shoes on the 3rd floor, so it is a comfortable atmosphere like my home. Daljak Library, which opened in 2008, is special in that it is not a bustling city but a culturally marginalized and old small town. Maybe it's because of the neighborhood atmosphere. Damjak Library is more comfortable and warm than any other place.
From the 1st floor space to the 3rd floor for infants and toddlers, choose a book you like anywhere and sit there. It is a place where you can lean on the wall, lie down, and become friends with books as if you were at home. It is far from any library with a hard atmosphere. Because parents are comfortable and children are comfortable, families often come together. There is also a cafe on the first floor. Café latte, cappuccino, iced tea and other breads are all 1,000 won, so there is no burden. There are also books for adults to see in this space, so it's good to drink a cup of tea with your children and fall in love with reading.
Family Fun Playground, Damjak Library
Modern library in harmony with the old town
Modern library in harmony with the old town
A neighborhood alley full of interesting things

When you come out of the library and go up the right path, you can see the mood of an alleyway with small wooden chairs and a box of fruit trees underneath the stone wall. 'Tell me your wishes', etc. are implemented. It is lovely to see the stones on the mossy wall wearing colorful clothes one by one, and the animals hiding there are pretty. I can feel the warmth from the grandmothers in the neighborhood sitting on the alleys and chatting and the children running around. It is not a dead alley, but a living alley. You can see works along this alley and at the end of the alley you can see the city of Chuncheon through the roofs.

Let's go down to the place where the mural called 'The Way to Hyojasang' was located again. This time, do not bend in the 3D romantic photo zone, but go straight up. On this road, ‘Skykeeper Junk Robot’ or taekwon V made of wood, which uses waste electrical appliances, appears. When you go up the hill with Taekwon V, you can see the sperm where you can rest for a while. If you sit in the pavilion for a while, the loud noises of the grandmother and grandfather come out from the Hyoja Moon Path Hall opposite. Unlike other senior citizens, it is noticeable that grandmothers and grandfathers hang handmade items. This is where the romantic alley is different from the mural villages in other regions.
Fairy-tale transformation of the old stone wall
It's fun to find the animals hiding on the stone wall
It's fun to find the animals hiding on the stone wall
The Romantic Alley Project is part of the project to create a living and cultural community. Rather than just putting out veneer with murals or artworks, work is underway to restore the community like a rural village as residents of Hyoja 1-dong interact with each other. Opening a course for residents, such as ceramics and reform, and creating a cafe where people can communicate, provides opportunities for residents to greet each other and get to know each other. This year, regardless of academic background, residents of Hyoja 1-dong started 'Hyoja Village University', where they become dean, professor, and student. If you look at the flesh as well as the appearance, you will realize the charm of Hyoja Village Romantic Alley.
A ridiculous junk robot with filial piety in one hand
A ridiculous junk robot with filial piety in one hand
“Hi, Taekwon V!”
Chuncheon Romantic Walk to the Romantic Market
If it's too bad to end with a romantic alley, then take a walk to the romantic market. Walk down from the romantic alley to ‘Festival Theater Gesture’ and walk along the Yaksa Pass Pass to see the Chuncheon Romantic Market (Central Market). The central market, one of Chuncheon's representative traditional markets, was transformed into a new space where culture, art, and relaxation blended with the concept of a simple market in 2010 following the cultural tourism market development project. Beautiful murals were painted all over the market, and signboards were also transformed into distinctive features. Changes also took place in the old and old market alleys. In some alleys, the warmth and memories of the old market appear, and in some alleys, minicars run through the old wires on the wall.
Others such as the 'Romantic Salon', which acts as an information center for the romantic market, the 'Romantic Chamber' showing the history of the central market, the 'Space Odong' where you can see the work of local artists, and a market lounge where guests and merchants can rest. There are many exotic spaces that cannot be found on the market. In the romantic market, the fun of visiting and buying things adds to the fun of finding cultural art works and spaces hidden around the market. If you run from market to market, from alley to alley, you'll get a few bags of romance.
The romantic market is romantic even for signs.
The romantic market is romantic even for signs.
The romantic market is romantic even for signs.
Travel information

[Hyoja Village Romantic Alley]
Location: Hyoja 1-dong, Chuncheon-si, Gangwon-do
Inquiries: 033-262-1360 (Romantic Alley Promotion Committee), 033-251-3474 (Chuncheon City Cultural Foundation)

1.Access

* Self-driving

Seoul Chuncheon Expressway → Chuncheon IC → Right road toward the National Chuncheon Museum in Gongji-ro → Hyoja Crossroad → Turn left at Hyomyeong 1-gil

* public transport

Seoul → Chuncheon: Occasionally (06: 00-24: 00) from Dong Seoul Terminal, takes 1 hour and 10 minutes
ITX youth runs every hour (06: 00-22: 00) from Yongsan Station or Cheongnyangni Station (some time zones are 30 minutes), and takes about 1 hour 15 minutes from Yongsan Station

2. Restaurants around

Byeoldang Makguksu: Chuncheon Makguksu / 490-7, Hyoja 1-dong, Chuncheon-si / 033-254-9603
Original Charcoal Fire Chicken Bulgogi Restaurant: Charcoal Fire Chicken Ribs / 28-4 Nakwon-gil, Chuncheon-si / 033-257-5326
1.5 Chicken Ribs: Chicken Ribs / 77 Human-ro, Chuncheon / 033-253-8635
Panda House: Bunsik / 49 Myeongdong-gil, Chuncheon-si / 033-256-0920
Coffee kelly: coffee / 10, morning road in Chuncheon / 033-252-5953

3.Accommodation

Chuncheon Old House (Kim Jeong-eun Traditional House): 44, Sotbal 1-gil, Sindong-myeon, Chuncheon-si / 010-2582-2923 / http://blog.naver.com/jawana

Nabiya Guesthouse: 15 Seomgol-gil, Seomyeon, Chuncheon-si / 011-377-2402
Chuncheon Sejong Hotel: 31 Bonguisan-gil, Chuncheon / 033-252-1191 / http://www.chunchonsejong.co.kr/

Benikea Chuncheon Hotel: 12, Jungang-ro 68beon-gil, Chuncheon-si / 033-257-1900

※ The above information was created in July 2013, and may change later, so be sure to check it before you travel.
※ Information, such as text, photos, and videos used in this article, is copyrighted by the Korea Tourism Organization, and unauthorized use of the article is prohibited.