Nestled into the side of a mountain are the terraced houses of Gamcheon Culture Village. With its waves of colourful roofs and narrow winding alleys.
During the Korean War, Busan served as a provisional capital of Korea and provided a shelter for fleeing refugees. People from all regions of Korea came here to escape the horrors of war, many settling in Gamcheon, as a result, cultural diversity flourished. The village had to confront poverty and poor living conditions for a long time.
The village reached a turning point In 2009 when Busan unveiled the Creative Village Project to promote urban regeneration and reinvigoration through culture and the arts. Now nick-named the Machu Picchu of Busan, painted with all different colours and covered with murals, all the efforts by local residents and artists have now created a popular tourist spot in Busan. Each year new artwork is added.
While some residents have participated in the renovation and tourism efforts, others have opted to move away despite difficulties with selling their homes. It is estimated that 300 local houses were empty as of 2015. Part of the development efforts in the Village include converting these abandoned houses into art galleries, museums, and shops.
We went along early to hopefully avoid crowds.
I have to say as we climbed up the steep road it certainly looked like it was going to a be an interesting place.
Once we reached the top, yes the views are majestic and colourful and the narrow alleys are gorgeous. The art however seems to have taken on the perspective of a ’Photo Zone’ selfie route. Many youngsters were visiting with the occasional Hanbok thrown in for good measure. A couple of the little art galleries were lovely but certainly will get overlooked by the K-pop murals, selfie spots and sweet treats.
Le Petit Prince is a really adored here in Korea and he appears at Gamcheon with his own dedicated photo zone. This book is so famous that apparently the Koreans study this literature at school.
Meanwhile the queue gets bigger as visitors patiently wait their turn for a selfie with the little prince.
We enjoyed a brisk walk down the hill back to reality.
We decided to explore over the other side of Busan where one of the four ports lies. A few random objects appeared on our route as we have come to expect.
During the war Busan's port was crucial to receive war materials and aid, such as fabrics and processed foods to keep the economy stable. In the 1970s, a rise in the footwear and veneer industries caused factory workers to migrate to Busan, bringing Busan's population from 1.8 million to 3 million.
The harbour area is beautiful in a gritty, honest way. The hangul typography, old houses and beautiful rusting ships and gateways all create a gorgeous colour palette.
Port Snippets.
Our last dinner in Busan had to be a return visit to Song Song’s for her Bibimbap.
Farewell Busan, we throughly enjoyed our time here. Mokpo here we come…