Seoulo Traveller

Day 49 Busan: Taegeuk-do Village / Gamcheong Culture Village

Taegeuk-do Village is a must-visit place in Busan for all who love sight-seeing. One can easily get lost in a state of visual ecstasy. The fact that the residents wake up to this sight every single day of their lives might induce envy in some. This splendid view is no longer something enthralling to them. It is probably the sense of community that is kept closest to their hearts. Friends and neighbours meet regularly. They climb mountains, go to the neighbourhood markets, sell goods together, visit temples, exercise, have picnics by the stream... They do everything together. In this case, i chanced upon groups of elderly people sitting by the uneven concrete steps of the narrow alleys that are sandwiched between homes.

I enjoyed touring through the village and i hope you enjoy looking at my pictures as well.

There is a cultural trail through a section of the village and it guides you through the narrow passages in the village so that you won't get lost in the beautiful town by the south sea.

To get to there, take bus 1-1 or bus 2 from exit 6 of Toseong station. (Turn right and walk up the slope along the flow of traffic till you reach PNUH cancer centre)

Labels: Hidden Gems

13 Comments:

what a pretty place!

aud

By Anonymous, at August 3, 2012 at 2:19 AM

yeah it's like any picture that you take there will never turn out bad!!

By Unknown, at August 4, 2012 at 2:12 AM

Hey!
Your pics are awesome!! I really like them! I had a workshop in Pusan Univ about the renewal of this village in 2010, and I really like the place. It really offers a great sense of a place,isn't it? I'm wondering is it still a kind of self-developing village with some randomly art installments, Or is it a worldwide well-known attraction now?

Your photos are REALLY nice!

By Linshan Lu, at October 24, 2012 at 3:37 AM

Hello Linshan! Thank you!!!
Wow that sounds very interesting!! How did you join that workshop?
I agree. (:
From what i found out at the KTO website, there are trying to better the villagers' life while maintaining the traditional feel of the place. It is listed as one of the attractions in Busan. It is well-loved by both local and foreign photographers. When i was there, it was quite quiet on a weekday afternoon. I don't think it is a world-wide well-known attraction yet because some people are unaware of the cultural trail that they have constructed within the village. Furthermore, I don't see it in the Busan city map that i have as well. Most tourists might miss this attraction unless they visit the KTO website. It probably still remains as a hidden gem with relatively lesser publicity. It's not a bad thing i suppose, because i feel that if it becomes a full-fledged tourist attraction, the village might not be as tranquil as it is now.

Thank you Linshan(:
I hope to go back next year T.T

By Unknown, at October 24, 2012 at 11:37 AM

Hiya Emily,
The workshop is a united design workshop held by three univs in Korea,China and Japan~

Yes, it's not easy to keep the balance between development and cultural heritage, isn't it? I also want to go back and have a look, coz I am trying to find a site for my graduation design, and I think the issue that Taegeukdo village faced is a global issue. But as a landscape architecture learner, I think it's better to concern more about the environment there... But I haven't got a lot of information about the landscape there except the lovely shacks(I really like them)...

How do you think the environment there? Nice views to the sea and mountain or not?...Sorry, am I asking too much...

Are you Korean? if not,do you speak Korean? Will the language be a problem if I go there by my own? I am a Chinese and in UK now, so I can only speak Chinese and English...

CHEERS~
Thank you very much~

By Linshan Lu, at October 25, 2012 at 4:56 AM

Hello Linshan!
Wow that sounds really cool!
I see, i see. Yes i agree. I guess there will always be some sort of trade-off whenever the government decides to designate a place as a tourist attraction.

Hmm the houses are built on the slopes of the hills/mountains and the concrete steps can get really steep. This offers majority of the households with a splendid view of the sea. I would say that the view is nothing short of spectacular.
According to the KTO website, http://english.visitkorea.or.kr/enu/SI/SI_EN_3_6.jsp?cid=1056152,
"Due to the position of the village, it is virtually bathed in sunlight from sunrise to sunset".
This probably also makes it really hot during the summer months.

I am not Korean. Hehe. I couldn't speak Korean when i first arrived but i took a Korean Language module while i was there. I can only speak basic Korean. Perhaps just enough for me to survive.
I doubt the language will be a problem because Seoul is a very foreigner-friendly place. The use of English in Busan is not as extensive as that in Seoul. If i remember correctly, one example is that in Seoul, they announce the subway station stops in English as well, but they don't do that in Busan. If you do your research beforehand and figure out how to get to certain places (always double check with two online sources because sometimes the information is outdated and they might have addd new exits to a subway station) before you embark on your journey, you will be fine(:.

I travelled alone and this trip is the one of best experiences that i have ever had.
It would be good to know the basic phrases and questions before you set off.
Don't worry too much about not knowing the language.
If you are going alone, remember that you are vulnerable and always be aware of your surroundings.
Sometimes you have to trust your instincts. If you don't feel good about talking to someone or going somewhere, walk away from the situation.

By Unknown, at October 25, 2012 at 11:38 PM

Hi,
It's very nice to get so much information from you~ REALLY happy talking with you! Thank you very much!!

If I could go there after discussing it with my tutor, the info you provide will be very helpful,especially the KTO website! Emm, I am wondering do you mind if I use some of your photos for the presentation to the tutor, just to show the current situation of the site.(I promise it's not used in a commercial way...)

Wish you have a nice day~

By Linshan Lu, at October 26, 2012 at 3:20 AM

Hello Linshan!
You are very welcome!
Feel free to use them in your presentation.
I hope that you will be able to go to Korea to study about Taeguk-do village or any other landmarks. (:

All the best in your future projects!
If you ever set up a blog, do let me know!
I want to read about your studies(:

Cheers,
Emily

By Unknown, at October 26, 2012 at 4:51 AM

Hey Linshan, if you happen to go to Busan, maybe you can check out Taejongdae.
I am not sure whether it is related to landscape architecture but i suddenly thought of it.
I have a post on this place as well.

By Unknown, at October 27, 2012 at 1:47 AM

Hello Emily,

I have the tutorial about the site selecting today. My tutor said it might not be a wise choice to choose a site that I don't know the language. It may lead to a lot of problems for baseline data collecting, such as climate data,developing plans from city council, etc. So I use the backup one in Edinburgh as a result... And they also think this village needs more urban planning rather than landscape planning and design...

But they did like the photos, the colorful houses, and they thought it's like Chile(I don't know why, but very thank you for your nice photos~)

So, I may not go there during Christmas...But I will look at the other one that you provided, maybe I could go there during summer vacation,since it's quite near China~!

Anyway, thanks a lot~It's really happy talking with you~xx

Linshan

By Linshan Lu, at October 27, 2012 at 3:41 AM

Hi Linshan!

Aww that's a pity! I failed to think of the ease of collecting data for your project... I guess i got too carried away by the travelling part. I hope your trip to Edinburgh will be a fruitful one! (:

Yeah there are a lot of Chinese and Japanese tourists in Korea!!! My friends told me that it is really convenient for them to travel to Korea. HEHE

You're welcome Linshan! I wish you all the best in your project! It sounds really interesting!
It's nice talking to you too (: !!

By Unknown, at October 27, 2012 at 4:05 PM

Hi Emily,
Sorry for replying late. I was very busy with the midterm submissions... I would like to keep in touch with you about travelling blogs, and if I find the way, I would like to set up a blog about Edinburgh during Christmas(I'm going to stay there for one month!)

Thank you very much anyway!
Wish everything goes well

Linshan

By Linshan Lu, at November 12, 2012 at 9:07 PM

Hey Linshan!
No worries!!!
Hope your midterms went well. I will be having my finals soon T.T

Ok, do let me know the address when you set up the blog hehe!
Thank you!

All the best to you too! Have lots of fun in Edinburgh!

-Emily

By Unknown, at November 12, 2012 at 10:39 PM