Ihwa-dong Mural Village

Looking for something to do for an afternoon in Seoul? Well then, you should head to the Ihwa-dong Mural Village (이화동벽화마을)!

Filled with beautiful murals, petite boutique shops, and artistic cafes, Ihwa Mural Village is the perfect place to go on a beautiful day to take pictures.

Murals at Ihwa Mural Village

In 2006, a local art committee took on a project to improve the environment of Ihwa Village. Around 60 artists participated in the Naksan Project and now, many tourists and local Koreans visit the village for the beautiful murals and sculptures that are scattered throughout the village.

Also near Ihwa Mural Village is DaeHangNo (대학로), or DaeHakRo, or “College Street”. This location was the original location for the extremely prestigious Seoul National University (서울대학교), and became an area of youth and passion. Even though Seoul National University moved its location (Currently at the Gwanak District, the University Hospital remains at DaeHangNo), the College Street still contains the passion of the young students, with many cultural arts centers, filling the area with many theatres for plays and musicals, parks where musicians perform, and artists gather.

Part of DaeHangNo

So before or after your stroll in Ihwa Mural Village, you should definitely tour the College Street to fully enjoy the culturally rich and diverse aspects that the area offers.

Naksan Park

Also near Ihwa Mural Village is the Naksan Park (낙산공원), which you will pass by during the middle of the mural walk. The park has a hiking trail, a basketball and badminton court, exhibition halls, playgrounds, and convenience store for a hike. Right now in late October, the leaves are changing colors which means more pictures!

If you would like to visit Ihwa Mural Village, I would suggest that you do some research and have a map to give you an idea of where to go. They have street signs here and there, but they only show the entrance and exit, but no signs in between.

The following is a brief map that is in Korean and English. Check out the green and red lines; the red lines indicate that it is a location where people live, so they caution that you should be quiet. I also suggest going during the early morning or afternoon so that you will be able to take perfect pictures. Making the mistake of going late, I wasn’t able to explore the whole mural village because the sun went down.

Picture credit: http://www.wikitree.co.kr/main/news_view.php?id=168529

As said on the map, to get here, take the light blue Line 4 to Hyehwa station (혜화역). Take exit 2, and head walk straight towards the Marronier Park (마로니에 공원). From there, follow the map and enjoy the beautiful scenery!