Busan Gamcheon Culture Village

Also known as the Painted Village, this is one of the highlights of my Busan trip, and I would definitely recommend this for everyone who plans on going to Busan.

In 2009, the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism created this Busan project to help improve the area by hiring artists to paint murals and sculptures all around the village. They also created path markers to help lead the “maze” in the village; these markers are in the shape of a fish, to represent the fishing industry history in Busan. These fish path markers now became a symbol to represent the village, and you can get a souvenir in one of the shops to take home as a memory. This picture is a mural / sculpture near the entrance of the village.

Mural / Sculpture near the entrance of the village

Now, the Gamcheon Culture Village is one of the most visited tourist spot in Busan, and has been featured in many movies, dramas, and variety shows. The village buildings are painted in brightly colored pastels, which gives the whole neighborhood a picturesque atmosphere, making it a perfect place for an afternoon visit and amazing photos. We were lucky to have come on such a beautiful day.

Tip: When you enter the village, there is a small informational office that offers large maps that are sold for 2,000 won. I would suggest buying one to be able to see the right path to take, and to see everything that Gamcheon Culture Village has to offer.

The village also has many wall paintings and sculptures along the trail that are very popular. The most famous would probably be the Little Prince sculpture with the fox, sitting on a ledge facing the village of Gamcheon, looking over the colorful buildings and mountains. Here, a lovely couple takes a cute picture sitting next to the Little Prince and the Fox; it was so adorable that I had to snap a picture.

A Lovely Couple

If you get hungry, you can stop by the many street vendors, cafes, or small restaurants are spotted throughout the village. They usually served traditional Korean foods, like pajeon (Korean green onion pancakes), soondae (Korean sausages), famous Busan fishcakes, amongst other foods. A tip: most of these places did not accept credit cards or debit cards, so I would bring some cash with you along this trip. The following picture of Happy House is a small café that offers drinks and coffee, along with some snacks, for the visitors passing by.

Snacks!

Let me just say, that the pictures do not do the village justice; it is so much more beautiful in person! So if you’re ever heading to Busan, make sure to add this to your list of places to go!!!