Many people are living a hectic life in the modern world. For those of you who lead this sort of life, why not get out of your busy life for a moment and enjoy your time in Naksan Park and Ewha Village? You will find a new aspect of Seoul in these two hot spots and find peace while walking along a path here. One of the best ways to get here is to take a subway line number 1 to Dondaemun Station and you can get to Dongdaemun Wall Park nearby Exit number 1. A small trip around Dongdaemun Wall Park, Naksan Park and Ewha Village is recommended since all these places are connected. Taking a route in this order is more convenient than travelling around these places by getting off at Hyehwa Station. Let me share my precious and unforgettable moments with my dear friend Frauke who is from Germany and currently an exchange student at University of Seoul.
Dongdaemun Wall Park
Dongdaemun Wall Park is famous for a Seoul Wall, a miniature version of the Great Wall in China. It is not long like the Great Wall, but the shape is similar. This has been the background for quite a few Korean movies and TV drama ‘The King Two Hearts.’ Since there are a number of people living around here, residents just take a walk along the Seoul Wall, and tourists take pictures of this place. Particularly, the night view from the Seoul Wall is amazing and you can get the view of some parts of Seoul at a glance.
Naksan Park
After an hour of talking with Frauke in the Dongdaemun Wall Park, we followed a path that led us to the Naksan Park. The words ‘Nak’ and ‘San’ here mean a camel and a mountain, respectively. The name originates from a fact that ‘Naksan’ resembles a camel’s back. There are a few sports facilities and various sculptures in Naksan Park. This place is also known for being the setting of Korean movies and dramas such as ‘Lovers in Paris’ and ‘The Fire Bird.’ Furthermore, it is one of the recommendable dating courses in Seoul along with Dongdaemun Wall Park for its beautiful scenery and romantic nightscape.
Ewha Village
Ewha Village is not far from Naksan Park. On our way to Ewha Village, we saw small houses in rows and some paintings on the walls of houses. We were surprised by beautifully drawn walls and overall bright atmosphere of the village. Ewha Village, which is a poor hillside village, is renowned for these drawings. Professional photographers and people who are interested in taking pictures visit this place to capture a variety of paintings on the walls. This place gained more popularity after it was aired in a Korean hit program called ‘One Day Two Nights’ when a famous actor, Lee Seung-gi took a picture in front of a painting of big white wings on the wall. However, people can no longer see this painting, since it got erased a few years ago. This is because a great number of people visited Ewha Village to take pictures of the place where Lee Seung-gi took a shot and thus, the noise created by this irritated the residents of Ewha Village. Still, many people visit here and can feel peace and happiness thanks to the heart-warming paintings on the walls of this village.
An interview with Frauke
I asked Frauke what street life in her hometown is like and she said there are not many special aspects of street life in the town where she was raised. Since she grew up in the countryside of Germany, she was more familiar with farms and green fields rather than artistic sculptures and paintings. Hence, she told me about her experience in Berlin, Germany. She said there were many privately owned coffee shops along the streets and Germans love to spend their time outside in the terraces of cafes. She also said that German street life reminded her of vibrant city life, for it is crowded with various people and some young people dance on the street as part of a performance.
I am sure that all of the three hot spots of Seoul mentioned above will provide you with unforgettable and wonderful memories. These places packed with culture and vibrance are perfect spots for couples and friends, so how about visiting here with your beloved ones?