Trip to “Hot Places” in Gwangju,
Jeollanam-do,
South Korea
Behave in Yangnim-dong like Modern Boys!
Yangnim-dong in Gwangju is a repository of modern
cultural heritage because it was the first place to
accept the Western culture in Gwangju with the
settlement of western Christian missionaries about
100 years ago. It has now become a major national
tourist site where young ones come to enjoy the past
culture.
It is good to start the Yangnim-dong trip at the “Yangnim
Visitor Center.” Here, they provide maps for a stamp
tour for free, so make sure to get one. Yangnim Salon
is a building made by remodeling an old traditional
Korean house, and it is used as a travelers’ lounge.
The interior is decorated with antique furniture and
goods of the 1930s. There, about 400 travel books
are shelved, and modern clothes can be even rented.
The must–visit places in Yangnim-dong are the
Owen Memorial Hall, Missionary Wilson’s House, and
Yangnim Church, which boast of antique exterior looks
and exotic ambience. If you have rented clothes from
Yangnim Salon, you can take great photos here
The Penguin Village is also an excellent place to visit
in Yangnim-dong. It was once the most backward
place in the district, but it is now crowded with people
visiting from all over the country. The walls erected
around the narrow alleys for about 300 m are filled
with goods used in the 1970s and 1980s. Wall clocks
that have stopped working, 1980 calendars, dented
rice bowls, and fire extinguishers have been recycled
and used to make penguin-shaped models. Vacant lots
and walls are also full of attractions.