2016년 6월 7일 화요일

Seoul - Kwangjang Market & Chungbu Market

Kwangjang Market

The Kwangjang Market was established in 1905 and at present it is the largest comprehensive retail and wholesale market in Korea that sells hanbok (traditional Korean clothing), fabric, clothing, bedding, crafts, mother-of-pearl lacquerware, farm produce and kitchen utensils. The shops close at 6 pm.
Operated by kind-hearted merchants that embody the warmth of the Korean people, the market is a great place to eat delicious food and purchase various items at inexpensive prices.




1. Wedding Preparations

    Especially it is famous for one-stop shopping destination for a bride and a bridegroom who need for a wedding.
There are lots of Hanbok shops which are clustered together on the market's 2nd floor. They focus on traditional hanbok rather than modernized hanbok. Generally a bride and bridegroom prepare their traditional costums to wear after wedding ceremony. Mothers wear hanbok in the ceremony: a bride's mother wears red type colored costum while a bridegroom's mother wears blue type colored costum. The prices of hanbok range from KRW350k to KRW450k.







There are places that writes "wedding letters" that is sent by the groom's father to the bride's home with presents before the wedding takes place.


After being measured for a custom-made hanbok, wedding family can purchase items for the pyebaek (a traditional ceremony with food held at the groom's house but at present in wedding hall after wedding ceremony) and ibaji (food prepared by the bride's family for the wedding).



There are lots of shops that sells various beddings at the bedding plaza located in the middle of the market.


2. Mecca of Korean Fashion
    It has everything that you need to make your own clothes; shops to sell the latest high quality imported fabrics, special fabrics such as silk, linen, knit clothes and jersey, imported vintage goods such as shoes, bags and various clothing-related accessories, all of the materials required to make clothing including buttons, thread, zipper and laces.




3. Others

4. Street Foods
    The food alley, which stretcheds from the north 2 gate to the south 1 gate and the east gate, sells the famous bindaetteok and mayak gimbap as well as Korean-style raw beef, sundae and various types of whoe (raw fish), juk (porridge) until late (midnight). You will experience the unique flaveoand atmosphere of the market.









Chungbu Market

At Jungbu Market, a wide assortment of dried food such as laver, seaweed, anchovies, yellow corbinas, squid, pollack, and dried filefish fillets are available at low prices. Known for both wholesale and retail sales, Jungbu Market offers goods at prices 20-30% lower than those found at other markets. The market opens at 4am and most stores close around 5pm.