Skip to main content

Time Out at Ihwa Mural Village, Seoul ( first posted on thebarefootfoodie.org on 12 Mar 2017 )

 

Time Out at Ihwa Mural Village, Seoul

MARCH 12, 2017BAREFOOT TRAVELS, SEOUL

Ihwa Mural Village started life as one of a daldongnae (‘moon villages’) – a name derived from their hilltop locations, traditionally thought to offer a better view of the moon than the cities below. At the end of the Korean War in 1950s, refugees gathered here and made it their home. From a shantytown designated for demolition ,artists have splashed their creative talents on the once grungy walls, stairways and alleys with brightly inviting murals. So much so that some residents, disgruntled with the influx of unwelcomed tourists trampling on their hallowed ground, took matters in their own hands to deface two of the most iconic works along the stairways, splattering cement over the artwork to transform the space to its depressing origin.

It is with a sense of deep regret I set off to explore what’s left of the murals on my first day of arrival in Seoul. This is what I found. My journey began after exiting Hyehwa Station and I found myself in a neighbourhood brimming with vitality and energy. It is in close proximity to learning institutions and there are pockets of  street performances sprucing up the main thoroughfare. It is a long trudge up a steep and winding passage to reach the Mural Village but there was plenty to be seen along the way.

Don’t mess with these kids
She prefers the kitty
Bigfoot
Mirror, Mirror
Quirky but nice
Graffiti or Art? Poetry or Profanity?
Pretty in Pink
Bright and Bold Facades
Big Brother is watching?
Accidental Art
Here, Kitty, Kitty
A Tall Order
International subway commuters
Be an angel for a day
I spy with my beady eyes
Black and white, not grey
Get your portraits done here
Sit at your own risk
Candy Floss Bunnies
This one’s for the golfer ( and his golf widow )
Shhhh…
This used to be a beautifully decorated stairway…until the residents had enough of the noise, traffic and disruption
Made it to the top after a lot of huffing and puffing. Wear comfortable shoes
Our well earned reward for that gruelling climb – Strawberry Snow
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

New Perspectives

  So What If The Day Started Badly This morning, as I was reversing my car out of the porch for a dental appointment, I drove right into a van who just happened to park in front of the house across the road, right at the very instant. The knee jerk instinct was to feel sorry and angry with myself at the same time. I said a little prayer for comfort and that the rest of the day would turn out better, with small mercies along the way. I also texted G, telling him what happened and that I was a little shaken by the incident, trivial as it was. The text came back " No worries". It was all the comfort I needed - no judgment, no reproof, just a quiet understanding and acceptance. The Rest Of the Day Got the tooth fixed, had my comfort food for lunch, left car with dented bumper with mechanic, took a bus to Ang Mo Kio library to while away the time. Along the way, discovered my favorite Yong Tau Foo franchise had moved to the food centre here, much nearer home, and also picked up a ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Teemo ( first posted on thebarefootfoodie.org on 7 Apr 2021 )

  Teemo APRIL 7, 2021 MY FURRY KIDS Teemo came into our lives on 9 March 2021 . His fosterer told us he is about 3 months old so this lucky boy will have two dates to celebrate – an “agak-agak’ birthday on 9 Dec 2020 and his adoption day in March. But first, here’s a long preface to where we got to be where we are. Don;t be fooled by my coyness I’ve always loved animals but since G developed allergies to cats and dogs, we stopped having them for goodness knows how long a deprivation dry spell. Things changed one day when a runaway or abandoned hamster found its way into our house. We took Hammie in and just as suddenly as he came, he became listless one day, developed a wet tail ( a fatal syndrome in hamsters ) and died. I was very upset and felt the loss deeply. G wanted to get me another hamster but since their lifespan is only 2 years, we decided to get bunnies instead. That was how Miu Miu ( the Brown ) and Prada ( the Black ) joined the family. Surprise, surprise, G is not all...
Post a Comment
Read more

Gnomes, Locks and Other Distractions – Wroclaw Part 1 ( first posted on thebarefootfoodie.org on 18 Oct 2016 )

  Gnomes, Locks and Other Distractions – Wroclaw Part 1 OCTOBER 18, 2016 BAREFOOT TRAVELS ,  EUROPE Wroclaw ( pronounced  rots wahv )   is a picturesque city in Poland known for its beautiful market square and many delightful pockets of quaint features. It is spanned by more than 100 bridges, and floats ethereally perched as a city on water. That aside, the real draw for us was the  legion of little people with larger than life personalities that add to the lure of this magical place – the gnomes ( or  krasnale  , in local parlance ) It started with a protest against the authoritarian regime by dissidents who cleverly used these whimsical figurines to register their discontent. How could the police make an arrest with something so nonsensical? And so it grew, until it acquired a cult status of its own in 2001 when the country became a democratic state, and an official statue of a gnome was erected on the city’s main street. It did not stop th...
Post a Comment
Read more