Gamcheon Cultural Village

This community of Busan, South Korea, won the Educating Cities Award in June 2016 and also received a Good Place Award. Around the time of the Korean War (1950) there was a migration of people from the North into the South to avoid the conflict. The land higher up the coastal mountain was undeveloped and available for these refugees to build shelters. Since then, Busan has grown into the second-largest city in South Korea.

You will recognize what the entrance looks like from the main street.

And this is one of the features you will see on one of the walls as you enter the village.

How about a short video that will give you a closer look as we walk past it?

There are many narrow alleys between the buildings. With a guide who knows the way, and the energy and ability to climb the uneven stairs, anyone can get to the observation deck above the rooves of the houses at the top of the hill.

These are the views awaiting you when you reach the top. Double click on them to see a full-size picture.

You have to be there to get a real feel for the community. This video might help. It is best seen in full-screen mode too.

Vendors of all things imaginable are lining the streets and making the streets as colourful as the homes. Flowers and shrubs add to the colour. You will have to be careful of the cars, both big and small, that move through the few larger streets.

There are many things to attract your attention and make you stay a little longer.

Even the stairways can be interesting and invite you to sit down for a rest.

Music is everywhere, both recorded and live, to make you feel like this is a great place to stay for a while.

I know you would like to walk along the streets with me even though I do get distracted and forget to make sure the camera is on the straight and level.

– Where do you want to go today? –