The express rail station at the airport (Photo: Feng Ganyong)

At 10 a.m. on June 13, 2010, the reporter and his party departed from Terminal 2 of Capital Airport and successfully arrived at Incheon Airport at 11:20 Seoul time after a 1-hour and 20-minute flight. Take the Airport Express and then transfer to the subway at the airport and quickly arrive at the Lotte City Hotel in Seoul. After putting down your bags, you can start a South Korean free travel tour of Seoul's shopping streets and cultural products.

The busy Litai won (Photo: Feng Ganyong)

We took the subway first to Itaewon Commercial Street in Longshan District of downtown Seoul. After getting up from the subway, a lively scene of heavy traffic immediately appeared in front of people. Because Itaewon has long been influenced by foreign culture, it has become very "exotic". It is located near Nanshan in Seoul and close to the US military base in South Korea, so it embodies pure American culture everywhere. The crowd on the street is also mainly Americans and tourists from all over the world who come to Seoul. It has the flavor of Beijing's "Sanlitun".

Itaewon mask products (Photo: Feng Ganyong)

Here, you can experience and understand comprehensive culture by eating, entertainment and shopping. The international popularity of the shopping street Itaewon is self-evident from the saying,"It is not surprising not to know Seoul, but it is strange not to know Itaewon." Itaewon Commercial Street is centered on Hamilton Hotel and extends in both east and west directions.

Itaewon's cafe (Photo: Feng Ganyong)

In Itaewon, the signs of shops and restaurants all use English, and there are many pure American-style clubs and shops, which makes people feel as if they are in another country for a while. Although I am traveling in Seoul, it feels like entering a foreign country, which can't help but give people a new feeling.

The food stall in Itaewon (Photo: Feng Ganyong)

The 1.4-kilometer-long section from Itaewon Cave 1 to Hannan Cave 2 contains not only countless shops, but also a variety of entertainment facilities and gourmet restaurants.

Photo taken on the commercial street (Photo: Feng Ganyong)

A major feature of Itaewon street is the widespread use of English. Not only do Koreans and foreigners walking on the road talk in English together, but even shop signs on the roadside are marked in English, and words such as "extra large" and "longer and larger" can often be seen.

Itaewon Commercial Street (Photo: Feng Ganyong)

Itaewon's best-selling products are jeans, furs and leather products. Most of them are pure American style. There are also cheap duty-free specialty stores selling famous brand fur coats, leather jackets, formal dresses, etc. There are also purely American-style space suits, sports shoes, and Hip-hop clothes and other "foreign-flavor" shops.

Children out of school (Photo: Feng Ganyong)

There are also various Chinese and Western restaurants such as pizza shops and fast food restaurants around. There are also traditional Korean saunas, traditional restaurants, etc. There are also many clubs, cafes, ice cream shops, etc. with international characteristics. It can be said that Itaewon is a street with international standards and very foreign customs.

The alley of Itaewon (Photo: Feng Ganyong)

Since the late 1990s, tourists from Japan, China, Southeast Asia, Africa, and the Middle East have increased in Itaewon. The street has gradually changed from a street centered on the US military to a street for tourists from all over the world. In 1997, it was designated as a tourist special area. Most of the people traveling to and from this street are foreigners, so most shops can speak English or Japanese, Chinese and other foreign languages. The products they sell come in a wide variety of sizes to meet the needs of foreigners.

Photo taken on the streets of Seoul (Photo: Feng Ganyong)

In addition, you can also taste foreign-style restaurants that are difficult to find in other places such as Turkey, India, Pakistan, Switzerland, and Thailand, which has become a great pleasure for sightseeing here. Itaewon, which is gradually developing into a world-class tourist attraction, also holds the Itaewon International Festival every year for open-air cultural performances. In addition to shopping, tourists can also experience the essence of Korean traditional culture in an exotic environment.

Photo taken at the entrance of Insadong Commercial Street

If Itaewon Commercial Street is similar to Sanlitun in Beijing, then Insadong is like Beijing's Liulichang. It is located in the city center of Seoul, South Korea. It is a rare space. From Insadong, various ancient and precious traditional items circulate. From the perspective of it, it clearly reflects the characteristics of Korean traditional culture. On the morning of June 14, 2010, reporters and his party came here to patrol because of their admiration.

Insadong Commercial Street (Photo: Feng Ganyong)

There are many alleys distributed on both sides of the main road in Insadong, which look like a maze. This maze is densely packed with galleries, traditional craft shops, ancient art shops, traditional tea shops, traditional restaurants, cafes, etc. The shops in Insadong have their own unique ways and are very popular among young and middle-aged people.

Antiques stall in Insadong (Photo: Feng Ganyong)

Among them, the gallery is the center that continues the lifeblood of Insadong. There are more than 100 galleries gathered here, where tourists can enjoy various exhibitions such as Korean paintings, blackboard paintings, and carvings. Representative ones include Xuegu Zhai, which was once a folk art center, Gana Gallery, a base for talented painters, and Gannart Center. If you want to feast your eyes on the most famous gallery in Insadong, you can take the "Art Museum Painting Tour Car" and visit more than a dozen famous galleries at a low price.

Poster of Rodin Sculpture Exhibition (Photo: Feng Ganyong)

When we came here, we saw two side by side promotional posters for the "Rodan Sculpture Art" exhibition hanging on telephone poles on both sides of the entire Insadong street, which was very eye-catching. It can be seen that although it is dominated by local traditional culture, Western culture and art.

Starbucks Coffee Shop (Photo: Feng Ganyong)

A friend accompanying him pointed to the name of a "Starbucks Coffee Shop" marked in Korean on the street and told reporters: Insadong attaches great importance to promoting South Korea's traditional culture. For example, the names of chain stores such as "Starbucks" are marked in Korean can only be seen on Insadong Street.

Famous double shop (Photo: Feng Ganyong)

The landscape of Insadong Commercial Street also includes traditional tea houses, restaurants and specialty food stalls. These small shops will come into people's eyes from different places when people walk along the long commercial street. Some are on the street, some are in alleys. In particular, the owners of some small shops will warmly greet you when they find customers shopping. When we saw us, we first used Chinese, but when we didn't respond in time, we started talking Japanese. It was really interesting.

Patrol police car (Photo: Feng Ganyong)

Insadong is a "car-free street" every Sunday from 10:00 to 22:00. At this time, it becomes a cultural space to share its happiness with citizens. On this day, not only existing shops will be open, but there will also be traditional performances and exhibitions on the street. Maltose sellers and fortune tellers will also appear here.

Entrance of Insadong Commercial Street (Photo: Feng Ganyong)

There are also foreigners who come to enjoy themselves flocking here. In order to appreciate South Korea's traditional culture, these foreign tourists will look at antiques in traditional shops or buy some ancient paintings. You will also buy some maltose or traditional onion pancakes on the street. Many foreigners will be completely immersed in the charm of traditional culture in this urban center.

Statue on the street (Photo: Feng Ganyong)

On the morning of June 15, 2010, reporters and his party followed Insadong Commercial Street and later went to Myeongdong Commercial Street. It was another different kind of lively scene. Myeongdong Street is located in the central area of Seoul, South Korea. Due to the dense concentration of various brand stores, department stores, bonded stores, etc., it has become a popular area in South Korea.

Mingdong Commercial Street (Photo: Feng Ganyong)

Although there are many types of clothing, shoes, accessories, cosmetics and other popular goods available here, because the design and quality of the finished products are higher than those of Namdaemun Market and Dongdaemun Market, the prices are also affordable to middle and upper consumer groups. In terms of positioning,"Myeongdong" should be classified as "South Korea's Simending Town".

Buildings on the street (Photo: Feng Ganyong)

In Myeongdong, large-scale department stores include Lotte Department Store, New World Department Store, and shopping centers such as U2Zone Commercial Building, Myeongdong Milio Commercial Building, and AbaTar Commercial Building on Myeongdong Street.

Photo taken on Seoul Commercial Street (Photo: Feng Shi)

In large department stores, high-end goods are mainly purchased, while in bonded shopping centers such as Milio Mall and AbaTar Mall, you can buy fashionable goods at low prices. In addition, there are various brand stores gathered on Central Street and the alleys on both sides.

Myeongdong promotional game (Photo: Feng Ganyong)

Around Myeongdong Commercial Street, various food stalls are scattered all over the street. The colorful, colorful and dazzling array of small commodities are dazzling and dazzling. The cries of hawking are endless. Some stores also promote goods in the form of entertainment activities in front of the store, which not only increases the popularity of the store, but also promotes the goods.

Mingdong in the night (Photo: Feng Ganyong)

In Myeongdong, in addition to shopping, there are many delicious and fun foods. In terms of food, there are Western restaurants, fast food restaurants, and various restaurants such as Korean, Western, and Japanese. Among them, Myeongdong fried pork chop and knife noodles are the most famous. In addition, Myeongdong also has beauty shops, banks, theaters and other facilities to provide convenience for tourists.

Mingdong Shengtang (Photo: Feng Ganyong)

It is particularly worth mentioning that when visiting Myeongdong, you must visit the "Myeongdong Temple". Because this is the earliest Catholic church in South Korea, the pure Gothic architecture is antique. There is a place behind the church for people to rest in the troubled city, where tourists can relieve their fatigue during the journey.

Commercial streets around Daxue Road (Photo: Feng Ganyong)

Among the commercial streets in Seoul, in addition to Itaewon and Insadong with the characteristics of Sanlitun and Liulichang in Beijing, I think there is also a place that is very similar to Beijing's Wudaokou and Xueyuan Road generation, with a strong cultural atmosphere. That is the street scene of the business district around Seoul University Road.

Night view of University Road Commercial Street (Photo: Feng Ganyong)

Daeku-dong is a young road formed around the former location of the School of Arts and Sciences of Seoul National University, crossing Dongchong Dong and Hye Hua-dong. Since 1980, many drama theaters have been moved to University Road, making it a cultural street.

Photo taken at Daxue Road Theater (Photo: Feng Ganyong)

Since then, cafes, cinemas, theaters, etc. with live performances and ordinary cafes, bars, etc. have all gathered here, becoming a comprehensive cultural space. In particular, the Qingniao Theater and Xuetan Theater with a long tradition also maintain their lifeblood here, making Korean art take root here.

Theater on Daxue Road (Photo: Feng Ganyong)

Daxue Road is a popular destination for young people in Seoul because of its many landscapes and abundant food. The shopping street gathers restaurants, fast food restaurants, bars and other places suitable for young people. After young couples or classmates come here to watch a drama or performance, they can enjoy a happy time at a nearby cafe or wine house. Therefore, the unique atmosphere here is particularly loved by people.

Commercial Street on University Road (Photo: Feng Ganyong)

There is also a particularly famous performance project in South Korea,"Painting Show", on University Road. I remember when I came to Seoul last year, I saw a performance of the "Troubling Show" of the symphony of pots and pans. That unique performance was extremely impressive, and it is said that the performance of "Painting Show" in Seoul is a companion to "Random Fight Show".

"Painting Show" performance venue (Photo: Feng Ganyong)

The performance venue of "Painting Show" is in a very inconspicuous small place on the commercial street around University Road. The scale of the theater is not luxurious at all, but the performances are very distinctive. The small theater can only accommodate more than a hundred spectators, most of whom are tourists from all over the world who come here.

"Painting Show" is in progress (Photo: Feng Ganyong)

"Painting Show" is also known as "Graffiti: Show". As a silent musical,"Painting Show" is a full-process performance that completes painting works on the stage. It was first staged in South Korea and its source is difficult to find in the world. Actors draw on small drawing paper or use the entire stage as a canvas to draw more than 10 art works. Use the sea or shell to set off the special effects of the painting and show the audience various materials and techniques.

Four actors performing (Photo: Feng Ganyong)

After the performance began, the four protagonists "look" appeared one after another. They used humorous performances and interacted with people on earth (i.e., the audience on site) through art and body language. Look who becomes a picture in an instant, look who is reckless and always makes mistakes, and look who is good at dancing have different personalities. The entire performance presented the elements of classical and modern, eastern and Western art in a comprehensive form. Integrating painting techniques and special effects brings unexpected surprises and touching to the audience, which is endless aftertaste...(Photo: Feng Ganyong)