Things To Do at Hongdae
“Where should I visit when I am in Seoul?”
When someone asks this question seeking for some recommendations, usually he/she will receive few popular recommendations such as “Oh! You should visit Myeongdong or Dongdaemun!” or otherwise, there will be “You should visit the palaces!”
But, there is also another popular destination which tends to get forgotten a little and this place is Hongdae. It is located near to Hongik University and therefore, Hongdae is filled with strong youthful vibe.
There are actually a lot of things you can do at Hongdae. Spending time there just for a short while does not seem to be enough. So, what are the things we can do at Hongdae? I am going to share few things I did when I was there.
When someone asks this question seeking for some recommendations, usually he/she will receive few popular recommendations such as “Oh! You should visit Myeongdong or Dongdaemun!” or otherwise, there will be “You should visit the palaces!”
But, there is also another popular destination which tends to get forgotten a little and this place is Hongdae. It is located near to Hongik University and therefore, Hongdae is filled with strong youthful vibe.
There are actually a lot of things you can do at Hongdae. Spending time there just for a short while does not seem to be enough. So, what are the things we can do at Hongdae? I am going to share few things I did when I was there.
1. Shopping!
When it comes to shopping, Myeongdong has always been the first choice for the tourists. However, you can go for shopping at Hongdae too! There are a lot of clothing stores along the street for you to visit. Most of them are selling female clothing while some are selling accessories and bags with strong Korean fashion style. Korean fashion style is really unique and distinctive. It is so different from Singapore’s fashion style. If you are someone who is into fashion and love to experiment with different clothing style, Hongdae is the right place for you to play around with your creativity!
When it comes to shopping, Myeongdong has always been the first choice for the tourists. However, you can go for shopping at Hongdae too! There are a lot of clothing stores along the street for you to visit. Most of them are selling female clothing while some are selling accessories and bags with strong Korean fashion style. Korean fashion style is really unique and distinctive. It is so different from Singapore’s fashion style. If you are someone who is into fashion and love to experiment with different clothing style, Hongdae is the right place for you to play around with your creativity!
Besides that, make up brands like Etude House, The Face Shop, Nature Republic or Holika Holika have their stores at Hongdae too.
2. Visit Weekend Free Market
This is actually a flea market and like its name, it is only available during weekends. Though it is called Free Market, it does not mean that the stuff there are free (I am so sorry to disappoint you on this *awkward smile). I guess it is called Free Market because the things sold there are mostly handcrafted items which the designers or artists can freely express their creativity on the items they made. There are a lot of items with unique design and they are all brand new. I didn’t see anyone selling second hand items there. Other than that, you know what? Some of them are students from Hongik University selling their handcrafted items. So, it is definitely worth checking them out! I personally enjoyed looking around the flea market even though the market is not big.
3. Visit Themed Cafe
There are quite a number of themed cafés at Hongdae. Some of them are already pretty popular like the Hello Kitty Café which I passed by when I was there (it is so pink!). But, instead of going to Hello Kitty Café, my friends and I visited another café, The 1st Shop of Coffee Prince. This café is famous because it was the main setting of a Korean drama with the same name. Everyone’s Gong Yoo Oppa starred in this drama alongside Yoon Eun Hye back in 2007. Before Gong Yoo becomes so popular and well-loved because of his more recent drama ‘Goblin’, his popularity has already been catapulted by the drama ‘The 1st Shop of Coffee Prince’.
There are quite a number of themed cafés at Hongdae. Some of them are already pretty popular like the Hello Kitty Café which I passed by when I was there (it is so pink!). But, instead of going to Hello Kitty Café, my friends and I visited another café, The 1st Shop of Coffee Prince. This café is famous because it was the main setting of a Korean drama with the same name. Everyone’s Gong Yoo Oppa starred in this drama alongside Yoon Eun Hye back in 2007. Before Gong Yoo becomes so popular and well-loved because of his more recent drama ‘Goblin’, his popularity has already been catapulted by the drama ‘The 1st Shop of Coffee Prince’.
The interior of 1st Shop of Coffee Prince
(Can you spot the photos of Gong Yoo Oppa here?)
(Can you spot the photos of Gong Yoo Oppa here?)
However, they said… drama is just a drama. In reality, after I have visited there, I really don’t recommend this café to everyone at all because the staff is just so rude and unfriendly. The beverages tasted completely so so too. We are not allowed to take picture of the café, be it its exterior or interior unless we have ordered and paid for foods or drinks from there. New visitors would not know about this but the way its staff warning us on this when we were just there sounds arrogant and this is just plainly rude.
And… nope, unlike the drama, there is no handsome waiter working there either.
And… nope, unlike the drama, there is no handsome waiter working there either.
4. Enjoy Street Band Performance
Hongdae is really a place filled with a lot of artistic talents. Street singers and bands will perform along the street and even near to the weekend market area. They sing and play musical instruments well. Listening to them is enjoyable especially after a long day walking around Hongdae.
Hongdae is really a place filled with a lot of artistic talents. Street singers and bands will perform along the street and even near to the weekend market area. They sing and play musical instruments well. Listening to them is enjoyable especially after a long day walking around Hongdae.
Aside from all the things I have mentioned, the fun at Hongdae has not yet ended! You can also visit Trick Eye Museum or enjoy Hongdae’s nightlife. Generally, people who have tried Hongdae’s clubbing experience would recommend others to go for it too. So far, I have not had the chance to try these two activities yet.
Let me know if you have instead!
Let me know if you have instead!
Writer: Sherly