Ihwa Mural Village & Getting There | Seoul, South Korea

Ihwa Mural Village 이화 벽화마을

서울 종로구 이화동 | Ihwa-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul

Free

Hyehwa Station (line 4, exit 2). Walk straight and you will see an Information Centre ahead for the detailed map and mural paintings at various locations of the village.

Direction: Turn left before Marronnier Park onto Daehak-ro 8-gil. Walk straight until the end of the road, turn right onto Dongsung-gil, walking past a small lane on your left (do not enter), continue straight and turn left onto Guldari-gil uphill, following the road curving right onto Naksan-gil to reach Ihwa Mural Village. There are signs along the way. 12 mins walk.

Ihwa Mural Village is an unlikely attraction in an unlikely setting. A decade ago, the neighbourhood was set for demolition to clear away what was considered an ageing and unattractive slum to make way for new development.

However, the Art in the City - Naksan Cultural Project in 2006 by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism transformed the poor neighbourhood into an artistic tourism landmark with its interesting metal sculptures, colourful mural paintings and mosaics on the walls and staircases by local artists.

Ihwa Mural Village - Walking Map & Getting There | Seoul, South Korea

In 2013, artists were again assembled to re-decorate the area and add more displays, together with contributions from local university students.

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The charm of the village atmosphere, the interesting art works at every corner and its beautiful hillside scenery with expansive views of the city make this place a memorable one for visitors.

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Ihwa Mural Village - Hillside View

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Note: In April 2016, two of the famous murals, the flowers mosaic staircase and the koi fishes painted staircase were destroyed by local residents with grey paints due to their unhappiness of the noise, littering and graffiti created by visitors.

Visitors are reminded to keep voices down and the place clean when visiting Ihwa Mural Village in considerations of the residents living there.

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After the photo-taking at Ihwa Mural Village, you may like to walk to nearby Naksan Park and/or take an easy walk along the Seoul City Wall to enjoy the picturesque hillside views, leading downhill to Dongdaemun.

Naksan Park

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Path along Seoul City Wall to Dongdaemun

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Alternatively, there are many nice shops, cafes and restaurants in Daehangno, near exit 2 of Hyehwa Station that one can explore further.

Daehangno Town (Hyehwa Station, exit 2)

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Map

Ihwa Mural Village - Location Map | KoreaToDo

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