Seoul Art: Nanta!, Ihwa Mural Village, Dongdaemun Design Plaza

I injected some art in my three days in Seoul:

Meongdong | Hongdae | Chungjeongno | Jeju

Tickets from KRW 40,000 to KRW 70,000

Music made not with instruments but with kitchen things like pots, pans, knives, ladles, vegetables. Who wouldn't want to watch such a performance? My friend (MinJun) and I settled in our seats in the Nanta Theater in Hongdae and having researched a little bit about it, MinJun told me Nanta is not only music, but a story (with minimal dialogue) of three cooks who are tasked to prepare a wedding feast by 6PM of the same day. On top of that, the three cooks also had to teach a new guy to cook and prepare food.

It was also MinJun's first time to watch Nanta so we weren't really sure what to expect. When we emerged from the theater, we both had a wide grin on our face. It was absolutely entertaining; the storyline and the actors were funny, the performance enjoyable. Not a second was a bore. (Plus the audience participated!). It was worth every won!

Tip: If you have a Korean friend, maybe you could ask him/her to buy you a ticket online...there is a Korean website (I assume most, if not all, Koreans know about this website) that sells cheap tickets not only for Nanta but also for other shows and events. Thank you MinJun for finding KRW 25000 second row VIP tickets and not accepting my payment!

The only photo I have on Nanta...because photography and videography are not allowed during the performance.

Ihwa Mural Village

이화 벽화마을

Ihwa-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul

Directions to Ihwa Mural Village: Take subway line 4 to Hyehwa Station, exit 2. Walk towards Marronnier Park.

GaEun, whom I haven't seen since 2012, took some time off to go sightseeing with me around Ihwa Mural Village. She herself hasn't been to Ihwa Mural Village and has been wanting to go. We walked around the village looking at murals, sculptures, and artistic shops. We walked and walked (and it was no easy walk...it was mostly uphill!) until we reached a viewing deck in Naksan Park. Only then did we sit, wipe sweat off our brows, and take a breather. If it wasn't so tiring, we would have wanted to look at every alley around the village!

Tip: Wear good walking shoes!

Art around Ihwa Mural Village

And more art!

The view from Naksan Park

Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DDP)

동대문디자인플라자

281 Eulji-ro, Jung-gu, Seoul

Directions to DDP: Take subway line 2, 4, or 5 to Dongdaemun History and Culture Park Station, exit 1.

There are exhibit areas in Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DDP), but I was more interested outside. I spent some time at DDP's park just looking at the smooth curves of the DDP building, the sculptures around the park, and the LED roses (this exhibit has been extended until October 2016).

Tip: If you want to see the LED roses lit up, go to Dongdaemun Design Plaza after dusk.