Gongju Sanseong Market

A walk of just over 10 minutes from Gongsanseong, the hilltop fortress of the Baekje kings, brings you to Gongju Sanseong Market in the heart of Gongju's old town. Opened in 1937, it is the city's main traditional market, with produce and food stalls gathered into five sections under an arcade roof. After Gongsanseong and the royal tombs, it is a good place to stop and taste Gongju's famous chestnuts.

A market in the old Baekje capital

The "Sanseong" in its name comes from Gongsanseong, the fortress next door. It is divided into five sections, and depending on the source it has around 550 to around 700 shops. A roof covers all the lanes, so it is comfortable to walk around in rain or strong sun. On dates ending in 1 and 6, a five-day market is held as well, bringing in extra vegetables and grains from nearby farms.

What to see and eat

• Food alley: restaurants serving simple market dishes such as gimbap, janchi guksu (banquet noodles) and bulgogi are clustered together, making it hard to choose.
• Gongju chestnuts: Gongju is famous for its chestnuts. Try chestnut makgeolli (rice wine) and chestnut sticky rice cakes made with local chestnuts, along with chestnut biscuits.
• Produce lanes: vegetables, fruit, grains and meat fill lane after lane, and you will see older women selling greens they have grown themselves.
• Culture park: inside the market is a small park with a fountain and an open-air stage, a shady spot under the pines that also hosts performances and events.
• Bammasil night market: on Friday and Saturday evenings in spring and autumn, the Gongju Bammasil Night Market takes place. In some years it pauses over the summer, so check the city's announcements.

The kitchen of a World Heritage city

Gongju, then called Ungjin, was the Baekje capital from 475 to 538. Gongsanseong and the Royal Tombs of King Muryeong are part of the Baekje Historic Areas, added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2015. For travellers spending the day among the ruins, Sanseong Market is the nearest place to eat and a window into the kitchens of Gongju's residents. Gongju National Museum is about 1.2 km from the market, a short bus or taxi ride away.

Tripto tips

• Suggested day: walk the walls of Gongsanseong in the morning, have lunch at the market, then continue to the Royal Tombs of King Muryeong and the Gongju National Museum in the afternoon for a full day of Baekje history. The royal tombs are less than 1 km away.
• Time needed: about 1 hour including a meal; allow a little longer on a five-day market date.
• Hours: these vary by shop. The five-day market falls on the 1st, 6th, 11th, 16th, 21st, 26th and 31st of each month.
• Getting there: from Gongju Bus Terminal, take a city bus across the Geumgang River towards the old town; check routes in a map app. The market has a car park.
• Souvenirs: makgeolli, rice cakes and biscuits made with Gongju chestnuts make easy gifts to take home.
• Night market dates: in 2026 the Bammasil Night Market ran from mid-May to 17 October, on Fridays and Saturdays from 17:00 to 22:00, with a break in high summer. Dates change every year, so check Gongju city's notices.