Daeheung-dong Culture and Arts Street

South of Jungang-ro, the straight avenue that runs from Daejeon Station to the former South Chungcheong Provincial Office, Daeheung-dong was the heart of Daejeon for nearly 80 years. After the 1980s, when business moved to the new Dunsan district, struggling artists began to settle in its emptying streets, and today it is a culture and arts street mixing small theatres, galleries, art-supply shops, old tearooms and cafés. Stylish new cafés next to buildings that still look like the 1970s and 80s are what give the neighbourhood its character.

Layers of the old town

Daeheung-dong and the neighbouring Eunhaeng-dong and Seonhwa-dong grew up around Daejeon Station and for decades held the city hall, the provincial office and the main shopping streets. When the government offices and shops left, the ageing buildings became cheap studios and exhibition spaces, and at least one old inn was turned into a cultural venue. Hunting for vintage murals and hand-painted signs is part of the fun.

In the mid-2010s the street's character was shaped by places such as Sanho Dabang, a tearoom that had stood on the same spot for nearly 50 years; Sanho Yeoinsuk, a real inn until the late 1990s that became an exhibition space, small library and guesthouse; and a bar favoured by writers and actors that played old songs on LP. Individual businesses change, but the habit of reusing old buildings carries on.

What to see on a walk

• Daeheung-dong Cathedral: the area's signature building, listed as National Registered Cultural Heritage (No. 643), valued among other things for its cement-brick construction. Some visitors come just to hear its bells at set times.
• Former South Chungcheong Provincial Office (Daejeon Museum of Modern History): a European-style building at the end of Jungang-ro with a fine staircase, verandas and stained glass. It became an exhibition hall after the provincial government moved to the Naepo New Town at the end of 2012; its first two floors are Registered Cultural Heritage No. 18.
• Small theatres and galleries: tucked into the side streets along with art-supply shops, so you can follow a poster and drop into a show.
• Old buildings and lanes: shop buildings from the 1970s and 80s, ivy-covered walls and narrow back alleys.

Tripto tips

• Time needed: 1–2 hours for the street, the cathedral and the museum of modern history.
• When to go: daytime is best for buildings and alleys; in the evening small theatres and cafés come to life.
• When to go: daytime is best for buildings and alleys; in the evening small theatres and cafés come to life.
• To keep walking: behind Daejeon Station, Soje-dong still has a village of Japanese-style houses built in the 1930s for railway staff, a good continuation of an old-town walk.
• Fees: the street is free to wander; shows and exhibitions set their own hours and prices.
• Getting there: the street lies between Jungangno and Jung-gu Office stations on Daejeon Metro Line 1, an easy walk from either. From KTX Daejeon Station you can also walk along Jungang-ro.
• Nearby: Euneungjeong-i Culture Street in Eunhaeng-dong, the original Sungsimdang bakery and Daejeon Jungang Market are all within walking distance.