Heyri Art Valley

On the edge of Tongil Dongsan in Paju, painters, architects, writers and musicians bought land and built their own homes and studios: this is Heyri Art Valley. With around 380 member artists it is Korea's largest artists' village, its museums, galleries, concert spaces and bookshops scattered among low-rise buildings. The best way to spend a day here is simply to wander and step through any door that catches your eye.

History: from book village to art village

Heyri was first conceived in 1997 as a "book village" linked to nearby Paju Book City. As more artists joined, the plan grew into a village for all the arts, and the founding assembly met in 1998. Ground was broken in 2001 and residents began moving in from 2003. The name comes from "Heyri sori", a traditional farming song from the Paju area.

What makes Heyri unusual is that it was created by private artists themselves, not by the government or an institution. In 2009 it became Gyeonggi Province's first designated cultural district, and in 2019 it was included in the Tongil Dongsan special tourist zone.

What to see

• Museums and galleries: spaces devoted to ceramics, books, musical instruments, film memorabilia and more, with exhibitions year round. The village website lists what is on.
• Architecture walk: buildings are designed by approved architects and none is taller than three storeys. At least 60% of each building's floor area must be used for cultural purposes such as galleries or studios.
• Reed square and wetland: the original marsh and streams were kept, so the centre of the village has a pond with water plants and places to rest.
• Neuti Madang: a quiet corner under a zelkova tree more than 500 years old.
• Noeul Forest Trail: a gentle step-free path suitable for pushchairs and wheelchairs. From the hilltop you can see across to North Korea.

Good to know

• Village rules generally ban franchise chains, flea markets and nightlife venues, so most cafés and restaurants are independent.
• The village's main festival, the PAN Festival, takes place in autumn.
• The village covers about 500,000 m². Look out for the five small bridges designed through competitions and the planting of native Korean flowers and trees.

Nearby

• Imjingak: about 11 km north, easy to combine by car.
• Paju Book City: on the route of bus 2200, a natural pairing for a day trip.

Tripto tips

• Entry: the village is free to enter and there are no barriers at the gates. Some exhibitions and workshops charge their own fees.
• Closing days: many spaces close on Mondays, so go Tuesday to Sunday.
• Getting there: from Exit 1 of Hongik University or Hapjeong stations in Seoul, express bus 2200 takes about 50 minutes; at weekends and holidays the service sometimes runs as bus 7300. There is no subway connection.
• Parking: free. Leave the car on the open lots by Gates 1 and 4 and explore on foot; the village gets busy at weekends.
• Time needed: 3–4 hours for two or three exhibitions and a walk. E-scooters are banned under village rules.