Hwagae Market

Where the Seomjingang River meets the Hwagaecheon stream, with Hadong in Gyeongsang Province on one bank and Gurye in Jeolla Province on the other, sits Hwagae Market. For generations people from the two regions crossed here to trade goods and news, and the market is still called a symbol of friendship between Yeongnam and Honam, Korea's south-east and south-west. Walk between thatched and tile-roofed stalls, browse wild greens and herbs from Jirisan, pick up some Hadong green tea and finish with a bowl of clam soup.

A name made famous by a song and a story

The market became known nationwide through Cho Young-nam's 1988 song "Hwagae Jangteo". Kim Han-gil is said to have written the lyrics on the spot after reading about the market in a newspaper, which is why statues of Cho with his guitar stand around the market today. There is a literary link too: Kim Dong-ri's short story "Yeokma" (The Wanderer) is set in Hwagae, and the market has a recreation of the tavern from the story, Okhwa Jumak.

Rebuilt after the fire

On the night of 27 November 2014 a fire destroyed most of the market. Hadong County began rebuilding in January 2015, reopened the first five wooden, tile-roofed stall buildings in April 2015, then added one more tiled and five thatched buildings before the full reopening on 1 April 2016. Today there are 26 buildings, including private stalls, a blacksmith, a tourist information centre and a lookout, with 115 stalls in all. True to the market's spirit, some stalls were set aside for traders from neighbouring Gwangyang and Gurye on the Jeolla side. Every stall now has an automatic fire detector.

What to see

• The stall lanes: chestnuts, wild greens, bracken, medicinal herbs, dried mushrooms, green and fermented teas, much of it from the slopes of Jirisan.
• The blacksmith: a working forge where sickles and hoes are still hammered out.
• Local food: restaurants in and around the market serve Seomjingang clam soup (jaecheop-guk), acorn jelly and savoury pancakes.
• The singer's statues: figures of Cho Young-nam with his guitar, with information stones, near the entrance and in the central square.
• The river: step out to the bank to see the bridge linking the two provinces; the far side is already Gurye in South Jeolla.

Combine it with

The road from the market up the Hwagaecheon valley to Ssanggyesa Temple is the Simni Cherry Blossom Road, a tunnel of blossoms in spring. The valley runs for about 16 km, with tea fields scattered along it, and leads to Ssanggyesa (about 5.5 km from the market), Chilbulsa Temple and Bulil Falls, so it is easy to fill a day. The Ssanggyesa area is known as the place where tea cultivation began in Korea, and many visitors buy Hadong green tea at the market.

Tripto tips

• Time needed: 1–2 hours for the market and a meal; half a day if you add Ssanggyesa and the cherry road.
• Fees and hours: no entry fee. It is a permanent market, open even on non-market days, but each shop sets its own hours and closing days.
• Best time: early April, when the cherry trees bloom and the Hwagae Market Cherry Blossom Festival draws the biggest crowds. Autumn chestnut season and late spring, when the new tea arrives, are also good.
• Getting there: by car, follow National Route 19 along the Seomjingang River; the market is about 18 km north-west of Hadong town as the crow flies. Local and intercity buses run towards Hwagae from Hadong and Gurye, but they are infrequent, so check timetables in advance.
• Watch out for: heavy traffic around the market on cherry-blossom weekends. Arrive early in the morning or come on a weekday.
• Information: Hadong County Tourism Promotion Division, +82 55-880-2651