Malbau Market

Malbau Market in Usan-dong, Buk-gu, is the main traditional market of northern Gwangju. It is open every day, but market days fall on dates ending in 2, 4, 7 and 9 – twelve a month – and on those days shoppers come in from Damyang, Jangseong, Gokseong and Sunchang. Under arched roofs, every lane is crammed with vegetables, fish, kitchenware and clothes, giving you a close look at how Gwangju does its everyday shopping.

Named after a hoof-printed rock

"Malbau" is Jeolla dialect for "horse rock" – a rock bearing a horse's hoofprint. Legend says that Kim Deok-ryeong, who raised a volunteer army during the Imjin War, fired an arrow and then rode off faster than it flew, leaving his horse's hoofprints in the rock. The rock is long gone and buildings now stand on the spot, but the market grew up naturally in the lanes between them. After more than fifty years of trading, it was registered as a recognised market with the Buk-gu district office in 2005. Kim Deok-ryeong is one of Gwangju's best-loved heroes – Chungjang-ro, the city's main shopping street, takes its name from his posthumous title, Chungjang-gong – so even the market's name carries a story locals still remember.

What to see

• Vegetable and fruit lanes: on market days stalls line both sides of the aisles, piled high with vegetables and wild greens from farms around the city.
• Fish and meat: fish and dried seafood from the southern coast, plus butchers, fill one section.
• Kitchenware: shops stacked high with pots, mixing bowls and baskets are hard to miss.
• Clothing and household goods: further into the arcade are clothes and general goods shops.

The rhythm of market days

With market days on dates ending in 2, 4, 7 and 9, there is a market every two or three days. Morning market days are packed, with traders and shoppers squeezing through the lanes, and things ease off after lunchtime. The permanent shops open on other days too, but the street stalls only appear on market days, and that is when the market shows its true character. With market days so frequent, it is easy to fit one into a trip.

Tripto tips

• Market days: the 2nd, 4th, 7th, 9th, 12th, 14th, 17th, 19th, 22nd, 24th, 27th and 29th.
• Hours: generally 07:00–19:00, with days off varying by shop. Mornings have the best market-day atmosphere; allow about an hour.
• Getting there: about 1.3 km north-east of Gwangju Station, a short taxi ride, and also reachable by city bus – check stops and routes in a map app.
• Parking and facilities: there is a market car park, but it fills quickly on market-day mornings; public transport is easier. There are toilets in the market.
• Shopping: many stalls prefer cash, so bring small notes.
• Combine it with: the Buk-gu Cultural Centre and Mudeung City Library are about 600 m away, and the Asia Culture Center is about 3 km south. Head downtown afterwards and a walk along Chungjang-ro continues the Kim Deok-ryeong story.