Gamcheon Culture Village Reaches 3 Million Visitors
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Gamcheon Culture Village in Saha-gu, nicknamed “The Republic of Korea’s Machu Picchu”, had nearly 3 million visitors last year, of which about 60 percent of them were foreign tourists.
The city announced the number of visitors to Gamcheon Culture Village reached 3,080,000 in 2019, increasing 500,000 compared to an increase of 258,000 visitors in 2018. 60 percent of the visitors were estimated to be foreign tourists, particularly from countries in Southeast Asia, including Taiwan, Indonesia and Vietnam. Gamcheon has been featured in their TV dramas and other travel programs.
Gamcheon Culture Village has been listed three consecutive times on the 100 must-visit tourist spots in Korea since 2016 and has been promoted as a popular social media-photo hotspot.
Gamcheon, which was a mountainside slum village where refugees flocked after the outbreak of the 1950-53 Korean War, has been transformed into a cultural village as part of an urban regeneration project.
Indonesia President Joko Widodo visited Gamcheon Culture Village – Busan’s Machu Picchu - during his visit to Busan for the 2019 ASEAN-ROK Commemorative Summit and said the former slum's transformation into a tourist destination should serve as "an inspiration."
Gamcheon Culture Village is known for its pastel-colored houses, narrow maze-like alleys, charming murals, art installations and galleries. The famous Little Prince and Fox statue attracts tourists who line up for a photo-taking experience.
The international tourism city, Busan will continue to promote Gamcheon Culture Village as a global tourist attraction.
- How to get there: Toseong Station (Metro line 1), exit 6. Take village/neighborhood buses Saha1-1, Seo-gu2 or Seo-gu2-2 and get off at Gamjeong Elementary School. Walk straight to the entrance of village.
For more information, please contact the Tourism Promotion Division at (051)888-5189.
Website: http://www.gamcheon.or.kr/ (Korean)
To view more photos of Gamcheon Culture Village, please visit the photo gallery on our website.
