Dongdaemun Market

We visited parts of both the Nandaemun and Dongdaemun markets in Seoul. Saw a huge variety of items for sale, and in both markets we didn't even come close to seeing it all. Dongdaemun market is open 24 hours a day, but we didn't make it down to see it at night.

I had heard about the Dongdaemun fabric market before making this trip, but what I had heard did not prepare me for what I found. It was much bigger and much busier than what I could have imagined. Several buildings full of individual stall selling fabric, buttons, beads, yarn, trim...if it can be used in needlework it is there. We made 4 visits lasting a couple of hours apiece. Most of the times we were there it was very crowded and busy (and hot in the inside parts), and after a couple of hours we were worn out. I bought some lovely fabrics and beads to use in my work and had a wonderful time wandering around and looking at what was available.

These pictures were taken on our last visit to Dongdaemun market, which was on a Saturday. To our surprise, there were few customers and the place was very quiet, the only time we found that to be the case.



This is one of the alleys between the buildings. There are small shops behind the displays of fabric. You can see Joe on the right.
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This is a view of the street running along one of the buildings. The shops on this street were filled with trims of all sorts. The man in the picture is one of the many porters (do not know what they are called) transporting rolls of fabric short distances around the market. They use the stick he has in his hand both to steady themselves, and also to prop up the frames the rolls ride on when they are being loaded on the floor. Motorbikes and motorcycles of every variety are used to transport fabric longer distances, they are parked several layers thick on all the surrounding streets.
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This was taken in the basement of one of the buildings, in a section selling yarn. The basement of the adjoining building was full of thread vendors.
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A section of fabric vendors. The fabric rolls are mounted on wheeled metal racks which can be rolled inside the individual stalls when they are closed. The stalls close up with metal floor-to-ceiling shutters. The lights are on cords which are hung on hooks outside the stalls (over the displayed fabric) when they are open; when they are closed they store the lights on a hook inside the stalls. Each stall has its own electric meter.
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More fabric for sale. This long aisle gives some indication of the size of this place. In many spots like this the view was like this in any direction. And for several floors in several buildings. 6 floors in this particular building and the two adjacent to it.
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Outside view of one of the buildings pictured above.
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View of another building.
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A directory of one of the buildings.
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In case you are wondering, I loved this place.