Dongdaemun

We found ourselves in Dongdaemun a number of times during our visit. It was one of many Seoul neighborhoods we visited that juxtaposed retail attractions and heavy industry. Dongdaemun seems to be both a garment district – full of small clothing shops – and a textile district – bulk rolls of fabric everywhere.

It’s also right along Cheonggyecheon, a stream that runs through downtown Seoul. Because the sun set so early, we often caught the neighborhood during golden hour.

People, carts, and scooters moved products back and forth.

At one staging area, the distant haze acted like a big softbox for the sunset light.

Tourists and locals mingled with delivery workers and shopkeepers.

Nearby were outdoor food markets, uncovered and covered.

Small mixed use highrises were all along this part of Cheonggyecheon. The shorter building here was advertising, unsurprisingly, availability of products from the worldwide zipper company YKK.