Sometimes I travel to a place and take photos that I think are cool, but they just don't fit into any defined lines, rebels that they are. So occasionally there'll be these 'Story' posts I'll do with a veritable chocolate box mish-mash of pics, not so you can learn anything about the place or know it any better, but so that you can have a feel round the edges. And Korea does love it a good story...
Herein find enclosed a wander around downtown Gwangju, taking in the Gwangju Art Street (광주 예술의 거리), the Gwangju Culture Complex (currently under reform) and the buying of a frozen banana from a Korean street vendor (hello Arrested Development, a life dream ticked off....)
Gwangju itself is actually a bit famous for its arty fartsy-ness, the Gwangju Biennale is a pretty big mark on the calender, being that it was Asia's first art showcase event...it was organised to honour the fallen in 1980 democracy movements (a future post of it's own)...the city also gave birth to gasa poetry popular with high society during the Joseon Dynesty. La-Di-Da...
Gwangju has been and is a pretty fucking cool place.
Only, I'd bemoan the lack of a train service from east to west Korea if their service stations (rest-stops, Yank) weren't so epic.
How to get there:
Via Seoul? KTX
Via Daegu, Busan, Daejeon, Ulsan or Pyeongyang? Coach, they're pretty regular, Gwangju is a big city. It has a subway and everything thing.
Soundtrack:
404 - Mi'in (Live)
For no other reason than they fucking rock.