Heyri Art Village (헤이리 문화예술마을) is located in the city of Paju, in the province of Gyeonggi, a 40-minute bus ride from Hongdae, Seoul. I was quite excited to explore the area since I knew that Boys Over Flowers (꽃보다 남자) had filmed at the Farmer's Table, a restaurant located in the village, and also Shinee's Tae Min and A-Pink's Na Eun from the reality TV show, We Got Married (우리 결혼했어요) had also done their filming there.
This cultural and artistic space was constructed as a safe haven and playground for writers, painters, actors, architects, musicians, sculptors, and potters. Currently, there are more than 370 artists living and working in Heyri and that number will continue to grow as development continues in the village, as around 30-40 more art facilities (museums, exhibitions, concert halls, and bookstores) are expected to be added in the near future.
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| Boys Over Flowers (꽃보다 남자) |
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| Boys Over Flowers @ Farmer's Table, Heyri Art Village |
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| Shinee's Tae Min and A-Pink's Na Eun |
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| Tae Min and Na Eun @ Motnani Restaurant |
As the bus was driving along the highway, something interesting caught my eyes and it wasn't a pretty sight. Miles and miles of barbed wired fences stretched along the river that separates the north and the south. The dark clouds just amplified the eerie vibe that I was getting from looking at those hills. What might just lie beyond the hills? It was a bit unnerving knowing that I was 6km away from North Korea.
The sky cleared as the bus approached town and passengers began to clear the bus as it stopped along the two outlet malls. Soon, there were only those who were going to the art village. Being the careless person that I am, I didn't really take notes on the exit name and continued on my merry way to Paju English Village. According the Naver Map app that I was using on my phone, that was the exit that I was supposed to get off at.
Little did I know that I would be walking through the back gate and not the front gate, which disappointed me at first. The areas of the village that was adjacent to the English Village are still under development and not as crowded as the front gates (Gate 4, 5, 6, and 7).
The weather was super hot and humid, which made me quite frustrated and agitated at the whole situation. I was ready to go home at that point until I saw a giant map with the directory (only in Korean). I searched for the name of the restaurant and realized that I had been lost for quite some time.
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| The Chocolate Design Gallery - Area D |
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| The "Greeting Man" (2009) - Area D |
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| Heyri Art Village, Paju - Area D |
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| Heyri Art Village, Paju - Area D |
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| Heyri Art Village, Paju - Area D |
As soon as I got to the correct area, giant drops of rain started to fall from the sky. Those drops weren't small, thin drops of rain that I could easily dismiss. They were fat, juicy ones, which prompted me to seek shelter at Motnani (못난이), the place that I had intended to go to from the beginning.
If you've ever seen the We Got Married episode where Tae Min and Na Eun came here, you would have known that this place is a sanctuary for old collectibles. It's a special place where they preserve old school uniforms, characters, school snacks, and food. For Koreans, it would have been a nostalgic place where they could relive some of their childhood memories and share them with their children. I did see a lot of parents bringing their kids to show them what Korea circa 1960s would have looked and felt like.
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| Motnani - Area F |
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| Weird Doll Cakes: 2,000 Won/5 pcs. or 5,000 Won/15 pcs (in a box) |
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| Filling Options: Red Bean & Vanilla Custard |
I had the Memory's Rice Box that had rice, egg, ham, kimchi, and red pepper paste (gochujang). The trick is you need to know how to order, because I had no idea until the cashier lady was kind enough to help this lost foreigner.
How to order: If you want what I had, say Chu-ok-ee Do-si-rak. After you pay for your meal at the kiosk, take the receipt to one of the two windows that can be found in front of the seating area. The left window is for rice boxes only and the right window is for everything else (noodles, udon, dumplings). Take a seat until they call your number.
If you've ordered the rice box, the lady will tell you to put on gloves. Look to your right and you'll find a basket of white thick gloves. The rice is cooked directly inside the cooper tin box, so the box itself will be super hot, so be careful. Take two gloves for each hand and proceed to your seats.
Once seated, carefully pick up the box and start shaking the box to mix the ingredients inside. I made the rookie mistake of shaking it up and down, but the cashier lady immediately came to my rescue. She asked for my gloves and proceeded to show the noob how it's done, old school style.
Never shake up and down. Shake side to side, front and back, upside down, with one hand, then other hand, shake it like it's a martini, show off your cocktail moves, set the box down, knock on it a few times, and voila! Your rice will be evenly mixed.
On your tray, you will also be given a packet of seaweed, yellow pickled radish, and fish broth. With the seaweed, you're not supposed to snack on it (that's for noobs). Look at the picture and copy. Take a sheet of seaweed and lay it flat on top of your rice. With your chopsticks, place each stick on either ends of the sheet (approx. 1cm from the edge), and grab the seaweed along with the rice until it looks like a roll/log. Then, put the said masterpiece in your mouth. You're welcome.
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| Memory's Rice Box (추억의 도시락) |
With a full belly, I exited the building and was finally ready to explore area F. When I was researching on what to do in Heyri, most bloggers visited the regular art galleries and book cafes. However, I wanted to try something different. I wanted to be that salmon that swim upstream.
And so I did, by paying admission and walking into... THE EXOTIC ART MUSEUM!
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| Exotic Art Museum - Area F |
to be continued...
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Directions to Heyri Art Village:
To get there, you need to take the line 2 subway to Hapjeong station, go out of exit 2, make a U-turn, and walk straight until you see the red bus stop for bus 2200. If you go during peak or holiday season, expect to stand in a long line and hope that you'll get a seat in the bus. Most passengers will get off 30 minutes later at the Eche Outlet Mall or the Lotte Premium Outlets. Your exit will be Gate 4.
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