hkskyline's 2017 in Gwangju, South Korea

[hkskyline]

Gwangju is the centre of Korea's pro-democracy movement. The desire to overturn an authoritarian military government got bloody in 1980 and the city still celebrates its independent spirit today.

Frequent buses connect Seoul with Gwangju, a journey that takes 3.5 hours. KTX trains are more expensive but can shorten the journey to under 2 hours. This city is not touristy and is worth at least 1 night for a more authentic Korean urban experience.















5.18 Memorial Park commemmorates the democracy movement that ended in blood in 1980. I was here looking for foliage, and found some good patches.











The riverfront has walkways for a nice stroll. It is not as spectacular as what Seoul has to offer, but still a nice urban space that perhaps needs a facelift soon.













The Asia Culture Center incorporates buildings that played a major role in the 1980 democracy movement.











More photos on my website : http://www.globalphotos.org/gwangju.htm

[mikecolley]

Interesting place. On the map it looks much closer to Seoul than a 3-hour bus ride/2-hour train ride.

[mrnyc]

fantastic and that history makes it worth a visit in and of itself.

[hkskyline]

Yangdong Market's history goes back to the 1910s. It became famous during the May 18th democracy movement when activists gathered here demanding freedom. Now it is a huge maze of many shops selling all sorts of food items.

[MonkeyRonin]

I actually just watched A Taxi Driver, so this was cool to see. Looks like it's a world away now.