Myeongdong is one of Seoul’s popular tourist spots. People find a mixture of luxury and commercial attractions here, making it famous among the locals as well as foreigners. Since this place is filled with people, the alleyways are not open for traffic. This allows visitors to roam around here and there, from one shop to the other. Because there are many people here, the Myeongdong Christmas festival is one of the best festivals in the city.
A Little More About Myeongdong
It doesn’t matter if it is day or night in the Myeongdong neighborhood, there is always something to do there. About two million people visit this place every day.
Myeongdong was a residential neighborhood during the Joseon Dynasty, but later after the Korean War, it turned commercial. In recent times, it has a lot of luxury shops, department stores, fine restaurants, street vendors, and boutiques. It is why everyone loves to visit this charming shopping district, it is also one of the biggest Seoul shopping districts. Myeongdong has become a big attraction for tourists and locals alike.
Things to-do in Myeongdong
Shop at Myeongdong Market
Myeongdong market is the highlight of Seoul shopping; it is a collection of several shopping malls, department stores, cafes, restaurants, street vendors, shops, and stores. This big and spectacular shopping display ranges from luxury items, and places to souvenirs. Usually, when you are shopping at Myeongdong, it requires a whole day. However, people make multiple visits to this place, simply because one visit isn’t enough.
Some of the main shopping stops here include M Plaza, Lotte Department store, Lotte Young Plaza, etc. You will find all the trendy and luxurious brands in one place. These brands are Lactose, Louis Vuitton, Ralph Lauren, Nike, Bulgari, ZARA, Uniqlo, Guess, etc.
People usually come here to either shop or window shop to these stores, and luxuriously expensive brands.
Shopping at Lotte Department Store
One of Korea’s and Myeongdong neighborhood’s leading department stores, The Lotte Department store, is a great place to shop at. It is filled with many well-known brands like Gucci and Channel; it even gives the best deals of these.
While it is a hot shopping spot when the shoppers get tired of doing that they can go to its food court and have good Korean food, and stalls.
Underground Shopping Store
It is another famous shopping spot at Myeongdong. There are tons of different shops, stores, and malls like in the ground above. It is the best activity to do on a rainy or windy day.
The prices here are a little cheaper than they are on the floor above. So you can buy good discounts on clothes, cosmetics, and other stuff. It is also quite the best store to shop K-pop related things.
Other Places to Visit
Shinsegae Department Store – A spot you cannot miss while in Seoul, because it sells globally as well as Korean goods.
Lotte Young Plaza – it is extremely popular among teenagers and young adults, because of all the trendy and fashionable items it has. There are so many clothing, accessories, K-pop stuff, and several other things to choose from.
Myeongdong Food – while in this neighborhood you shouldn’t miss the variety of food stalls, restaurants, and cafes it has. No matter when you enter this place, be it the night or morning.
Myeongdong also has an amazing food street with a lot of different street food to offer like fried crab, grilled abalone, tornado potatoes, fish cakes, spicy rice cakes, and so much more.
Myeongdong Christmas Festival
Now that you know how important and popular this neighborhood is you should also know it completely transforms into an amazingly decorated area during the holidays. Every year for two months, this place hosts a Christmas festival.
During the Myeongdong Christmas festival, you will see wonderful and twinkling canopies of lights. All the lightings this place has allowed tourists and locals to come and have a good time with their friends and family. The whole vibe of this place is very joyous and cheerful in these two months.
All the big department stores, shops, and malls are well-lit, and there are huge and decorated Christmas trees everywhere. If you are visiting the Meyongdong neighborhood during the holidays, make sure to roam around and take a lot of pictures. You will also see many other tourists and locals taking amazing pictures in front of stunningly decorated places.
A recommended spot for the best pictures is where Myeondong Theater is. Here you will find a gigantic but beautifully decorated Christmas tree there, snap your holiday pictures and show them off or keep them as a memorable reminder.
If you loved the Myeongdong Christmas festival then you should also visit other Instagram-able places in Seoul. And since there are a lot of locals at these places, you may want to make a friendly first impression by introducing yourself in Korean, with your Korean name.
