Gamcheon Culture Village

About this place

A village on a steep hillside in the west of Busan, its small, brightly painted houses stacked in terraces one above another, with a maze of lanes and stairways between them. The view has earned it the nickname «Machu Picchu of Busan». It began in the 1920s and 1930s as a quarter for port workers, filled up after the Korean War with hundreds of displaced families, and long remained one of the city's poorest neighbourhoods. That changed from 2009, when residents, artists and students joined in an art project: houses were repaired and painted, empty ones became small galleries, and murals and sculptures spread through the lanes. The best known is the Little Prince and his fox, sitting on a wall looking out over the village and the sea. An information centre at the entrance sells a map for about 2,000 won, with a route past the artworks and boxes to stamp at each stop. The whole route goes up and down stairs, so wear comfortable shoes. People live here, and the residential lanes may be visited only from 09:00 to 18:00, or to 17:00 in winter. Keep your voice down and do not photograph into homes.