Namdaemun Market, Traditional market in Seoul, South Korea.
Namdaemun Market is a traditional market beside Sungnyemun (Namdaemun), the southern gate of the old city wall. It covers 64,612 m² and, as of 2016, held 5,200 stores and 9,090 workers. Its stalls sell clothing, food and household goods, and many shops stay open late for wholesale buyers.
A market on this site was completed in September 1414, during King Taejong's reign, one of four built in Seoul between 1412 and 1414. The first shop was a government-licensed silk importer, soon joined by licensed stalls selling clothing, food and household goods. From 1897 displaced merchants traded inside the former Sangpyeongchang granary, the direct predecessor of today's market.
The market's name comes from Namdaemun, the southern gate of the old city wall, built in 1398 and now called Sungnyemun. Its granite base carries the oldest wooden structure in Seoul; a 2008 arson fire destroyed the gate, and restoration finished in May 2013. A plaza south of the gate lets visitors approach it.
The market sits in Hoehyeon-dong, a short walk from Hoehyeon station on Line 4 and about ten minutes on foot from Seoul Station. It covers several city blocks closed to most car traffic because of parking congestion, so arrive on foot or by subway. Many shops open early in the morning, and some wholesale stalls trade through the night.
The site has specialized zones for different products, including a particular section filled with traditional Korean medicinal herbs and ingredients. This area draws both tourists and locals looking for natural remedies.
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