A Day at the Bustling Old Market and the Wildflower-Filled Hongneung Arboretum | Travel Course | K-Travel Mate

Yakryeong Market (藥令市) originally was a gathering place for medicinal herb merchants established by royal decree during King Hyojong's era of Joseon, where regional overseers resided at major medicinal herb production sites to collect rare medicinal herbs. At that time, it was a seasonal market held twice a year in spring and autumn according to the harvesting seasons. Currently, there are several Yakryeong Markets nationwide including Daegu and Jecheon, but Seoul Yakryeong Market is the largest in terms of scale and history. The modern history of Seoul Yakryeong Market dates back to the mid-1960s. It was formed as medicinal herb merchants gathered around Cheongnyangni Station and Majang-dong Intercity Bus Terminal, key transportation hubs in eastern Seoul. After the Korean War, farmers from Gyeonggi-do and Gangwon-do brought agricultural products, vegetables, and forest products through the old Seongdong Station (now Hansol Donguibogam), and Cheongnyangni Station, selling these on reclaimed fields nearby, naturally creating the market's origins. After receiving permission to open as a public market in June 1960, it established itself as the cheapest market offering a wide range of agricultural products in Seoul. Especially connected conveniently by rail and road to major medicinal herb production areas like Gangwon-do, it rapidly developed and transformed into a specialized market for medicinal herbs and related goods by the late 1960s. The current scale and range of products were established in the 1970s when traditional local herb merchants from Jongno 4-ga and 5-ga relocated here, making Seoul Yakryeong Market the central distributing place for medicinal herbs. From the 1970s, the market's reputation spread nationwide, and in August 1980, it underwent modernization projects to become a modern market. Since 1983, it has handled ginseng and honey as well, distributing about three-quarters of the ginseng and honey consumed in Seoul, and about two-thirds of medicinal herbs nationwide through Seoul Yakryeong Market. Through these developments, Seoul Yakryeong Market has become not only the largest medicinal herb market nationwide but is growing into a global medicinal herb market, actively engaging in import-export activities with countries such as China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Japan, and New Zealand. The official name 'Seoul Yakryeong Market' was granted in June 1995. Since being designated as 'Seoul Yakryeong Market (Traditional Herbal Market Area),' it has established and operated various new facilities and systems related to medicinal herbs.

The national museum exhibiting Korean folk culture.

Seoul’s most famous district for tteokbokki.

A waterside promenade through downtown Seoul—atmospheric lighting by night.