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All South Korea Seoul Gyeongui Line Book Street

Gyeongui Line Book Street

Booksellers and public artworks fill this vibrant promenade along the disused railroad tracks.

Seoul, South Korea

Added By
Fred Cherrygarden
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The street seen from above.   Fred Cherrygarden / Atlas Obscura User
The street seen from above.   Fred Cherrygarden / Atlas Obscura User
Gyeongui Line Book Street.   Fred Cherrygarden / Atlas Obscura User
Detail.   Fred Cherrygarden / Atlas Obscura User
The sculpture of a girl picking a book from the shelf.   Fred Cherrygarden / Atlas Obscura User
Books.   Fred Cherrygarden / Atlas Obscura User
Alice in Wonderland.   Fred Cherrygarden / Atlas Obscura User
One of the shops on G-Line Book Street.   Fred Cherrygarden / Atlas Obscura User
Dorothy.   Fred Cherrygarden / Atlas Obscura User
Gyeongui Line Book Street.   Fred Cherrygarden / Atlas Obscura User
A pop-up Alice in Wonderland.   Fred Cherrygarden / Atlas Obscura User
The street is filled with public art celebrating book culture.   Fred Cherrygarden / Atlas Obscura User
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About

Chaekgeori is a unique genre of still-life painting that flourished during the Joseon dynasty of Korea, especially under the reign of Emperor Jeongjo (1776-1800). Typically, it depicts bookshelves full of “books and things” (chaekgeori), a pleasant eye candy to bibliophiles of all ages.

It was also a thematic inspiration behind the Gyeongui Line Book Street project in the Mapo district, intended to be a multipurpose cultural hub utilizing books to enrich people’s lives. Another inspiration was the Hongdae neighborhood surrounding it, an area with a high concentration of publishers in the past.

The vibrant Book Street runs for nearly four miles along Gyeongui Line, on the disused railroad tracks converted into a scenic promenade. It’s home to fourteen bookshops specializing in different themes and genres, all housed in train-shaped booths.

The promenade, a popular haunt among locals, also boasts a collection of book-themed public artworks, such as the statue of a girl standing on a library ladder and picking a book from the shelf.

Hip, refined, and relatively peaceful, Book Street is an intellectual oasis in the metropolitan hubbub of Seoul, perfect for solo walks, cute dates, or simple biblio-shopping.

Related Tags

History & Culture Books Bookstores

Know Before You Go

The book street is open every day except Mondays from 11 AM to 8 PM.

Community Contributors

Added By

Fred Cherrygarden

Published

August 14, 2023

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Gyeongui Line Book Street
Seoul
South Korea
37.556236, 126.929298

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Photo of Seoul

Seoul

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Places 32
Stories 1

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Seodaemun Prison

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miles away

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miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Seoul

Seoul

South Korea

Places 32
Stories 1

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