Dongdaemun Fabric Market

Even close to my own house, I'm always finding new things that never cease to surprise me. This time it was one of Dongdaemun's giant fabric market in Jongno-6-ga. When Vegging in Chungju asked me where to buy fabric in Seoul, I offered to go with her to find the fabric market in Dongdaemun for a new photo opportunity.

It wasn't hard to find. Along the Cheonggyechong, just past Dongdaemun in Jongno-6-ga the streets are lined with bolts of fabric.

Upon entering the complex, it was like entering another world. Vegging in Chongju was mesmerized by everything and I was seriously overwhelmed. I expected to have lots of fun photo opportunities, but actually this place was full of so much hustle and bustle that it was seriously difficult to stand in one place for a few seconds to properly snap a photo. The photos you see here were just taken at momentary lulls in the commotion.

If you're into sewing or crafting, this is seriously the place to go. Everything seemed pretty reasonably priced, and we even found some remains on sale for really cheap, like 2,000 won/ yard. And, in case you are planning on shopping here, fabric is sold by the yard, not by the meter. While I'm sure some vendors may have been selling in large quantities, all the places we stopped at were more than happy to sell us just one yard at a time.

The size of this market is seriously overwhelming. From the outside, it didn't look so big, but once inside you can easily get lost in the labyrinth of stalls. The vast majority of products here is the fabric, but there are also tailors and seamstresses working here, plus they sell tons of other clothes making materials such as buttons, studs, lace, feathers, beads and so on and so forth.

If you happen to be in the area and are looking for a cool place to check out, this could be it. And if you're actually into making your own clothes or crafts, this is seriously the place to go. This place is basically a fashion designer's dream come true!

To get to the market, go out exit 8 from Dongdaemun Station (not Dongdaemun History and Culture Park) and turn right to walk along the Cheonggyechon stream. The market is inside the building to the right. You can recognize it from the outside from all the fabric for sale. The market is called 동대문종합시장 (General Market/ Dongdaemun Shopping Complex), but you can also ask for the 원단시장 (Fabric Market), and people who work in the area may be able to direct you into the right direction.

View 동대문종합시장 in a larger map

And if any of my readers are interested in meeting for a walk around an interesting place in Seoul for some photo taking, let me know! I'm looking to take more photo walks now that it's spring!