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| Tongbok shopping market |
Want to buy souvenirs to send back to your family? Try some famous authentic Korean restaurants? What about get a good walk in while snacking on traditional Korean treats? Then you should explore the popular Tongbok market in Pyenogtaek! It is a shoppers paradise.
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| Main entrance for Tongbok market |
This covered open air market is a perfect outing no matter the weather! The large building that houses the market reminds me of a train station and is filled with hundreds of vendors. Many of them have been there for decades and families all over Pyeongtaek come to buy weekly necessities. Just a block away is a parking garage designated for the market, but if driving is not your style then there is a bus that stops right at the main entrance.
Some of the most common items being sold at this bustling marketplace are house plants, clothing, jewelry, pottery, shoes, baked goods, vegetables, and fish.
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| House plants are a very popular item |
Want to introduce yourself to your new Korean neighbors? It is customary in Korea to give rice cakes to your neighbors when you move into a new home, and at Tongbok market there are multiple stands that sell the cutest rice cakes that come in various shapes and colors.
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| multi colored rice cakes |
Once you’ve been exploring the market for a while and start to feel low on energy, take advantage of the multiple mini coffee carts all around the market place to get a delicious caffeine boost.
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| coffee cart |
During my visit to the market, I tried a Korean treat called Gonggalpang (공갈빵), which I am told means empty bread. It is a large roll that is hollow with the inside lined with the sweetest honey. I was in love!
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| Gonggalpang / empty bread |
If you are looking to check off some of those Korean must dos, then Tongbok market can help you out! There is a store down one of the side aisles where you can rent a traditional hanbok and there are plenty of places to try kimbap and the infamous army soup.
If you choose to go on the weekend expect to be surrounded by a ton of people. To escape the crowds for a moment of peace, all you will need to do is wander down one of the many walkways that veer off the central shopping area. I advise going on the weekends as that will be the time when most of the stores in the market are open.Take your time and check out all the shops located around every corner!
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| One of the side walkways of the market |
There is very little you can’t find at Tongbok market in Pyeongtaek city!
This article is written by Hadley Holyoak a PIEF Foreign Reporter
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