As a 외국 가족 (foreign family) living here in Korea, with no roots to pay homage to the way Koreans do their ancestral rites, my family and I, and our friends, walked the streets of Chinatown the day before the Lunar New Year.

We knew there was no public celebration to look forward to. Instead, we were there to get lost in the crowd and get a taste of (hopefully!) authentic Chinese food we can get our palates on. So, the moment we exited the Incheon Station we knew what to do and where to go.

Lunch at Wonbo

It wasn’t like we didn’t consider 짜장면(jjajangmyeon), the famous Chinese-Korean noodle dish we love pairing with 탕수육 (tangsuyok). But our sons and their friends were excited by the idea of eating dumplings so we followed the way to Wonbo. Wonbo is popular for its dumplings and it has a good selection of fried, boiled and steamed varieties. The youngsters ate like the dumplings were the most mouth-watering dish they could ever have. If we allowed them to, they would have had an unlimited order. The dumplings and the bowls of mandu guk we ordered were enough for our lunch. Just outside Wonbo, there was a never-ending long queue for 홍두병. You can choose among the different flavors: mango, red bean, cream, chocolate, and green tea. People were unbelievably patient. COme to think of it, street stalls and restaurants mostly have people queueing up for whatever specialty they have.

Samgukji Mural Street

One of the areas I wanted to check out was the Samgukji Mural Street so we headed to the area right after lunch. The short stretch depicted the ancient Chinese literature, the Three Kingdoms, and some important events in the novel. We saw a photo zone with a figure of an imposing warrior so the children and I took turns having our picture taken. Mom as I am, my role doesn’t hinder me from having fun!

Then we saw a drunk, old man boisterously sitting by the police station at the end of Samgukji Mural Street. For a moment, we had the saddest time seeing him being dragged by the police officers. To the police’s credit, they were very patient and gentle with him. We realized he was talking about his 아들 (son). My husband and I couldn’t help but feel for him. 설날 (Seollal) is one of Korea’s most important family events. This is the time when families get together and catch up on each other. And here he was, getting drunk and being gently dragged far from the crowd to avoid further disturbance. It was a little heartbreaking.

Interesting Sights 

Uphill from the police station, we saw a pyramid-shape monument. It turns out to be a commemoration of the USA-Korea Centennial Diplomatic Relations. It was dedicated on December 14, 1982 so that brings back US-Korea diplomatic relations to 1882.

Further down from the monument is the Jayu Park where I found the statue of General Douglas MacArthur. The Philippines and Korea share a military history with him. There is a statue of MacArthur and his men at the MacArthur Leyte Landing Memorial National Park commemorating his promise of “I shall return“. Here in Korea, he is honored with his own statue as commander of all American forces in the Korean War until he was relieved by President Harry Truman after a public falling out in 1951.

After releasing their energy at the park, we were able to convince the children to go back to the main area of Chinatown. The town is literally painted in red when you think about “Chinatown”. From the ornate entrance to its streets and even the strawberry desserts, it’s a splashy display of red.

There are more subdued hues but they, nevertheless, depicts details of a Chinatown. The 짜장면(jjajangmyeon) museum is housed in a light-colored brick building with green accents. Seriously, what is there to know more about 짜장면 for it to merit its own museum? But it’s there and the locals take their jjajangmyeon seriously… and you should, too!

The Kung Fu Panda statue remains a popular photo partner among the guests. It looks adorable! I had to remind my son how much he loved Kung Fu Panda when it was shown a decade ago. We even had to bring a panda stuff toy from Beijing and he was cuddling it at the airport on our way back to Seoul!

Our Chinatown visit will not be complete without me finding a red door. This is the likeliest place on Earth where I will find one… or two… or more!

How to go to Chinatown Incheon?

Get out of Exit 3 of Incheon Station (Line 1). You will immediately see the colorful entrance of Chinatown.

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