The old dragon is back

Here’s this week’s tip on Korean language and customs:

Q:
I’m wondering if there is a Chinatown in Korea. It would be very interesting to check it out, and while there, I’d like to buy some Chinese food ingredients for my home cooking.

A:
For decades, the area near the former Taiwanese Embassy, located behind the Central Post Office in central Seoul, used to bustle with Chinese immigrants and descendants living in Korea, but since the embassy shut down in 1992, the street is now empty except for a few Chinese restaurants and street stalls. The only area related to ethnic Chinese in the capital is Bukchang-dong near Namdaemun market, where shoppers can buy various Chinese food items and utensils.

The old Chinatown is located in the Bukseong district in Incheon, about an hour’s drive from Seoul. It once prospered during the Japanese colonial rule, when Incheon was a base for trade between Korea and China, but the town was drastically diminished because of government restrictions imposed on foreigners.

It will change soon as Chinatown has been under a redevelopment plan. Now, visitors can take the subway or drive to the area near Jayu Gongwon (Freedom Park) to enjoy Chinese food and culture.