Songwol-Dong Fairy Tale Village, Incheon
When thinking about Incheon, the first thing that springs to mind for most people is Incheon Airport. What most people don’t know is that Incheon has a lot of touristic attractions, which are easily reachable from Seoul. The Songwol-dong Fairy Tale Village is one of these touristic sights. It is a revitalized area which has been covered with street murals, statues and photo zones, all related to western and Korean fairy tales. Read on to find out more about this Incheon fairy tale village.
Incheon is a city located in the northwestern part of South Korea and has a rich history dating back to the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910). In 1883, Incheon became the first port to open to foreign trade and commerce in Korea, which marked the beginning of its transformation into a major economic hub. In 1950, Incheon played a pivotal role in the Korean War as it was the site of a successful amphibious landing by United Nations forces.
The city’s port was heavily damaged during the war, but it was quickly rebuilt and continued to grow in importance as a center of commerce and industry. In recent decades, Incheon has undergone a major transformation with the development of modern infrastructure and the establishment of the Incheon Free Economic Zone, which has attracted significant foreign investment. Today, Incheon is home to a population of over three million people and is one of the busiest transportation hubs in Northeast Asia.
About Songwol-Dong Fairy Tale Village
Songwol-dong was a pretty run down village until they decided to blow new life into the area in 2013. It is very common for old villages to be redesigned like this, just like Ihwa Mural Village in Seoul. The village has themed streets like Dorothy Street, Red Riding Hood Street and Folk Tale Street. You won’t find a single alley or corner that isn’t covered in bright scenes. Every wall, post box, street pole have been decorated like a scene of a fairy tale.
You can clearly see that the village is quite old, even behind all the decorations, but it gives it a certain charm and only cloudy, rainy days it gives it a bit of a creepy vibe.
This village is one big photo zone, excellent for couples or groups of friends to take some pictures together for Instagram. If you are coming alone, make sure to bring a tripod or selfie stick.
Fairy Tales In Incheon Village
Listed below are some of the fairy tales displayed in Songwol-dong Fairy Tale Village. Most likely you’ll recognize 90% of all the stories, especially if you are a Disney fan, but you’ll also come across some less popular stories, like the traditional Korean ones.
1. Disney Fairy Tales
There wouldn’t be a fairy tale village without the Disney stories. This village has all the most popular stories including Pinocchio, Sleeping Beauty, Beauty & the Beast, Alice in Wonderland, Snow White and many more.
2. Heungbu and Nolbu
Not only does Songwol-dong Fairy Tale Village have western fairy tales, but some of the traditional Korean fairy tales are also present, like Heungbu and Nolbu. This story dates back to the Joseon Dynasty and is about 2 brothers. The oldest brother, Nolbu, was very greedy, whereas the youngest brother, Heungbu was very kind and empathetic.
On the day their father died, they learned that they had to split the inheritance between the two of them, equally. The greed of Nolbu got the best of him and he chased his brother out of the family so he could keep his inheritance for himself. Heungbu accepted this without complaining.
Heungbu, who lived in poverty, came across an injured bird one day. He took it home and nursed it until it got better. The following spring, the swallow returned with a seed as a present, which Heungbu planted. Once the plant was fully grown and the vegetables were ready to eat, Heungbu opened one up and was surprised to find it filled with gems.
When the older brother found out about this, he asked Nolbu how he came across his fortune. Once he heard the story, he also went to look for a swallow, but instead of finding an injured one, he broke the leg of a swallow and took it home to nurse too. Again, the swallow came back the following year with a seed, which Nolbu then planted. But instead of having a vegetable which was filled with gems, it was filled with destruction. Nolbu lost all his wealth and finally realized what he had done wrong.
He reconciled with Heungbu and they lived happily ever after.
3. Other Fairy Tales
Apart from the Disney and Korean fairy tales, there are some other stories displayed in the village. Like the Arc of Noah, the Little Prince, Madagascar, Jack and the Bean Stalk, Goldilocks and the Three Bears, The Wizard of Oz and many more.
Best Photo Spots Of Songwol-Dong Fairy Tale Village
Once you enter the village you’ll find this map (see above) with all the best photo zones of the the village. Like the Pinocchio statue, the Cinderella pumpkin, the castle of Alice in Wonderland and 7 other photo spots.
My favourite photo zones in the village are the colourful staircases. Like the one with the giraffe of Madagascar and the one with the rainbow stairs.
Trick Art Museum
Similar to the Trick Eye Museum in Seoul, this Trick Art Story has around 40 different dimensional drawings which trick the eye. Those are great place to take pictures with friends and loved ones. The 2 story museum is located in the Alice in Wonderland building.
- Address: 42, Donghwamaeul-gil, Incheon
- Opening Times: 9 AM to 7 PM. Closed on Mondays.
- Entrance Fee: 6000 krw
Practical Info Incheon Fairy Tale Village
- Address: 38, Donghwamaeul-gil, Jung-gu, Incheon, 인천광역시 중구 동화마을길 38 (송월동3가)
- Opening Times: Never closes, open all year around, day and night.
- Entrance Fee: Free
- Closest Subway Station: Incheon Station, line 1
From Incheon Station, go out of exit 1 and immediately cross the street. Turn left on the main street and walk 200 meters until you come across some cute looking panda cartoon statues. That’s the entrance of the village. It will take around 2 hours to go around the village, but it isn’t all that big.
You’ll find many coffee shops and little boutiques, most open around 10 and close around 7, but this depends from place to place.
Other Things To Do In The Area
From Incheon Station, there are quite a few attractions within walking distance. The Incheon fairy tale village is actually part of China Town, so make sure you also drop by China Town for lunch or some street food. Listed below are more things to do in the area which are easily combinable as a perfect day trip from Seoul.
1. China Town
This China Town was established in the 19th century but now very few Chinese people are actually living here. The area is filled with restaurants, little shops and some touristic sights like the Jajangmyeon Museum, Chochanji Mural Street, Jayu Park and a small temple.
There are many nice restaurants in this area, the best dumpling restaurant of Korea also lies in this town, but not on the main street. Each time we visit Incheon China Town, we visit this restaurant, because the dumplings are superb! (Address: China town-ro 59beon-gil, Incheon)
2. Incheon Open Port
Next to China Town lies another historic area, the Incheon Open Port area. When the port first opened in 1883 many Japanese style streets were established and are still present. Now in this area lie many museums like the Incheon Open Port Museum, Daebul Hotel and many more.
A fun thing to do here is to dress up in retro clothes dating back from the 20th century and take pictures in the historic street or just in the photo room. (Address: 93 Sinpo-ro 27beon-gil)
3. Wolmi-do Island
Wolmi-do Island is an small Island just of the coast of Incheon. Now it is connected with a highway but originally it wasn’t. The island has a nice coastal walk but its main attraction are the monorail and small theme park.
Where To Stay In The Area
There is only one hotel available on Booking.com in the area of the Incheon fairy tale village and it’s the Best Western Harbor Park Hotel. This 4 star hotel has stunning views of the port and of Incheon city. Breakfast is optional but is highly recommended as it’s a huge buffet with lots of international and Korean dishes. If you are a Genius member, this hotel offers an additional 10-15% discount. Click here for more info and latest prices.
Frequently Asked Questions
No, the village is open day and night, all year around.
You can visit any time but avoid going on a rainy or cloudy day as then you won’t enjoy the village to its fullest.
It is a village that was created in 2013 as part of the revitalization project and has tons of murals, statues and photo zones.
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Thank you so much. Very helpful.