My travels last weekend (28 June 2008) took me to the Chinatown in the Incheon area – a town about 30 minutes away from where I live by subway. It’s actually the end of the line for subway line 1 – and you literally see the end of the railroad after you exit the train. In any case, Incheon sports an old-Korea kind of charm; I imagine Seoul looked a bit like Incheon before all of the neon lights, super-high-rise buildings, and a population bigger than most states.

If you come to Incheon and expect beautiful beaches, lots of touristy sights, allow me to set you straight: the only real ‘sights’ you’ll see of the water involve industrial boats, cranes, and the like. The beautiful sights are on the island of Incheon, which is different from the city of Incheon. They’re close geographically, but the Incheon International Airport – and the many beaches – are on the island, not in the city.

inding the Chinatown was quite easy – exit out the only exit at the Incheon subway station and look across the street. If you’re walking you didn’t even need the above sign to see the welcoming arches (as seen in the first picture)

Decidedly tourist photo op? Check. While the dragon was too high to stand next to (and about 20 feet long), there were still plenty of ways of getting a decent shot.

Beer Bank, huh? I wonder what it takes to make a withdrawal… Do you have to put down a deposit… Are there ‘spillage’ or ‘overdraft’ fees? The jokes are endless…

Along with quite a few souvenirs or art displays, another common sight was the chance to buy Chinese food or alcohol. I didn’t check too closely too see how great the ‘deal’ was, but I suspect the prices would be more than a little inflated for the tourists.

While wandering off the main path, I snapped a couple pictures of the building styles. The small blue sign indicates the building’s number – chronologically numbered within a several-square-block area / district (called a dong).

The roof of a building – complete with some elaborate sculptures.

Ceremonial masks, displayed for the world to see. No telling what their purpose is / was, or even if they’re still used today in any function.

The beginnings of Jayu (Freedom) Park – go through the archway and up the stairs – several… flights… of stairs…. Ugh… My heart pumps a little faster just looking at the photos again…

MORE stairs?! This spiral staircase led to a great view of Incheon and the water.

The view from the aforementioned staircase / building (click for bigger picture!).

While walking around this peaceful park, I heard the sounds of techno music. Naturally, I walked to investigate – to find a dance / cardio routine being led from the stage. Every day at 6:30pm there was to be a routine / class offered.

Just a few of the many roses to be seen at the park itself. It resembled the Seoul Grand Park’s Rose Garden in a small way, although there wasn’t quite as many roses.

A row of roses that extended about 30 meters (about 90 feet) before coming to a walkway of sorts.

Incheon is a great place to walk around, to see an authentic Chinatown in Korea, and to see a bit of what Korea might have looked like a couple decades ago. I highly recommend bringing your camera – there’s plenty of places / chances to take pictures. It’s not always busy (not even on a Saturday afternoon, although rain was threatening, which may have had something to do with it), but is worth a visit.