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Inside Busan’s KTX train station, where you can catch high speed transport to cities all over South Korea.
It’s worth visiting the impressive structure of Busan Station, a stop on the network of KTX high-speed bullet trains in South Korea. In a bustling environment, you’ll see travellers on their way to different platforms to go to cities like Seoul, Daegu and Gwangju.
Garry Ho
Garry was born in Hong Kong but moved to Sydney, Australia at an early age.
Busan's Chinatown is next to Texas Street
Trusty bus stop in Nampo-dong.
Automatic water-sprayers to cool pedestrians outside Busan train station.
It’s great that bus stops in Busan have digital display boards which inform passengers about information like estimated times of arrival. The buses I’ve caught have also been clean and well air-conditioned.
Texas Street and Chinatown are co-located.
A distinctively western style artwork.
Opposite Busan Station there’s an area I explored that makes you feel like you’re outside of Korea. Texas Street presents itself prominently on the main street of 207 Jungang-daero, Choryang-dong with an archway that looks retro and cowboy-western.
Chinatown in Busan is also known as Shanghai Street.
Many Chinese people moved to this area during the Japanese occupation of Busan.
A confluence of Chinese, Russian and Central Asian shops
The birth of Texas Street dates back to the Korean War (1950-53) when shops and pubs opened to cater for American soldiers. There is a more exotic vibe to this area, where there are Filipino bars and massage shops. It’s probably not the first place on a family’s must-visit list but if you’re looking to see a unique side of Busan then it’s kind of interesting.
Texas Street has a reputation for more exotic, red light activities.
Many shops cater to people from Russia, Uzbekistan and countries in Central Asia
At the end of Texas Street you will arrive at Chinatown. The shop fittings are noticeably different compared to the Korean styles you see everywhere else. On the Monday afternoon that I went, the street was quiet.
A very different surrounding where you feel a sense of the past.
A mixture of Russian and Chinese businesses on a street in Korea.
After Russia and Korea established diplomatic ties in 1990, there were many Russian merchants and sailors arriving via the port of Busan. Russian culture is seen in the shops’ signages and presence of many foreign workers.
Street photographers will appreciate this tucked away Choryang Modern History Gallery.
You’ll discover ethnic food and currency exchange shops.
Colourful and ornate decorations mark the individuality of Chinatown, which is home to Chinese residents, dumpling restaurants, and photogenic red pillars.
On the edge of Chinatown is 1984 이바구밀면
Delicious dumplings.
The hidden gem is Choryang Modern History Gallery, which elegantly illustrates historical events of the area. The painting on the ground is spectacular and the design is a beautiful harmony of Chinese and Korean architectural styles.
Interestingly this is not tea, it’s hot soup that was served with my cold noodle.
A Milmyeon noodle dish, consisting of wheat noodles in a cold meat broth.
For a late lunch, I visited 1984 이바구밀면, a reputable looking restaurant just on the border of Chinatown. The Milmyeon noodles were clean and refreshing, and the teapot had piping hot soup inside!
Stumbling upon a useful place for digital nomads.
This space is in collaboration with Google Startup Campus.
B. Startup Station is a comfortable and collaborative space prepared by Google Startup Campus. Launched in 2021, its entrance is just outside Busan Station. I thought that it was helpful space and was surprised to see it almost empty, save for a few older people watching their phone leisurely.
d.camp is another startup base. It’s smaller and focussed on helping startups grow within the local ecosystem.
The upstairs floor of the Starbucks next to Busan station.
If you want to be part of the start-up scene in Korea, d.camp is an organisation powered by 19 financial institutions (including banks like Hana Bank). They run seminars, organise networking events, provide office space and generally support early stage start-ups. d.camp’s Busan base is an escalator ride up from the ground floor in front of Busan Station.
Go upstairs in Starbucks Busan Station for some quiet down time.
There are lengthy waits at the traffic lights where pedestrians can cross from the Busan Station side to Texas Street.
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My name is Garry Ho, I’m the founder.
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