Baedari Secondhand Bookstore Alley,
Finding Value in the Old

A sign hanging in front of an old store reads ¡°Sell Your Books Here.¡± I push open the sliding door, and find an entire wall of used books. The distinctive scent of aged paper tickles my nose. Secondhand bookstores like this may soon be harder to find in Korea. The Baedari Alley was once filled with more than forty bookstores specializing in secondhand books, but only a handful remain today.

Secondhand bookstores thrived in the days when students sold reference books at giveaway prices toward the end of each semester. With paper books losing their place in the modern world and more readers turning to online stores, secondhand bookstores have quickly dwindled in number. Nevertheless, the few bookstores still existing today serve as cultural spaces rather than places that simply sell books. Local residents gather in bookstores to read poetry and hold workshops. The bookstores have connected the community through a common love of books.

The bookshelves in the small, old stores are similar to the gritty alleys. We don¡¯t know when exactly they will disappear, but it is meaningful to keep watch while they slowly fade away. A book from the Baedaeri Secondhand Bookstore Alley, the symbol of the old city center, may be the perfect souvenir to take back home.

Songdo Central Park,
Art Amid a Forest of Buildings

The new city center is filled with all things slick and shiny. The streets are neatly lined with skyscrapers of the same height, and low slopes add a splash of green to what may otherwise have been a dull forest of buildings. Many people are taking a break in the shade of trees or strolling along the lake. As the sun starts to go down, the kayaks and boats bobbing on the lake become decorated in a rainbow of lights. The buskers by the lake and those watching their performances don¡¯t seem bothered that it is getting dark.

A green paradise that is 56 times the size of a soccer field, the park features neofuturistic buildings and art installations. The Tri-Bowl, which combines the word ¡°triple¡± and ¡°bowl,¡± is a cultural complex shaped like a seashell or, from another angle, an upsidedown mountain. The unique structure, with its surface providing a reflection of the surrounding waters, creates an illusion that it¡¯s floating.

Over time, this well-planned urban park will be of greater value than any of the surrounding buildings.

Sorae Ecology Park,
Salt Field Restored Into Vibrant Park

A vast park spanning 1,560,000 square kilometers lies not too far from the city center. It is a harmonious ensemble of mud flats, salt fields and grasslands. The mud flat nearest to the entrance is covered with holes, with mud crabs crawling in and out. Visitors can enjoy a panoramic view from the observation deck, or take off their shoes to step in the mud. A popular destination for family outings, the park surrounds you with the laughter of children.

Deeper in the park is the Nature Learning Center that used to be an actual salt field. Here, you can watch and learn how salt is produced. As you step on a bridge over the salt field, you will be impressed by the view of the water mirroring the clear blue sky. Prepare your camera before arriving at this photo spot as you will not want to miss the pictureperfect surroundings.

The trail weaves in and out of a reed forest, and eventually leads to the center of the park. The trills and chirps of insects form a summer symphony. Ants small and large are scurrying about on the ground, while birds are soaring up above. A few wind turbines, with their slowly turning blades, are standing tall in the middle of the grassland. This is undoubtedly the best trail in Incheon.