By evening, the centre of Chuncheon fills with people heading to eat. The smell of spicy chicken cooking on iron plates drifts out of the barbecue restaurants, and groups settle in for a long meal before moving on. Later, students and visitors drift towards the streets around the universities and the downtown lanes, where small bars stay busy into the night.
Chuncheon's nightlife is modest and spread out rather than concentrated in one entertainment district. It suits visitors who want a meal as the centrepiece of the evening, followed by drinks in small, unpretentious places, and who are happy to move between a few different streets rather than stay in one venue all night. Much of it revolves around the university area and the downtown shopping streets.
Where to go out in Chuncheon
1. Chuncheon Barbecue Spicy Chicken Street
This street is defined by its restaurants serving Chuncheon barbecue spicy chicken, the dish the city is known for. Several restaurants each claim to be the original, and the smell of the cooking draws people in from the street. It suits a group dinner as the first and main part of an evening.
Note that dak-galbi is cooked by cutting chicken into thin pieces, marinating it, and grilling it with vegetables such as cabbage and onion on an iron plate. The alley of dak-galbi restaurants, Myeongdong Dakgalbi Alley, was formed in the 1970s.
2. Chuncheon Myeongdong Street
A small shopping street with stores on both sides of the lane, described as a street of young people because of the clothes and culture on offer. It suits an early-evening wander before or after eating, when you want to browse rather than sit down.
Because of the success of the 2002 drama Winter Sonata in Japan, Myeongdong was a popular destination for Japanese tourists.
3. University Street
A 900-metre street behind Gangwon University, with many small stores and cafes. It suits a low-key evening of coffee and conversation, and is the kind of area where students spend their time.
Chuncheon has plenty of bars and small local establishments that serve beer and coffee with a limited food selection; these are called "Hof's".
4. The bar street at Kangwon National University's back gate
This is the student drinking area, where western-style bars sit alongside each other. It suits anyone looking for cocktails, imported beer and a student crowd rather than a formal night out.
Sheriff's, at the university's back gate, is described as a western-styled bar with a couple of dart boards and a selection of cocktails and beer, popular with students and foreign expats. Hard Rock, opposite Johnny's Bar on the main bar street, is described as carrying cocktails, imported beers on tap and in bottles, and Korean bar food.
5. Hof chains across the city
Tudari is a major chain of Hof's serving mostly Korean beer and bar food, described as usually clean inside and fairly inexpensive. Establishments of this kind can be found all over Chuncheon without looking hard. This suits a simple, inexpensive drink stop wherever you happen to be in the city.
6. Gongjicheon
A resort spot favoured by Chuncheon residents, with biking and boating on weekends. Covered wagons in the vicinity are full of people until late at night, which makes it an option for an outdoor evening rather than a indoor one.
7. Gangchon
A popular membership-training site for college students and a favourite weekend vacation spot, with amusement parks, hostels and a resort. It is close to Seoul, about 40 minutes by train. It suits a weekend trip built around outdoor activity rather than a night in the city centre.
How a night out unfolds
The sources describe mak-guksu, dark buckwheat noodles, as originally eaten in winter as a late-night snack, before it began to be eaten in all seasons from the 1970s. Beyond that, the sources do not give specific times for eating, going out or how late venues run in Chuncheon.
Festivals and events worth timing a trip around
- Uiam Festival — April, held to honour Ryu In-seok.
- Chuncheon Mime Festival — May, held for the popularisation and globalisation of mime.
- Chuncheon International Early Music Festival — showcases Baroque music.
- Chuncheon Theater Festival — starting in June, showcasing comedy plays.
- Chuncheon Dakgalbi & Makguksu Festival — August, with a makguksu eating competition and singing contest.
- Chuncheon Art Festival — overseas and domestic artists from different genres present new works.
- Chuncheon Puppet Festival — described as the biggest puppet festival in South Korea.
- Soyang River Culture Festival — September, held for the succession of local culture and regional harmony.
- Chuncheon AniTown Festival — October, held for the development of the animation industry.
- Gim Yujeong Literature Festival — autumn, held to honour novelist Gim Yujeong.
- Chuncheon International Marathon — late October, circling Uiamho Lake, with a full 42 km course and short courses of 5 and 10 km.
Frequently asked questions
What is the local dish to eat on a night out?
Dak-galbi, Chuncheon barbecue spicy chicken, is the regional specialty, made by cutting chicken into thin pieces, marinating it and grilling it with vegetables on an iron plate. Mak-guksu, dark buckwheat noodles, is the other local specialty, originally eaten in winter as a late-night snack.
What is a Hof?
A Hof is a small local establishment serving beer and coffee with a limited selection of food. Chuncheon has plenty of them, and the Tudari chain is one example.
Where do students tend to drink?
The area around Kangwon National University's back gate, where western-style bars sit on the main bar street, is popular with students and foreign expats. University Street, behind Gangwon University, has many small stores and cafes.
Is there anything to do outdoors in the evening?
Gongjicheon is a favourite resort spot for residents, with biking and boating on weekends, and covered wagons in the vicinity are full of people until late at night.
Plan your evening around a dak-galbi dinner, then choose a street or a Hof that matches the kind of night you want.