Incheon Chinatown, South Korea
Incheon is about an hour and a half distance by subway from Seoul. Because Incheon is close to China, Chinese workers immigrated to Incheon in the late 19th century to find work in Korea. When Japan forced annexed Korea in the early 20th centruy, they also found Incheon a strategic area to establish their business because of the seaport and closeness to Seoul.
Incheon Chinatown: Gaho-dong, Jung-gu, Incheon. All the buildings shown on this page are in the Chinatown or very close to it.
Incheon Station is the first train station in South Korea.
The Chinatown is just in front of the station.
Gongwhachun, the restaurant, was established in 1908. This is where the first Jajangmyeon was sold. It is now the Jajangmyeon Museum.
Jajangmyeon is a Chinese food eaten by Chinese workers in Incheon in the early 1900s. It is changed for Korean taste and currently one of the most popular foods in South Korea.
This is how the restaurant looked then.
Changes of Jajangmyeon delivery case.
Jajangmyeon in Chinatown
During the time of the annexation, the Japanese built buildings in Incheon. This road separates the Chinatown and Japanese area.
The Japanese area
Japanese Bank 18 in Incheon, established in 1890 for Japanese in Incheon. It is now used as a museum.
Inside the bank, the museum of early 20th modern buildings in Incheon.
Next to the Japanese Bank 18 is the Japanese First Bank in Incheon established in 1899. This is also used as a museum now.
Early Korean stamps.
This is how the street looked then in front of the Bank.
The coins produced during that time.
Right next to the Chinatown is the Incheon Art Platform. This art platform is made by converting unused storage buildings into the art museum.
