Dongmyo Shrine

Dongmyo was built between 1599 and 1601, at the urging of Ming commanders who had fought alongside Joseon forces and who venerated Guan Yu, the Han-dynasty general deified as a god of war and loyalty. The building is deliberately Chinese rather than Korean: a heavy brick and stone structure with a T-shaped plan, a low tiled roof and interior columns, holding a gilded seated statue of Guan Yu with attendants - it looks unlike anything else in Seoul, which is the reason to go in. The Wanli Emperor of Ming paid for it and sent a plaque in his own hand; of the three shrines built in 1601, east, west and north, only this one survives. What most people encounter first, though, is what surrounds it. The streets outside hold Seoul's largest flea market, spilling over pavements and side lanes daily: second-hand clothes sold by the armful, old records, tools, watches, radios, army surplus and a great deal of unclassifiable stuff, with an older crowd and a distinct atmosphere. The two together - a quiet Ming-style shrine inside a wall, chaos immediately outside it - make the visit.

The main sights

• The Chinese-style hall - the T-shaped brick shrine building.
• The Guan Yu statue - the gilded figure and attendants inside.
• The flea market - the streets of second-hand goods around it.
• The contrast - the walled quiet against the market outside.

When to go

Year-round; the market runs daily and is busiest at weekends. The shrine keeps museum hours and closes on Mondays.

Good to know

The shrine is small and often quiet to the point of being overlooked; interpretation is limited. The market is crowded, grubby and cash-only, which is either the charm or not.

Nearby

Heunginjimun and DDP are a short walk; Gwangjang market is west.

Key facts