Rice cake with a sweet filling, songpyeon, is one of the main foods enjoyed during Chuseok. Mangwon Market in Mapo-gu District, Seoul, serves up various colored songpyeon filled with sweet sesame seeds, mashed chestnuts, red beans and beans.
People in Mangwon Market, a traditional market in Mapo-gu District, Seoul, have proclaimed, “Let everyday be as jolly as Hangawi,” using the alternate name for the mid-autumn Chuseok festival.
On Sept. 24, with only two days to go before Chuseok or Hangawi, Mangwon Market was more crowded than usual with shoppers preparing for the upcoming holiday. The vendors looked happier than usual, even though the constant flow of shoppers kept them busy all day.
People started pouring into the market early in the morning, buying ingredients needed to set the Chuseok memorial table and to make delicious food for their family members who return home. There were also people buying holiday gifts for relatives and neighbors.
Taking a close look at certain items and even smelling them, some shoppers kept asking, “Is it fresh?” As they placed the purchases into bags, vendors would often toss in a few extra items for free, as a sign of friendship during the holiday.
Mangwon Market in Mapo-gu District, Seoul, bustles with shoppers even before 10 a.m. on Sept. 24. Many venders here said, “You will see more coming after lunch.”
A vendor smiles as he holds out a gift set of beef in Mangwon Market. Korean beef, known as Hanwoo, sells three times faster around Chuseok compared to the rest of the year.
The 128 traditional markets across Seoul, both small and large, will host a variety of events to celebrate Chuseok this year. Sinjungbu Market in Jung-gu District offers up to 40 percent off on seafood and agricultural and livestock products, while the Mangwon World Cup Market in Mapo-gu District is giving away gift cards worth KRW 5,000 to people who spend more than KRW 50,000.
By Jeon Han, Sohn JiAe
Photos: Jeon Han
Korea.net Staff Writers
hanjeon@korea.kr
Shoppers select apples and persimmons in Mangwon Market. According to the Rural Development Administration, the amount of sunshine across the nation this year is 20 percent more than usual and, as a result, people can enjoy juicier and sweeter fruit this year.
Gift sets are stacked to the ceiling at Mangwon Market.
Mangwon Market offers special delivery service that allows people too busy to go shopping to make a call, asking the service to do the shopping for them and then to have the purchases delivered at home. The service is only available in the nearby neighborhoods of Mangwon-dong, Hapjeong-dong and Seongsan-dong, and only for those who spend more than KRW 50,000.
