Gamcheon Culture Village

Busan, South Korea

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Gamcheon Culture Village in Busan, South Korea, originated in the 1920s-1930s as a hillside settlement for relocated working-class residents near the port, expanding rapidly in the 1950s with Korean War refugees who built simple, tiered homes amid poverty and a Taegeukdo religious community.

By the 2000s, facing depopulation and decay, a 2009 government-led revitalization project transformed it through vibrant murals, sculptures, pastel-painted houses, and art installations like Little Prince scenes and guiding fish motifs, turning narrow labyrinth alleys into an open-air gallery dubbed "Korea's Santorini" or "Busan's Machu Picchu."

Now a top tourist draw with over 1.4 million annual visitors, it features museums, shops in renovated homes, and panoramic views, blending community resilience with cultural tourism despite some resident mixed feelings on crowds.