South Korea Trip 2013: Day 3 in Seoul (Edae, Hongdae, D-Cube City & Dongdaemun)

Beautiful autumn colours greet me in Edae

My third day in South Korea was spent in Seoul, exploring the beautiful autumn colours. It's my first time travelling during autumn and the coldest so far I've experienced, so before heading out every day, I check the weather forecast for rain or drastic drop in temperatures.

No cars on an early morning at Edae

On the day I was headed to Edae (short for the area surrounding Ehwa Womans University), it was a chilly morning. Bundled up in scarves and a thick coat to last me throughout the day, I was ready to go. Tip: Check out what the locals are wearing before you head out. Usually they'll bundle up enough to keep them warm till they go home at night.

To get to Ehwa Womans University using the subway, stop at Ehwa Womans University Station and take Exit 2 or 3. After a short 5 minutes walk you will come to the university campus.

Ehwa Womans University main entrance

Finally I'm at the main entrance of Ehwa Womans University. What a great place for scenic shots of autumn... How I wish I could be a student here!

The 3 colours of autumn at Ehwa Womans University campus

The great thing about this campus is that admission is free and there is no restriction on entering the campus grounds. Just follow the tourists though and don't attempt to enter lecture halls!

Maple leaf :)

It's also the first time I'm experiencing autumn leaves up close. The beautiful red maple leaves make a great photography prop, many tourists were taking photos among the fiery red trees that line the campus.

The magnificent church on Ehwa Womans University campus

There was also a church up a hill on the campus grounds which can be seen from the entrance. A couple was seen taking their wedding photos using the church as a backdrop. Together with the pretty autumn colours, it was a romantic place to be. I wonder if I can one day have this as my wedding photoshoot venue? ;)

Blacksmith endorsers: Spotted my fave idol! :)

After taking plenty of beautiful shots, I headed to Edae street for shopping. But after coming out of the campus, the first thing I noticed was a Blacksmith outlet, and I finally got the first glimpse of my idol Park Yoochun! I can imagine those girls coming out of classes everyday and walk past just to get a glimpse of him everyday...

Cheap deals on Edae street

If you are a female under 30 and want to shop on a budget, then Edae is the place to go. There are plenty of cheap deals around here, from 10,000 won bags (approximately RM30) which looks like something I would have paid 3 times for in KL. And the cheap clothes from 5,000 to 10,000 won (approximately RM15 to RM30) which are surprisingly of pretty good quality is abundant over here. 

My only grouse is that it's autumn clothes and most are either long sleeved or sweaters for tops, or long pants or tights for bottoms. For Malaysian weather, I could only buy back lots of bottoms and some too good to resist sweaters and hoodies.

Top Ten (bottom floor) and Kosney (first floor) in Edae

I was lucky to come across some great deals in Top Ten, which is the Korean equivalent to Uniqlo, as I bought a pair of legging tights which costs 19,900 won (approximately RM60) at only 9,900 (approximately RM30). It was so comfy yet warm in the cool weather, so I bought another one before heading back to Busan. Top Ten can be found on almost every major shopping street, so you don't need to specifically come to Edae.

The giant pink shoe outside Kosney

If you spot a giant pink shoe from afar, then you know that you have found Kosney. Kosney is a lifestyle store that sells cute and pretty stuff which targets the ladies, and they stock accessories, stationery and home decoration goods which make you want to cart everything home! Beware though, their prices can be a little high, so only buy if it's within your budget or you think that it is very unique.

Jammy Cake, where you can decorate your own cake

In Edae you'll also find shops where you can decorate your own cake. You don't have to bake the cake as they have ready cakes for you to start decorating right away. Definitely something I'd like to try the next time if I'm here again. 

Hongdae, the artsy and cool street

Next up I headed towards Hongdae using the subway since it's just a stop away from Edae. Hongdae is cool and artsy as opposed to the cutesy Edae.

Art displays on the streets of Hongdae

If Edae has more stores selling cosmetics, clothing and accessories, then Hongdae has more food shops and artsy shops. There are plenty of art displays along the streets, and the occasional graffiti, so if you're game for a photo of yourself with an artsy background, look out for these.

Stylenanda, epitome of chic and cool

I happened to pass by Stylenanda, which seems to be one of the hottest brands in South Korea these days. Their store sells clothes and the make-up line 3 Concept Eyes, also another hot brand of cosmetics. The human traffic seems to be more focused on 3CE when I was here though.

Hello Kitty Cafe in Hongdae

Hongdae is also home to the famous Hello Kitty Cafe! As a huge Hello Kitty fan, I could not miss out on this cafe. Since it's tucked in an alley, if you have trouble locating it, try asking the volunteer tourist guides in red, and they will give you a map to guide you here. Another similar cafe can be found at Incheon International Airport, for those who could not make it here.

Hello Kitty merchandise for sale

Though I expected the desserts and drinks here to be on the pricey side since it's a specialty cafe, surprisingly it's not. The prices here are those of the average cafe prices, so it's a great stop for afternoon tea break. 

Their merchandise here is a bit pricey though, if you have time to shop around elsewhere for those, please do so. If not, be prepared to pay slightly more for a piece of Hello Kitty to bring home.

Hello Kitty waffle and drinks

My travel partners and I had some Hello Kitty waffles and latte drinks for our tea break. I had sweet potato latte while my travel partners had vanilla latte and black bean latte. While the waffle was just okay, the sweet potato latte was good. Creamy yet not too sweet. Apparently the vanilla latte was good too, but not the black bean latte. Actually it's black sesame, but unless you're a fan of it, try to stay away from this!

Pororo Theme Park at D-Cube City

Since I had some time on my hands, I headed to D-Cube City to get a glimpse of Pororo Theme Park. I was fairly disappointed when I found out it was closed for the day when I reached. I then went for dinner at the food court here.

Migliore and Hello aPM in Dongdaemun

Since I wanted to maximise my day, I went to Dongdaemun which is just a subway stop away from my hotel in Chungmuro. If you're taking the subway here, stop at Dongdaemun Station and take Exit 8 or 9.

First I walked around Migliore, but I felt that the stores here were unorganized and every little store is owned by a different proprietor. I missed KL's department stores where everything is under one roof and the cashier is centralized.

Somehow I felt that the clothes here in Dongdaemun is more backdated compared to those in Edae, but maybe because I'm the target age group of the stores in Edae. 

And there were also many small stores in Dongdaemun where they don't display prices, which made me having to ask the price if I like a certain piece. Most likely the prices quoted are very high, maybe since I'm not a local. Even when I start bargaining by slashing down the price to half, they don't want to give in, and eventually I walked away.

My tip for those shopping in Dongdaemun? Make sure you know the prices of clothes in other areas (such as Edae and underground shopping centres) before you go. If you see them displaying the price on a cardboard, most likely that's the cheapest end price and don't bargain further because they can't go lower. Do bargain though if there is no price displayed!

Lotte FitIn is one of the many Lotte branches in  Korea

My last stop of the day was Lotte FitIn in Dongdaemun, where the prices were quite high, like any other Lotte Departmental Store.

That ends my third day in South Korea and look out for my next day's adventure in Seoul!

Read about my experience in Nampodong, BIFF Square and Gwangbok Street (Busan) here!

Read about my experience in Chungmuro, Namdaemun and Myeongdong here!

Read about my experience in Edae, Hongdae, D-Cube City and Dongdaemun here!

Read about my experience in N Seoul Tower, Namsangol Hanok Village, Garosugil and Go-To Mall here!

Read about my experience in Gyeongbukgung, Bukchon Hanok Village, Samcheongdong, Changdeokgung and Insadong here! 

Read about my experience in Busan (KTX and Busan City Night View Tour Bus) here! 

Read about my experience in Jagalchi Market, Gukje Market, Haeundae Beach and Seomyeon here!

Read about my experience in Pusan Int'l University Street, Oncheonjang and Busan Trick Eye Museum here!

Update: Check out my latest account of my trip to Japan in 2015 here. Stay tuned for more updates on this trip!

The author is thrilled to be Seoul and wished to be a foreign exchange student here.

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