Changwon at Night

Before coming to Changwon, I was told by a number of people that the city is "small". For instance, the woman who interviewed me at the Korean consulate in San Francisco back in February. When I told her my destination she responded, "Ah yes, Changwon. Very small, in southern part of Korea."

But really it's all relative; roughly half a million people life in Changwon. The city was one of the first planned cities in Korea, built about twenty years ago. As I understand it, a small village always existed here, but the present city is almost totally modern. Because this city was planned, it is not quite so congested and there are more parks and open areas than in any other city in Korea. But head downtown, particularly at night (the weekend would be especially choice, though any night will do), and you will get a good sense of just how many people live here.

The first time I saw the city at night, I could only think to compare it to Las Vegas. Downtown is filled with flashing neon lights. The office buildings in Korea are covered with advertisements, and the businesses inside the buildings are often very diverse. For example, the bottom floor may contain a convenience store, a restaurant, and a hardware store. The next floor could have a bar, a bookstore, and a "barber shop" (which may or may not be, in fact, a house of ill-repute). The whole building may contain ten or fifteen floors, each as diverse as the ones described.

These pictures don't really do the scene justice. The neon signs are so busy, that really video would be required to convey the full effect. It is truly amazing. I walk through this stretch of downtown each night that I work, usually around 10:45 PM.