충장로 - 광주

Gwangju (광주, 光州) is the provincial capital of South Jeolla Province (전라남도, 全羅南道), a metropolitan city where the Conservatives can never win an election, a once neglected child of regionalism politics and the birthplace of Korea's democratization movement.

I was back at U-Square Gwangju bus terminal again after 3.5 hours bus ride from Seoul. Gwangju serves as a convenient base for one to explore the South Jeolla Province. In the evening on my arrival day, I visited Chungjangno Street (충장로, 忠壯路). A short description of the place would be it's the "Myeongdong" of Gwangju but less vibrant. That's because there's no throng of tourists to fill the street like Myeongdong. "Chungjang" is actually a posthumous title conferred on a locally born general who led a volunteer army against the invaders during the Japanese invasion of Korea in 1592.

In my opinion, pictures of Myeongdong and Chungjangno don't differ much. This walking street can be reached by taking Exit 3 of 문화전당약 (Culture Complex Station), Gwangju Subway Line 1.