Shopping in Myeong Dong (Shopping on The Silk Road)

http://idigculture.com/ With a name meaning "bright town" it really shouldn't be too shocking that Myeongdong is the retail center of Seoul. Neon lights, crowds, and stalls create a street scene somewhere between a bazaar and Las Vegas luring roughly 2 million visitors a day. Here, shoppers can peruse high end stores like Louis Vuitton, or, if cost is more an issue, haggle over off brand necessities at one of the numerous stalls lining the busy pedestrian mall. However, it's not only fashion that draws people to Myeongdong, its cosmetics. Both men and women head over to the main road, Jungang-gil, to peer into the myriad of cosmetic shops that line the street. With roughly a thousand different stores selling cosmetics, the choices are overwhelming to say the least. Each major Korean brand is well represented on "cosme road", as it's so dubbed, with Missha and The Face Shop being two of the more popular brands in the neighborhood. After getting glitzed and glammed, head back towards the subway station to catch a show at Myeongdong Theater. In a setting more reminiscent of old Broadway than modern Korea, you can catch a wide range of shows from more experimental theater to mainstream musicals. If you rather not stick to the cliché of dinner and a show, experience "Nanta" where dinner is literally the show. Located on the 3rd floor of the UNESCO building, "Nanta" is a comedy about a catering business gone awry. The sensational theatrics involve not only cooking, but acrobatics and magic as well. To experience Myeongdong, take either line 4 to Myeongdong station or line 2 to Euljiro 1 Ga. From both stations, take exit 6 and continue straight. As you're headed towards the market, you will pass Myeongdong Theater from either station. To visit Jungang gil, its best to take line 2 to Euljiro 1 Ga and walk straight out of exit 6. If you're interested in visiting Nanta, take exit 6 from either station and continue straight for roughly 200 meters until you reach the UNESCO building.