Are you planning a trip to Korea? Then make sure that you don’t miss out on visiting the Markets in Busan. From smelly fish markets to Pig heads it is an experience you are unlikely to forget!
Three Little Pigs, Busan, Image credit: cfarivar on Flickr
Pig heads are normally bought for new businesses as a symbol for good luck (people put money into the pigs mouth!). Apparently some vendors will charge more for a pig’s head that seems to have smile on its face, than a pig’s head that is either expressionless or has a frown.
Pig heads, Image credit: kittychan8 on Flicker
Then again Chinese loan sharks are said to hang a pig’s head at someone’s door as a warning that they need to pay up what was owed!! Personally I find these slaughtered pig heads a little grotesque, they totally kill my appetite.
Pusan market, Image credit
Originally formed by Korean War refugees, this downtown market has grown into Busan’s largest. Here you can find the best wholesale prices for clothing, silk, linen, curtains, bags, glasses, and many imported items.
Pusan market, Image credit
Market spills out into the streets and continues into Kwangbok-dong & Namp’o-dong. Along its southern boundary is the Jagalchi Fish Market.
Dry goods, Image credit: Eric Sustad
Fish and shellfish are caught daily and sold fresh to consumers, almost right off the boat.
Drying fish, Image credit: Eric Sustad
Dozens of brightly clad fishmongers, writhing octopuses, unidentifiable sea life, spice shops, knife vendors, a market overwhelmingly abuzz! You can watch as the fish get scaled, beheaded, chopped up, and dumped in a box of ice, all in record time.
The area is lined with tanks containing all sorts of fish, eels, squid, shellfish, and mollusks, Image credit
Source: Gridskipper
