the ultimate fabric shopping in Seoul, Dongdaemun

the other day i went shopping to Dongdaemun market, one of the largest markets in Asia!
the shopping was specifically for fabric, so i went to their fabric market, or wondan shijang.
I'd been going to Spotlight for my sewing materials when i was in Melbourne, and i absolutely love that place, but this.. it's a whole different world.
No joke, the size of this market is bigger than ALL the Spotlights in Australia put together!

clothing market

the surrounding buildings are all shopping centres

and this.. is the fabric market

this is the place to be for anyone who needs fabric, and anything related to craft.
say the material you need and they have it. there are thousands of small shops congregated in the shopping complex, so if one shop doesn't have it you'll find it in the neighbouring shops.
the first floor mainly sell fabrics for blanket covers and pillow cases, and 2nd & 3rd floors cannot even be categorised.. they have EVERYTHING.

here are some pictures to show you what i mean:

some materials for Korean traditional dress, Hanbok

and if you cross over to the building adjacent to the fabric complex, there are shops for ribbons, buttons, zippers, threads, or any extra decorational stuff!

and the best thing about this market is that everything is SO CHEAP!
i bought 3m of calico for just $5 (USD) and 1m of printed fabric (cotton) for just $3.

on the other side of the canal (shown in previous photo) there are rows and rows of shopping centres:

the only con about shopping here is that it's very crowded and i felt quite claustrophobic, not just in the buildings but out on the streets as well.
so if you want to go there i recommend you take public transport - the parking lot is way too large and crowded there's only a little chance you'll ever find your car, unless you have super good locational memory.

so here's how you get there:

* Bus 

destinations to Jongno 6(yuk)-ga, Cheonggye 6(yuk)-ga, and Dongdaemun History & Culture Park
1) Jongno 6(yuk)-ga
Blue Bus : 100, 101, 102, 103, 107, 108, 201, 260, 262, 270, 271, 370, 720, 721
Green Bus : 0212, 2014, 2112, 1018, 7025
Red Bus : 9301, 9403
2) Cheonggye 6(yuk)-ga
Yellow Bus : 1
Blue Bus : 163, 202
3) Dongdaemun History & Culture Park
Blue Bus : 101, 105, 144, 152, 261, 301, 302, 420, 500, 507
Green Bus : 0013, 0212, 2015, 2014, 2016, 2233
Red Bus : 9205, 9403, 9410

* Subway
Line 1, 4 Dongdaemun Station Exit #8 or 9


there are loads of cafes and restaurants so if you get tired, there's always a place to take a little break. 

YAY!