Incheon Chinatown

Mobius6 · CC BY-SA 4.0

Korea's only intact Chinatown — and the birthplace of jjajangmyeon.

The port of Incheon opened in 1883, Shandong merchants crossed over, and this quarter grew out of it. Red gates span the streets, murals retell the Romance of the Three Kingdoms, and the smell of fried scallion drifts down the hill from the noodle houses. It was here that Chinese cooks mixed black chunjang paste with Korean noodles to make jjajangmyeon — now so common across Korea that it has its own small museum. Walk to the end of the quarter and you reach Jayu Park, looking down on the Yellow Sea harbour.

Visitor information

When is the best time to visit Incheon Chinatown?

Year-round

How long do you need at Incheon Chinatown?

2–3 hours

What are the opening hours of Incheon Chinatown?

The quarter is open all day; restaurants generally run 11:00–21:00

Did you know

Founded in 1883 when Incheon port opened to foreign trade.
Birthplace of jjajangmyeon; the Jjajangmyeon Museum stands in the quarter.
The Three Kingdoms mural runs for more than 150 metres up the hill.
A few minutes' walk from Incheon station on Seoul Metro Line 1.

Travel tips

Take Line 1 from Seoul — about an hour to the last stop, Incheon.
Eat jjajangmyeon first, then save room for crisp gongal-ppang bread.
Combine it with the brightly painted Songwol Fairytale Village next door.

Source: https://www.icjg.go.kr/tour/cttu0102a06

Updated: 2026-08-04