'Documenting the Disappearing Island Culture'... Opening of Incheon Sinshimodo Island Village Museum

The Sinshimodo Island Village Museum will open on the site of the Sido branch school in Bukdo-myeon, Ongjin-gun, Incheon.

The Incheon City Museum announced that it will establish the Island Village Museum to preserve and record maritime cultural heritage and to remember the disappearing island lifestyle culture, with the opening scheduled for the 15th.

This is the first Island Village Museum established based on the "Agreement on Island Investigation, Research, and Establishment (Operation) of Island Village Museums" signed in 2021 by the City Museum, Incheon Cultural Foundation, and Ongjin-gun.

Sinshimo Island Village Museum
Photo provided by Incheon City

Ongjin-gun is responsible for administrative support for island investigation and research, as well as the operation and facility acquisition of the Island Village Museum. The Incheon Cultural Foundation handles report publication based on island investigation and research, and the City Museum is in charge of exhibition planning for the Island Village Museum, dividing the tasks accordingly.

The museum exhibition is largely divided into two parts. Part 1, "Living," contains stories of Sindo, Sido, and Modo, who cultivated the land and lived alongside the sea. Part 2, "Remembering," introduces stories about the now-disappeared Sido Beach, Bukdo Brewery, and schools. The exhibition is decorated with various photos reflecting island life, including photos of Hamari Wharf provided by residents.

Son Jang-won, director of the Incheon City Museum, said, "Recording and preserving the history, folklore, and lifestyle culture of island areas, which are rapidly disappearing, is a very urgent issue," adding, "I hope the Sinshimodo Island Village Museum will enhance the value of Incheon’s islands and establish itself as a cultural space that residents and tourists can use regularly."