Hwaseong-si to Develop Balan Manse Market into a 'Food Culture Specialty Street'

Over 40 Vietnamese, Thai, and Uzbek Restaurants Concentrated

Hwaseong City in Gyeonggi Province is developing the 'Balan Manse Market' area in Pyeong-ri, Hyangnam-eup, into a 'Food Culture Specialty Street' where visitors can experience diverse cuisines and cultures from various countries.

On the 17th, Hwaseong City announced that it held a 'Food Culture Specialty Street Proclamation Ceremony' on the 16th to commemorate the designation of Balan Manse Market as a Food Culture Specialty Street.

A view of Balan Manse Market in Hyangnam-eup, designated as a 'Food Culture Specialty Street' by Hwaseong City.
[Photo by Hwaseong City]

The Food Culture Specialty Street project is a public-private collaboration initiative that the city has been promoting since 2022 with the goal of revitalizing local alleyway commercial districts. It is a project to designate a specialized food street brand that combines culture, history, and cuisine to build excellent food infrastructure. Previously, Balan Manse Market was finally selected as a Food Culture Specialty Street after document screening, on-site investigation, and review by the Hwaseong City Food Promotion Fund Deliberation Committee.

Balan Manse Market is a place steeped in history, notably the 'Jeam-ri Massacre' during the Japanese colonial period. The market's name also carries the historical significance of the March 1st Movement. In particular, as numerous factories of various sizes have concentrated in the Hyangnam-eup area, the number of foreign workers residing nearby has increased, leading to the emergence of restaurants offering diverse cultural cuisines for them. Currently, there are about 40 restaurants clustered here where one can taste cuisines from various cultural regions such as Vietnam, Thailand, Uzbekistan, India, Indonesia, and Mongolia. Within the market, various food ingredient shops representing these cultures are also thriving.

Jung Myung-geun, Mayor of Hwaseong City, said, "I hope this designation of the Food Culture Specialty Street will serve as a new leap forward for local merchants struggling due to the economic downturn in Gyeonggi Province," adding, "We will strive to create a distinctive street where food, culture, and history harmoniously coexist."