E2024-G074

Malbau Market: Where Market Days and Legend Meet

Narrative

Malbau Market is one of the traditional markets of Gwangju. It is a periodic market held twelve times a month, opening on days that end in the numbers 2, 4, 7, and 9. The market took shape beginning in the 1960s, as vendors who had operated street stalls at Seobang Market, the first rice market in Gwangju, gradually relocated to this area. Recognized as part of the Eight Scenic Views of Buk-gu, Malbau Market represents a distinctive local landscape, and news of the market is shared through the Malbau Visible Radio Station located within the market.

The name of the market originates from a legend associated with Kim Deok-ryeong (1567-1596), a righteous army leader during the Japanese invasion of 1592-1598. According to the legend, as Kim Deok-ryeong trained his horse, it stamped its hoof onto a rock, leaving a hoof-shaped imprint. The rock came to be known as Malbawi, or “Horse Rock,” and over time the name evolved into Malbau, which was adopted as the name of the market.

Story Map

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