Gwanghui Road Festa launches Seoul's downtown 'Gourmet Silk Road'
An official poster for the 2026 Gwanghui Road Festa, set to take place Oct. 24 near Dongdaemun Design Plaza in central Seoul / Courtesy of Seoul Credit Guarantee Foundation
From Mongolian lamb ribs to Uzbek shashlik and Russian Napoleon cake, a unique food festival in central Seoul’s Gwanghui-dong neighborhood will offer visitors a taste of five cultures on Saturday, aiming to transform the multicultural district into a prime destination for global cuisine.
The 2026 Gwanghui Road Festa will run from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., taking place across the commercial alleyways near Dongdaemun History & Culture Park Station, according to the Seoul Credit Guarantee Foundation’s Myeongdong Comprehensive Support Center.
Organized with Jung District, the festival is part of Seoul’s local-brand development initiative, which aims to promote the Central Asian street in Gwanghui-dong as a commercial district where food and cultures converge.
The event will introduce Gwanghui Road, a new brand inspired by the Silk Road and its historic role in connecting people, goods and culinary traditions across regions.
The area near Dongdaemun History and Culture Park Station has about 250 businesses, including restaurants and grocery stores serving Uzbek, Russian and Mongolian specialties, alongside long-established Korean eateries.
Visitors can sample dishes ranging from Mongolian lamb ribs and Uzbek shashlik to Georgian wine and Korean staples such as "gukbap" (rice with soup), "seolleongtang" (ox bone soup) and grilled pork belly.
Organizers will also distribute “Gwanghui Story,” a food map highlighting neighborhood restaurants and the cultural histories behind shared culinary traditions, including dumplings, fermented drinks, tea and Central Asian spices.
Additional attractions include guided tours of the neighborhood’s history and signature businesses, immersive Central Asian cultural experiences, and free souvenirs featuring traditional Korean and Central Asian patterns, available while supplies last.
The guided tours will run once during the festival, with about 10 participants per session, and require advance registration by phone.
“The 2026 Gwanghui Road Festa marks the debut of Gwanghui Road’s charm as a ‘gourmet Silk Road in the heart of Seoul,’” said Han Dae-hyun, head of the Myeongdong Comprehensive Support Center.
“We hope citizens and tourists visiting DDP can enjoy the flavors and cultures of various nations throughout these alleyways, bringing renewed vitality to local merchants. We welcome everyone to come and experience it.”
This article was published with the assistance of generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.