Do not go gentle into that good night, old age should burn and rave at close of day; Rage, rage against the dying of the light, though wise men at their end know dark is right, because their words had forked no lightning they, do not go gentle into that good night.
Seodaemun District celebrates Chinese heritage through food
Taiwanese master chefs Jiang Shin-yi, right, and Yu Wei-sung demonstrate how to prepare a traditional Taiwanese-style smashed cucumber salad during the 2026 Taiwan Culinary Promotion International Tour held at the Seodaemun Happy Eeroom Center in Seoul, Wednesday. Courtesy of Seodaemun District Office
By Jhoo Dong-chan
In the heart of Yeonhui-dong, a neighborhood in northwestern Seoul where traditional red-brick residences sit alongside Chinese restaurants and the long-standing Seoul Chinese High School, food has served as an enduring bridge between cultures for generations.
That shared culinary history took center stage at the Seodaemun Happy Eeroom Center earlier this week as Seodaemun District hosted the "2026 Taiwan Gourmet Promotion International Tour." Organized by the Hanseong Overseas Chinese Association, the event brought together over 60 guests, including local residents, diplomats and prominent Taiwanese and Korean chefs, to celebrate the neighborhood's vibrant Chinese community through food.
The gathering featured live cooking demonstrations by Taiwanese guest chefs Kang Shin-yi and Yeo Wi-sung alongside local chef Dam So-ryong. Together, they prepared traditional dishes such as beef noodle soup, fried shrimp and vegetables, shrimp pancakes and Taiwanese-style cucumber salad, sharing recipes and culinary history with attendees. Participants sampled the freshly prepared meals while discussing domestic cooking techniques, highlighting how shared meals and culinary traditions foster mutual understanding among neighbors.
The event spotlighted Seodaemun District's unique cultural landscape, particularly Yeonhui-dong, which has long served as one of the cultural and residential hubs for Seoul's ethnic Chinese population. The community's roots in the area deepened significantly during the late 1960s and 1970s, when urban redevelopment projects in downtown Seoul pushed many Chinese families and business owners away from their historical enclave downtown and toward western Seoul.
Over the following decades, Yeonhui-dong and neighboring Yeonnam-dong evolved into a thriving cultural enclave. At its core stands the Seoul Chinese High School, established in 1948, which continues to serve as an indispensable educational and civic anchor for the region's ethnic Chinese families. Generations of ethnic Chinese residents opened authentic eateries, bakeries, and specialty groceries along the neighborhood's winding alleys, transforming the quiet residential area into one of Seoul's most distinctive culinary destinations. Although Korea's traditional ethnic Chinese population has shifted in size over the decades, the community's cultural imprint remains deeply woven into the daily fabric of the district.
Seodaemun District Mayor Park Woon-ki emphasized that the event was less about presenting foreign cuisine and more about honoring long-standing neighbors who have helped shape the district's history and identity for generations.
"The overseas Chinese community is not a temporary visitor to Seodaemun District, but neighbors who have lived with us for a long time and helped build this district," Park said. "Respecting the cultures built up over decades in our schools, restaurants, and alleyways is what truly defines the Seodaemun District community."
Notable attendees included Lee Jung-han, president of the Federation of Overseas Chinese Associations in Korea; Ku Ko-wei, representative of the Taipei Mission in Korea; Dam So-young, chairperson of the Hanseong Overseas Chinese Middle School; and acclaimed celebrity chefs Lu Ching-lai and Phil Kam-san. District officials noted that they plan to continue expanding cultural exchange programs that celebrate local diversity and foster stronger community bonds across the district.
This article was published with the assistance of generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.