Palandum Gate in Snapshots

Palalmun (South) Gate, Suwon

Why visit Palalmun gate? The market is incredible. It's large, populated and offers a wide array of cheap goods including fresh food, clothes and accessories, tapestries, imported African goods, and foreign toiletries (I got St. Ives apricot facial scrub for $5).

From the market, you can see the top of one of the world's largest churches. I plan on visiting it, but the interior has been renovated to appeal to a younger congregation. Flat screen T.V.'s may have modernized the church, but at what cost?

I love these characters. All they need is a chess board.

I suggest you wander off the market's beaten track. Some of the alleyways look like paintings.

After seeing a cultural program on persimmons: a Korean fruit grown on trees, I wanted a taste. When hung to dry, they naturally produce a white-dust coating like that on a donut. This woman let me take her photograph, and I noticed she was selling persimmons, so I bought two for 1,000 Won.

I ate one and gave the other to a lady in red. You should have seen her smile when I offered the fruit. She's really enjoying it in the photo!