20-13, Ogiwon-gil, Nam-gu, Gwangju

Yangnim-dong Penguin Village Craft Street (양림동 펭귄마을공예거리)

craftst.or.kr

Yangnim-dong Penguin Village Craft Street is a narrow alleyway on which a penguin-shaped signpost is located behind the Yangrim-dong Community Center, where the village was transformed into an exhibition hall in the 70s and 80s. It was named because the elderly with uncomfortable knees walked like penguins. Villagers cleaned up empty houses that had been burnt down and left unattended in the past, brought discarded items, and began displaying them on the village walls. 'Let's be thankful for being alive at that time' was engraved on the village wall. It also has historical culture, such as the House of Choe Seunghyo, the House of Missionary Uilsa, and Owen Memorial Hall. The Penguin Jumak in the middle of the village has the residents' living quarters and small but necessary items. Various workshops, such as leather workshops, textile workshops, and carpentry workshops, are located on Craft Street, so you can purchase pretty crafts or experience upcycling crafts with a retro vibe in which the historical and the modern coexist. In addition, it operates experiential activities: an upcycling workshop program, including making pouches from waste banners and making artworks using waste materials, a Yes (art+garbage pick-up) tour course, and a one-day class.