The 40-step stairway () is a famous
stairway
A stairwell or stair room is a room in a building where a stair is located, and is used to connect walkways between floors so that one can move in height. Collectively, a set of stairs and a stairwell is referred to as a staircase or stairway. ...
in ,
Jung District, Busan
Jung District () is a ''Subdivisions of South Korea, gu'' in southern central Busan, South Korea. It has an area of 2.8 km², and a population of about 48,000.
Administrative divisions
Jung-gu is divided into 8 legal ''dong'', which all to ...
, South Korea.
The stairway is accessible via a 5 minute walk from Exit 11 of
Jungang Station on the
Busan Metro Line 1.
Description
The staircase was built between 1909 and 1912. The steps were originally around away from their current location; they were relocated at some point. At some point, the stairs were made to be only about wide, as the surrounding residential area grew.
During the 1950–1953
Korean War
The Korean War (25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953) was an armed conflict on the Korean Peninsula fought between North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea; DPRK) and South Korea (Republic of Korea; ROK) and their allies. North Korea was s ...
, refugees escaping the conflict formed a shanty town around the staircase. It became famous as a marketplace for the refugees. It also served as a landmark that families would agree to meet at to reunify.
In 1993, a monument stone was constructed in front of the staircase. In 2004, the area around the staircase was made into a tourist street and renovated.
There is an exhibition hall that shows the history of the area and the staircase.
The 40–step stairway appears in the film ''
Nowhere to Hide''.
Gallery
File:40–step stairway 20200522 001.jpg, View from the top (2020)
File:40계단문화관광테마거리 나선형 계단.JPG, A decorative staircase nearby on the themed street (2013)
References
External links
Buildings and structures in Busan
Tourist attractions in Busan
Stairways
Jung District, Busan
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