Gaya, through the lanes of Busan
Pupils on dirt paths, market stalls, railway workplaces and hillside homes. Follow 100 photographs from Gaya through Gaegeum, Danggam, Beomcheon, Beomil and Anchang.
Enter the first neighborhoodGaya-ro · Gaya Stream · Dong-eui University
Where roads and streams met
Homes and factories stood beside dirt roads and streams. Compare views around the railway underpass, the school lane and the approach to the university.
Walking up Buam Pass
Shops and houses line Buam Pass in 1965. A car climbs the slope while people walk along its edges. Signs and exposed rock frame this road near Gaya Station.
Gaya-ro, then and later
An unpaved Gaya-ro in 1968 is paired with its later view. Taller buildings appear along the same road corridor.
Later means the more recent view in each comparison, not the present day. Unconfirmed shooting dates remain marked as unknown.
Gaya-ro before paving
This 1968 view looks from the Gaya railway underpass toward Buam. Vehicles and pedestrians share a broad unpaved road between low buildings. Factory chimneys rise close to the street.
A taller city beyond the railway
Apartment blocks and shops rise along Gaya-ro. Marked lanes pass beneath the railway bridge. Compared with the 1968 photograph, both the building heights and the road layout have changed.
Gaya Stream between factories
Factories and chimneys border the upper Gaya Stream in the early 1970s. A small bridge appears behind the exposed channel. Buildings and water occupy closely adjoining spaces.
Homes beside the elevated road
Houses and apartment blocks fill the upper Gaya Stream area. An elevated road crosses streets at a lower level. Low roofs and tall buildings share the same neighborhood.
Students beside the wall
Students bend down beside the Gaya locomotive office in 1972. White shirts and dark trousers line the wall, with the stream and buildings beyond. The scene records a group activity outside school.
Gaya Park entrance, then and later
The source identifies both views with the Gaya Park entrance area. Dirt paths and low houses give way to roads and apartment blocks.
Later means the more recent view in each comparison, not the present day. Unconfirmed shooting dates remain marked as unknown.
People at the entrance to Gaya Park
People line the approach to Gaya Park in 1972. Low houses stand below the dirt slope. The photograph records both the route and the neighborhood during community improvement work.
The neighborhood below the park
Apartment blocks and multistory buildings fill the area below Gaya Park. A road crosses the foreground beneath the hillside homes. The low roofs in the 1972 view offer a clear contrast in scale.
The Dong-eui approach, then and later
The 1978 dirt approach is paired with a later campus view. Both show the slope and the neighborhood below.
Later means the more recent view in each comparison, not the present day. Unconfirmed shooting dates remain marked as unknown.
The dirt road toward Dong-eui
People walk up the unpaved approach to Dong-eui in 1978. Gaya Girls' Middle School and nearby homes lie below. The rough slope forms part of the approach to the school.
The city below the campus road
Buildings and housing spread below the Dong-eui approach. Trees and parked cars line the road. Alongside the 1978 view, the paved route and surrounding development become easier to compare.
Working down in the stream
People clean a stream near Gaya Station in early 1980. They spread across shallow water and exposed stones. Their work takes place below the high banks bordering the neighborhood.
The Gaya Stream confluence, then and later
Both photographs record the Gaya and Danggam stream confluence area. The later roads can be compared with the earlier open channel.
Later means the more recent view in each comparison, not the present day. Unconfirmed shooting dates remain marked as unknown.
Where two streams met
This is the confluence near Gaya and Danggam streams in the mid-1980s. A person stands down in the channel between walls and buildings. The water runs close to the surrounding homes.
Vehicles around the former stream
Roads and buildings fill the confluence area. Cars face several directions beneath taller buildings behind the small shops. Compared with the stream photograph, the use of the surrounding space has changed.
Painted billboards at Daemyeong Theater
Large painted film billboards cover Daemyeong Theater in Gaya-dong in 1987. Smaller boards stand beside the entrance. Blue railings and steps trace the pedestrian route past the cinema.
Water beneath the road
Water flows beneath a concrete covering over Gaya Stream. A crouching person, a narrow channel and homes appear beyond it. This view reveals a level of the neighborhood hidden from the road above.
The junction at Gaya underpass
Roads branch in several directions at the Gaya railway underpass. Cars pass beneath the bridge, with hillside houses behind. Signs and lane markings organize movement through the junction.
The school lane, then and later
A wooden fence borders the 1972 lane; a marked crossing appears in the later view. The source pairs them as the same school-side road.
Later means the more recent view in each comparison, not the present day. Unconfirmed shooting dates remain marked as unknown.
Beside Gaya Elementary's fence
People walk beside Gaya Elementary School in 1972. A wooden fence and nearby buildings form a narrow route. The edge of the school also serves as a neighborhood walkway.
A marked crossing beside the school
A crossing and pedestrian space mark the road beside Gaya Elementary. A yellow vehicle and shop signs follow its route. The 1972 photograph provides a contrast with the former dirt path and wooden fence.
Gaya's homes below the mountain
A road follows the valley through housing near Gaya Park. Buildings of different heights line both sides. The slope and the arrangement of homes together shape the neighborhood.
Fields beside the railway
This view looks from Buam toward Gaya. Green fields spread beside railway facilities and low houses. Cultivated land and urban infrastructure occupy neighboring spaces.
Water tanks above the roofs
This view from Gaya Elementary looks across nearby homes. Tanks and railings occupy flat rooftops above closely spaced buildings. It reveals domestic spaces less visible from the main road.
Gaegeum · Naengjeong
From school to market to home
An entrance examination, a hospital bus, a lane exhibition and market displays. Learning, work, shopping and meetings happen close to home.
An exam beneath exposed pipes
Applicants sit at wooden desks during an early Inje medical school entrance examination. Exposed pipes run across the ceiling. The room records the school's early facilities.
Across the interview desk
Interviewers face an applicant across desks covered with papers. Nameplates and cups sit between them. The photograph records another stage of the entrance process.
An entrance medical examination
An applicant stands at a green examination machine. A person beside him holds paperwork. The equipment's size and arrangement reveal the medical setting of the entrance examination.
Busan Paik Hospital on the slope
Long rows of windows cross Busan Paik Hospital. Trees and exposed earth cover the slope in front. The building meets the hillside directly.
Beside the first staff bus
People gather beside Busan Paik Hospital's first staff bus in 1979. Its broad windscreen and round headlights stand out. The vehicle links the hospital with daily journeys to work.
Homes across former Gaegeum-ri
Low houses and narrow roads cover the former Gaegeum-ri area. Apartment blocks rise behind them. Different scales of housing share the same district.
Railway yards beyond the homes
Roofs and streets cover the former Samgeori village in Gaegeum. Railway yards appear farther away. The elevated view shows how closely homes and railway facilities are situated.
Small pots along the lane
Pots line the walls of this Gaegeum 3-dong lane in 2011. Doors and windows open close to the path. The narrow street connects the homes with their surroundings.
A passage barely a person wide
A narrow passage runs between house walls and windows. Tall apartments rise beyond the low homes. Different housing environments overlap in this 2011 view of Gaegeum 3-dong.
A lane wall becomes a gallery
Framed photographs hang along a lane in Gaegeum 3-dong in 2011. Homes and traffic remain just beyond the display. Pictures of neighborhood life return to the neighborhood itself.
Talking over the photographs
Residents stand before photographs displayed in the lane. One points toward a frame while another looks on. The exhibition becomes a place to meet and talk.
Children crouching with schoolbags
Children gather on the ground with their bags still on. Seen from above, they crouch and reach toward the pavement. The lane also serves as a place to play.
A corridor of computer shops
Shops line an interior corridor of the Gaya computer market. Tall signs and electronics border the narrow passage. This is a commercial space hidden from the main street.
Entering Gaegeum Alley Market
A covered entrance marks Gaegeum Alley Market. Signs and shops lead the eye inside. The opening connects an ordinary street with the shopping passage.
Food along the market aisle
Goods fill both sides of Gaegeum market's covered aisle. People move between packaged food and boxes. Display, shopping and walking share the same narrow space.
Sitting beside Naengjeong Spring
People sit beneath the roof over Naengjeong Spring. Houses and steps stand behind it. The water source also appears as a sheltered place within the neighborhood.
Shops at a Naengjeong junction
Shop signs stack above a junction in Naengjeong. Cars and pedestrians move beneath overhead wires. Branching streets reveal the shape of this neighborhood shopping area.
Danggam Stream · Factories · Markets
Working time, neighborhood time
Beyond the factory tables are buses and school processions. Streams, bridges, field paths and markets reveal different parts of daily life.
Taehwa Rubber between tracks and homes
Taehwa Rubber's long factory roofs fill the foreground in 1971. Railway facilities and hillside homes extend behind them. Workplaces, transport and housing share the district.
At the Miwon factory tables
Workers sit at tables in the Danggam Miwon factory in 1965. White hats, metal containers and packaging repeat across the room. The photograph records manual production and the workplace layout.
Buses beside Danggam Stream
Buses stand on an unpaved road beside Danggam Stream in 1968. People appear on the road and in the channel. Shops line this waterside transport route.
A school campaign procession
Students walk in line near Danggam Elementary in 1973. Shirts, skirts and shoulder bags vary across the group. Their school activity extends along the neighborhood wall.
Two students looking upward
Two Danggam pupils take part in caterpillar removal in 1973. One reaches upward as both smile at the same spot. Their expressions preserve a moment outside the classroom.
Building the stream bank
Stones and a ladder lie beside work on Danggam Stream. People stand above the newly stacked bank. The scene records the physical labor of shaping the channel.
Buses around Geungnak Bridge
Several buses gather near Geungnak Bridge in 1982. Railings, a planted bed and a person watering occupy the foreground. Traffic and a tended roadside space sit together.
An excavation beside the shops
Shops and homes border the Dongpyeong fortress excavation in 1992. Layers of wall remains lie below street level. The archaeological site directly adjoins the living neighborhood.
The Dongpyeong site, then and later
The exposed 1992 excavation is paired with a later view of the same area. Open ground and the arrangement of buildings provide the comparison.
Later means the more recent view in each comparison, not the present day. Unconfirmed shooting dates remain marked as unknown.
The excavation among the lanes
The Dongpyeong excavation is seen from above in 1992. Small houses and lanes surround the exposed ground. The view places the site within its residential setting.
Housing around the former excavation
Dense roofs fill the area around the Dongpyeong site. Apartment blocks line the distant hillside. The 1992 excavation view helps reveal changes in the open ground and its surroundings.
Danggam's field path, then and later
The source pairs the wedding procession's field path with the later apartment area. It treats the old path's precise location as tentative.
Later means the more recent view in each comparison, not the present day. Unconfirmed shooting dates remain marked as unknown.
A wedding procession through the fields
A wedding procession crosses the fields in Danggam in 1965. People carry gifts along a narrow path. The source tentatively locates it below today's Gaeseong High School.
Apartments where fields once lay
The source pairs this view with the wedding procession. Apartments stand on the slope above smaller buildings. Together, the images show a change in land use.
Geungnak Bridge area, then and later
The source links the old bridge and later road with a comparison arrow. Neither individual photograph has a confirmed date.
Later means the more recent view in each comparison, not the present day. Unconfirmed shooting dates remain marked as unknown.
A small bridge over the stream
A small bridge crosses the stream near Geungnak Bridge. Houses stand behind its rounded railing openings. Water and neighborhood life occupy closely stacked levels.
From a bridge area to a junction
Roads and shops occupy the former Geungnak Bridge area. Signs rise above marked lanes and crossings. The old bridge photograph reveals how the waterside space has changed.
Directing traffic between buses
Buses gather around a Danggam stop. People and a bicycle occupy the middle of the road. Buildings enclose a junction crowded by large vehicles.
A neighborhood beyond low roofs
Low houses occupy a slope in Danggam. Paths pass between roofs before the wider city opens beyond. The view follows housing from hillside to flatter ground.
Danggam Market beneath umbrellas
Umbrellas and stalls fill the entrance to Danggam Market. The route continues between pharmacy and shop signs. Permanent stores and roadside selling spaces share the street.
Meeting in the narrow market aisle
People move between displays inside Danggam Market. Goods and lights cluster beneath red awnings. Sellers and shoppers share a narrow passage.
Water directly below the houses
Houses line the water near the meeting of Bujeon and Danggam streams. Stones, plants and flowing water lie below the low roofs. The channel forms the edge of the homes.
Railway workshops · Beomnaegol · Hogye Stream
Between the tracks and the water
Homes beside railway facilities, stepping stones to school and housing above a market. These photographs view the neighborhood from different levels.
Making a school playground
People work across open ground for Busanjin Elementary's playground in 1940. Mountains and low buildings stand behind them. The photograph preserves the landscape around the emerging school space.
Children above the railway workshops
Children and an adult sit on a Beomcheon slope in 1952. Long railway-workshop roofs and Jeonpo extend behind them. People and industrial facilities share the view.
Inside the railway-workshop landscape
Steel frames and roofs mark the Beomcheon railway workshops in 1954. Tracks and work areas run between them. Mountains form the backdrop to the industrial structures.
Building the bridge by the school
People stand on a narrow steel structure near Busanjin Elementary in 1962. The stream lies below them. The photograph records the building of a crossing.
Beomnaegol junction, then and later
The same junction appears in the early 1970s and in 2010. Road directions help compare the height and density of nearby buildings.
Later means the more recent view in each comparison, not the present day. Unconfirmed shooting dates remain marked as unknown.
Beomnaegol among low roofs
Low roofs and factory buildings surround Beomnaegol junction in the early 1970s. Broad roads cut through the neighborhood. Their lines reveal the city's layout.
Beomnaegol junction in 2010
Tall buildings surround Beomnaegol junction in 2010. Marked lanes and a traffic island stand out. Compared with the early-1970s view, the roads remain recognizable beneath a taller city.
Work in the middle of the junction
Trucks and excavation equipment gather in the center of Beomnaegol junction. A planted area is being formed in the exposed ground. Traffic passes around the work site.
Crossing stepping stones to school
Pupils cross a stream on stepping stones. Adults and children spread out along the water's edge. The stones form part of a route to school.
Beneath an arched bridge on Hogye Stream
Water passes beneath an arched bridge over Hogye Stream. Homes and railings stand close above the stone banks. The narrow channel runs directly between buildings.
Down the road along Sinam-ro
Lane markings and street trees follow Sinam-ro in Beomcheon. Buses, cars and shops line the route. The sloping road connects homes with commercial spaces.
Locomotive 2001 at the depot
Diesel locomotive 2001 stands at the Beomcheon maintenance depot. Railings, wheels and track are visible close up. The vehicle gives a tangible view of the area's railway history.
A village above Jungang Market
Low residential structures extend above Jungang Market. Windows and doors line the long roofs. The market's upper level becomes another neighborhood space.
A narrow rooftop-village passage
A passage runs between homes above Jungang Market. Windows, railings and pots sit close to the path. A small lane takes shape high above street level.
Between the Maruboshi housing rows
Walls face each other across the Maruboshi housing lane. Brickwork, windows and pavement covers repeat along the passage. A narrow gap between buildings serves everyday movement.
A bend at the entrance to Beomnaegol
A motorcycle and cars pass the entrance to Beomnaegol. A person stands at the edge while homes climb behind. The road turns from the valley entrance toward the neighborhood.
Beomil · Near Busanjin Market · Jwacheon
Outside the shops and cinemas
Pause by shopfront goods, water buckets and Borim Theater billboards. Nearby streets extend the story into trade, travel and leisure.
Household goods outside the shop
Metal bowls, buckets and hanging tools fill a shopfront opposite Busanjin Market in 1952. People gather beside the display. Goods and customers meet directly along the street.
A child holding an apple at the door
A child sits at a Beomil doorway in 1952. Holding an apple in both hands, she smiles toward the camera. Sunlight on her face contrasts with the dark interior.
Hanbok and uniforms on the street
Students in uniforms pass people wearing hanbok in Beomil in 1953. Glass shop doors and signs form the background. Different clothes and movements fill the same street.
People at the rice-shop threshold
People sit beside grain outside a Beomil rice shop in 1953. Scoops and stacked sacks mark the selling space. The threshold serves both work and rest.
Buckets waiting at a communal tap
Buckets form a long line around a communal tap in Beomil in 1964. People wait beside them. The overhead view records the work of carrying water home.
Crossing a Jwacheon junction
People cross the junction by Theresa Girls' High School in Jwacheon in 1967. Buildings and vehicles stand beyond them. A nearby railing and deep shadows frame the street.
Borim Theater, then and later
These views show Borim Theater's facade in 1969 and 1978. Its wall and entrances anchor a comparison of changing film billboards.
Later means the more recent view in each comparison, not the present day. Unconfirmed shooting dates remain marked as unknown.
Borim Theater's billboards in 1969
Large film billboards cover Borim Theater in 1969. People pass along the pavement below. Notices and towering painted images compete for viewers' attention.
The same theater nine years later
Different film billboards hang at Borim Theater in 1978. Entrances and ticket areas remain beneath the broad wall. The 1969 view shows how the advertising changed.
A crowd outside the theater
A crowd gathers outside Borim Theater in the 1970s. Portrait billboards hang above the waiting people and steps. The cinema appears as a meeting place as well as a building.
Workers' demands on a bus
A bus carries a banner demanding overdue wages during the 1993 Samhwa Rubber strike. Shops and traffic surround it. An everyday vehicle becomes a public message from workers.
The valley between Beomcheon and Beomil
Homes following the hillside
From residents shaping a road to a rooftop chair and a ceramic gate sign. Look closely at individual homes and bends within the wider village.
Anchang's roofs in the 1980s
Homes cluster along Anchang's slope in the 1980s. Thin roofs and narrow gaps repeat across the hillside. Housing follows the shape of the valley.
Widening the road into the village
People work beside an unpaved approach to Anchang in the early 1980s. Stones line the edge of the slope. The road is being widened and shaped.
Residents working with shovels
Anchang residents work with shovels on a dirt road. Low roofs spread behind them. The scene records shared work on the village's paths.
Anchang, then and later
These views record Anchang in 1989 and 2005 from different positions. Roofs and surrounding buildings reveal changes across the same village.
Later means the more recent view in each comparison, not the present day. Unconfirmed shooting dates remain marked as unknown.
Homes filling the slope in 1989
Anchang's houses step up the slope in 1989. Roofs, walls and small gaps appear beyond foreground branches. Their different levels reveal the depth of the valley.
Blue roofs across Anchang in 2005
Blue roofs spread across Anchang in 2005. A tall apartment block rises behind the houses. The 1989 view offers a comparison of roof colors and surrounding buildings.
A lane of duck restaurants
Duck-restaurant signs line an Anchang lane. The road bends between low buildings with doors close to it. Dining businesses sit within the residential neighborhood.
Together outside a home
Adults and children look toward the camera outside an Anchang home. A barefoot child crouches beside exposed tree roots. Laundry and a dirt path preserve the everyday setting.
A resident standing in the lane
A resident stands before low houses in Anchang. Doors and pots line the buildings beneath blue roofs. The lane lies close to each home's entrance.
The lane with the Haksa tavern sign
A Haksa tavern sign hangs above a narrow Anchang lane. Low walls and doors follow the path. A small drinking establishment sits close to the homes.
A seat above the roofs
An Anchang resident sits on a small rooftop chair. Pots and a water container stand before the neighboring roofs. The rooftop becomes a place to pause above the village.
A blue tank above a blue house
A blue water tank stands above a blue Anchang house. A barred window faces the neighboring walls. The exterior reveals small details of the home's practical arrangements.
A bridge painted on the wall
A bridge is painted across a long Anchang wall. Lines on a blue background pass between doors and windows. The artwork follows the surface of a lived-in building.
Around the corner of the wall
An Anchang lane bends between low walls. Vines, windows and differently colored houses share the small space. The turn leads the eye beyond the visible passage.
Steps descending between homes
Blue roofs open beyond steps between Anchang homes. Wires and railings cross at several heights. Paths follow the village's steeply layered terrain.
Houses in different colors
A closer view reveals Anchang's hillside homes. Small windows sit between blue, green and gray roofs. Individual houses emerge from what looks like a single mass at a distance.
A single path between wall and roof
A thin path follows a pale Anchang wall. A neighboring roof lies almost level with it. The slope places houses and walking routes at different heights.
The Tobagi shop in the lane
A sign and painted flowers mark the Tobagi shop in Anchang. A water tank sits above it and a ladder leans beside the door. Shop and household equipment share the small space.
A ceramic sign beside the gate
A ceramic sign sits beside a purple Anchang gate. Raised flowers and numbers decorate the wall. A practical house marker also gives the lane a distinctive detail.