Hwagae market place is located in Tap-ri, Hwagae-myeon. A 5 day interval town market used to be held actively in the place.

Hwagae village is situated in where the Seomjin River encounters the clean water that has flown all the way from Mt. Jiri. Hwagae market place that connects Gyeongsangnam-do and Jeollanam-do was one of the five leading markets in Korea until the liberation from Japan. Slash-and-burn farmers of Mt. Jiri brought and sold bracken, codonopsis lanceolata, potatoes etc whereas people from inland areas such as Gurye in Jeolla-do and Hamnyang in Gyeongsangnam-do brought and sold rye.    

And peddlers who wandered all over the country brought household goods not to miss this market and people from places like Yeosu, Gwangyang, Namhae, Samcheonpo, Chungmu, Geoje came with boats full of marine products such as seaweed, mackerels and sold them at this Hwagae market place.  

Numerous tourists visit Hwagae market place, the scene of Kim Dongri's novel 'Yeongma', along with Ssanggye temple of Mt. Jiri. The roadside connecting Hwagae market place and Ssanggye temple becomes one fantastical cherry blossom tunnel in the days of Spring.  

Hwagae market place in where you can feel the atmosphere of old countryside market places has famous local products including rice served in soup, acorn-starch jelly, taverns, wheat-taffy, wild greens, green tea etc. Thus, it is being positioned as the landmark of encounter and harmony and the place full of warm benevolence.