being hindered by traffic. Luxury shopping Myeongdong is one of Seoul's main shopping districts featuring mid-to-high priced retail stores and international brand outlets, including Lacoste, Polo Ralph Lauren, H&M, Zara, Forever 21, Bulgari and Louis Vuitton, as well as Korean cosmetics brands such as Nature Republic, Missha, The Face Shop and Skin Food. It is a particularly popular area for young people and tourists as a center for fashion and sight-seeing. Several large shopping centers and department stores are in the district including Lotte Department Store, Shinsegae Department Store, Migliore, M Plaza, and Noon Square. In August 2012, as part of Lotte Department Store's expansion programme into China, a replica of the street of Myeongdong is featured in its new store in Tianjin, with outlets of Missha, The Face Shop and Skin Food. The floating population of Myeongdong is estimated to be around 2 million a day and in terms of floorspace rents, Myeongdong is one of the most expensive shopping districts in the world. Many hotels, restaurants, cinemas, theaters, and historical sites complete the diverse mixture of the area. In a poll of nearly 2,000 foreign visitors, conducted by the Seoul Metropolitan Government in November 2011, stated that 13.4 percent named shopping in Myeongdong as their favorite activity in Seoul. Tourist attractions Myeongdong Festival has been hosted since 1982 to vitalize the commercial area and encourage tourism. It is usually held twice a year: from the end of March to the middle of April in spring, and the month of September in autumn. Parades, music and dance performances, fashion shows and other spectacles are part of the festivities. Many shops and stores offer product sales and discounts during this time as well. In 2012, the area hosted the street parade of the Cheonan World Dance Festival in October. China Street Local transportation The southern part of Myeongdong is served by Station #424, Myeong-dong on Line 4 of the Seoul Subway, while the northern area is closer to Station #202, Euljiro 1-ga on Line 2. Education International schools include: Seoul Chinese Primary School See also Myeongdong Cathedral List of upscale shopping districts Economy of South Korea References External links Visit Korea Myeongdong Tourist Info (English) Life in Korea Myeongdong Tourist Zone (Korean) Myeongdong resident office website Neighbourhoods of Jung-gu, Seoul Shopping districts and streets in South Korea Tourist attractions in Seoul