The city of Seoul opened Gwanghwamun Plaza to the public on August 1st after 15 months of construction. The municipal government has launched the project with an aim to build a signature landmark for Seoul in the likes of Champ Elysee in Paris and Tiananmen Square in Beijing. Gwanghwamun Plaza is located on a plot of land measuring 34 meters in width and 557 meters in length, which was generated when the traffic lanes were reduced from 16 to 10. The plaza’s notable features include the 12.23 Fountain, the Haechi Plaza, and a flower carpet.
Gwanghwamun
Gwanghwamun is the main gate of Gyeongbok Palace, the largest Joseon era palace, and was built in 1399, the fourth year of King Taejo’s reign. Gwanghwamun is the only palace gate that features three entrances. It was destroyed by fire during the 1592 Japanese Invasion, but reconstructed along with Gyeongbok Palace in 1865. The gate was moved to the north of Geonchun Gate by the Japanese colonial regime in 1927 as a part of Japan’s policy to eradicate Korean culture. After it was destroyed by bombing during the Korean War, a part of its stone structure was repaired in 1968 and its gate tower was renovated with steel and concrete. Gwanghwamun was dismantled in November 2006 and has been under reconstruction since then in order to move the gate back to its original location. The Gwanghwamun restoration project is meaningful for two reasons. First, the gate will be rebuilt with wood and stone, not steel and concrete, to recover its original appearance. Secondly, the location and direction of Gwanghwamun will be corrected to its more auspicious initial position. The Gwanghwamun restoration project is scheduled for completion at the end of this year.
Gwanghwamun Plaza and Yukjo Avenue
Gwanghwamun Plaza was created on a site secured by reducing the number of traffic lanes from 16 to 10. The purpose of building a plaza in the middle of automobile-only lanes was to turn the space into a culturally and historically significant venue and return it to the people of Seoul. The plaza and the avenues running on both sides are destined to be the signature landmark of Korea’s capital city. The arterial road in front of Gwanghwamun Gate was called Yukjo-geori, or Yukjo Avenue, during the Joseon Dynasty. The avenue was lined with major government institutions and saw the comings and goings of kings and royalties, court vassals, and common people. Today’s Gwanghwamun Plaza revives the symbolism and spirit of trans-class communication in the Joseon era.
Features of Gwanghwamun Plaza
New Gwanghwamun Plaza boasts of many distinguishing features. The flower carpet situated in the northern end of the plaza is covered with over 224 thousand blossoms, which symbolize the number of days between the relocation of the capital to Seoul on October 28, 1394 to the opening day on August 1, 2009. The 12.23 Fountain features more than 300 water sprouts and LED lights on the floor, which will be used to display Korea’s greatest hero Admiral Yi Sun-shin’s naval victories. The number 12 indicates the number ships under Admiral Yi’s command, which destroyed a Japanese fleet ten times its size. The number 23 signifies Admiral Yi’s wartime record of winning 23 out of all 23 battles. There is also a waterway that runs along the sides of the plaza. The eastern waterway is engraved with major historical events in Seoul from 1394 to today, and the western one is left blank for now to be filled with future events later on. Additional features include Haechi Madang, an underground passageway that links the plaza to the Gwanghwamun station of subway line 5, the Haechi Board, which features large TV screens and state-of-the-art audio system for various events, and a grassy field. The statue of King Sejong, undisputedly the greatest king in the Joseon Dynasty and creator of Korean alphabet Hangeul, will be erected in front of the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts on October 9th, the Hangeul Proclamation Day.
:) From My Fb Notes/ Kbs World
05 Agustus 2009