Dosan Park / 도산공원
Location: 20 Dosan-daero 45-gil, Gangnam-gu, Seoul
Access: 10-15 min walk from Apgujeong Station (Line 3)
10-15 min walk from Apgujeongrodeo Station
Hours: Park open 24 hours, year-round
Memorial Hall has separate hours, closed on holidays
Admission: Free
Dosan Park was built in 1973 around the graves of Ahn Chang-ho, an independence activist and educator, and his wife Lee Hye-ryeon. It holds a memorial hall, a statue, and stone monuments carved with his words. The park is small and takes only a few minutes to walk around.
What is strange about it is where it sits. Directly outside the gates are flagship stores of international luxury brands, galleries, and some of the most expensive restaurants in Seoul. A memorial to a man who spent his life on national independence now sits at the center of Gangnam's shopping district.
Photo Essay
A visual documentation of Dosan Park, a memorial ground the size of a city block, holding still inside one of Seoul's most commercial neighborhoods.
Dosan Park, Seoul · 10:00 AM
Dosan Park, Seoul · 10:40 AM
Dosan Park, Seoul · 11:20 AM
Dosan Park, Seoul · 11:50 AM
Dosan Park, Seoul · 11:00 AM
Dosan Park, Seoul · 11:05 AM
Dosan Park, Seoul · 10:20 AM
Dosan Park, Seoul · 10:350 AM
Dosan Park, Seoul · 11:10 AM
Characteristics
A Memorial
The center of the park is a grave. There are monuments, a statue, and a memorial hall with letters, diaries, and archival documents. People still walk their dogs and exercise here, but the ground has a purpose that predates all of that, and the design never lets you forget it.
Small and Enclosed
The park takes only a few minutes to circle. A rubberized track runs the perimeter with granite paths cutting through the middle. Trees close it in on all sides, so the surrounding buildings mostly disappear once you are inside. Its size is what makes it work, dense and shaded rather than open.
Surrounded by Luxury
Just outside the gate are designer flagship stores, galleries, and cafes. The contrast is unavoidable. This is one of the most expensive neighborhoods in Korea, and this small patch of ground in the middle of it is free, quiet, and about something else entirely.
Reflection
Dosan Park is a space that guides your walking entirely. Before you even notice, you're walking on a manufactured concrete trail that circles you around the area. This manufactured trail didn't take away the sense of control over my own park experience, however. Each pathway has its own story, and it educates the visitors about Ahn Chang-ho, serving well as both a park and grave to honor him. In the middle of Seoul's most commercial district, I saw Dosan Park as a haven free from all the materialistic pleasures, offering a different kind of pleasant experience, perhaps more primate and human-oriented.