Tapgol Park

This little park, wrapped in the noise of Jongno, is one of the most symbolic places in Korea. Its name comes from tap, "pagoda", after the one you'll see protected under glass.

1From temple to park

This was the site of Wongaksa, a Buddhist temple founded in 1465 by King Sejo. Two remarkable pieces survive: the ten-storey marble pagoda of 1467 and a stele on a stone tortoise from 1471. The temple disappeared in the early 16th century, when the Confucian court turned against Buddhism. In 1897, at the suggestion of the Irish adviser John McLeavy Brown, the site became Seoul's first modern public park.

21 March 1919

Korea had been annexed by Japan for nine years. On 21 January 1919 the former emperor Gojong had died, and thousands of people came to the capital for his funeral. Thirty-three religious leaders signed a declaration of independence and read it in a nearby restaurant. Here, in the octagonal pavilion, a young man usually identified as Jeong Jae-yong read it to the students, who then poured into the streets shouting "Manse!", "Long live Korea!".

The demonstrations spread across the country for months and were harshly suppressed; death tolls vary widely depending on the source. The movement led that same year to a provisional government in exile, in Shanghai.

1 March, Samiljeol, is now a national holiday in South Korea.

3What to look for

• The octagonal pavilion, Palgakjeong, where the declaration was read.
• The bronze reliefs depicting the protests.
• The Wongaksa pagoda, behind its glass case.