Namsan Park

Namsan Park once marked the southern edge of Seoul many generations ago. Nowadays, it stands in the center of the sprawling city, surrounded by the major shopping districts of Namdaemun, Myongdong, and Itaewon. The park itself covers almost a million pyong (1 pyong = 3.3 sq. meters), with over 60 species of trees, plants, and animals. Mount Namsan, the mountain that stands sentinel in the center of Seoul, is a popular recreational feature in the city. A cable car, and stairway, takes visitors to the summit, where there are several attractions to enjoy, including the Maritime Aquarium, botanical gardens, fountains and the Seoul Tower, which, rising 1,575ft (480m), offers a fantastic view of the city and surrounds. The revolving restaurant on top of the tower is particularly popular for dinner because of the breathtaking view it affords of Seoul by night.

The park gives a wide patch of green to the downtown area. The park has several hiking trails leading to the 262-meter peak with Seoul Tower, as well as several exercise areas, making the park very popular among Seoulites for early morning exercise. The Citizens' Health Jogging Course is one of the regular annual events and you can have your blood pressure and pulse taken by volunteers during Spring and Autumn. In addition to Seoul Tower and its attractions, Namsan Park contains many places of interest, including the National Theater, Namsan Public Library, Namsan Botanical Gardens, and several statues in memorial of Korean patriots. The park also contains Paljakjung (an octagonal pavilion), an aquarium, a fountain, and a cable car leading to Seoul Tower. For tourist groups, a tour program called Namsan Field Classroom is provided from June to October. Except for cable car, the other facilities are free. To the north is Namsangol Hanok Village.