Gwanghwamun Plaza (Jongno-gu)

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Gwanghwamun Plaza opened on the 1st of August, 2009, as a new landmark of Seoul at a cost of nearly 50 billion won ($42 million). Gwanghwamun Plaza lies in front of Gwanghwamun, a gate to Gyeongbok Palace of the Joseon Kingdom (1392-1910). The plaza is 34-meters/112 feet wide and 557 meters/1,827 feet long.

The statue of Admiral Yi Sun Sin stands tall surrounded by 300 fountain jets. The water jets shoot upwards of 200 meters/656 feet. The water fountain consists of an 18 meters/59 feet long jet and some 300 smaller jets.

Underneath the fountain is a recessed space called the “Haechi Madang.” “Madang” means “court” in Korean, and Haechi is Seoul’s new mascot. Inspired by the haetae (해태), a mythical, fire-eating creature that has guarded ancient Seoul’s palaces.

There are two 1 meter/3 feet wide and 365 meters/1,197 feet long streamlets, known as the “Stream of History”, flowing next to the admiral's statue. The eastern historical waterway is engraved with major historical events from 1392, the establishment of Joseon, to present. The western waterway illustrates the future of Korea and Seoul. The streamlets are illuminated by LED lights.

There is a carpet of 224,537 flowers, one to represent each day since October 28, 1394, when King Taejo founded the Joseon Dynasty and moved Korea’s capital to Seoul, measuring 17.5 meters/57 feet wide and 162 meters/531 feet long. On the ground lies 617 stones engraved with major events from the beginning of Joseon era, in 1392, through 2008. The statue of King Sejong, the creator of the Korean alphabet, was unveiled on October 9, 2009.