It is a historic park located in Jongno, Seoul. It was renamed Tapgol Park from Pagoda Park in 1991 and is designated as Historic Site No. 354.

The reason Tapgol Park is important in Korea's modern and contemporary history is because it is the birthplace of the March 1 Independence Movement, which first read the Declaration of Independence during the March 1 Independence Movement in 1919.

On March 1, 1919, people gathered here to listen to the Declaration of Independence and started the March 1 Independence Movement. Therefore, Japanese colonial era Pagoda Park was also a popular place for people to soothe their country's lost sorrow.

Currently, there are cultural assets such as the 10-story stone pagoda of Wongaksa Temple Site, the second national treasure, and the third treasure, Wongaksa Monument, the March 1 Independence Movement Memorial Tower, the March 1 Movement Wall Painting, the statue of Uiam Son Byung-hee, and the monument of Han Yong-un.

The construction of Seokguram Grotto was begun in 751 under the leadership of Prime Minister Kim Dae-seong during the reign of King Gyeongdeok of the Silla Dynasty, and was completed in 774 (the 10th year of King Hyegong’s reign), whereupon it was given its original name of Seokbulsa Temple.
Buddhist art reached its peak during King Gyeongdeok’s reign, which spanned the middle period of the Silla Period, Besides Seokguram Grotto, many other cultural treasures were built during this period, including Bulguksa Temple, Dabotap Pagoda, the Three-story Stone Pagoda of Bulguksa Temple, and the Bell of Hwangnyongsa Temple.
The artificial stone grotto was built halfway down Tohamsan Mountain with pieces of white granite. The principal statue of Sakyamuni Buddha was placed at the center of the grotto, and forty statues of various bodhisattvas, Buddha’s disciples, and guardian kings were carved on the surrounding walls, though only thirty-eight of them remain. The rectangular front chamber of the grotto is connected to the round main chamber by a corridor. The exquisite ceiling of the main chamber was made with more than 360 flat stones. The architectural technique used to build this grotto is unprecedented in its excellence. There are statues of four guardian deities on both the left and right sides of the front chamber, which functions as the entrance to the main chamber. Carved on both sides of the entrance to the corridor is a statue of the Vajra Guardians, while the narrow corridor is decorated with the Four Guardian Kings carved in pairs. There is an octagonal stone column on both sides of the entrance to the round main chamber. The Principal Buddha is placed slightly off center toward the back of the main chamber. From the entrance, the walls of the chamber are filled with the images of two devas, two bodhisattvas, and ten arhats. Standing behind the Principal Buddha is a statue of the Eleven-faced Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva, perhaps the most exquisitely carved statue found inside this grotto.
Every single sculpture contained in the grotto may be considered a masterpiece of East Asian Buddhist art. The list of masterpieces includes the principal image of Buddha, which was created with mature carving skills; the Eleven-faced Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva with its magnificently carved face and body; statues of valiant warriors and the majestic Four Guardian Kings; and the supple graceful statues of various bodhisattvas and arhats, each of which displays a distinctive individuality. In particular, the serene appearance of the Principal Buddha enshrined in the main chamber deepens the mystical atmosphere. The extremely natural appearance of the Principal Buddha seems to present to all living people the ideal model of a man harboring a profound and sublime mind deep within him and easily pass to them his everlasting mercy. Seokguram Grotto is a masterpiece of the golden age of Buddhist art in Silla. What makes it stand out all the more is its perfect combination of architecture, mathematics, geometry, religion, and art. Seokguram Grotto has long been preserved as National Treasure No. 24, and was jointly registered as a UNESCO World Heritage in December 1995 along with Bulguksa Temple.

It was also called Namdaemun because it was located in the south of the main gate of Hanyangdoseong during the Joseon Dynasty. It was built in 1396 (the 7th year of King Taejo's reign) and was the oldest wooden building in Seoul.

The building was rebuilt in 1448 (the 30th year of King Sejong's reign), and it was discovered that there was a big construction in the 10th year of King Seongjong's reign (1479) during the dismantling and repair of the building between 1961 and 1963.

Later, on February 10, 2008, the fire at Sungnyemun destroyed the roof of the second floor of the pavilion and partially destroyed the roof of the first floor. After five years and two months of restoration work, it was completed on May 4, 2013 and opened to the public.

This gate is a two-story building with a two-story square measuring 5 bays in front space and 2 bays in side space, with a rainbow-shaped gate in the middle of the stone pillars. The roof has a trapezoidal shape when viewed from the front, which is called the Woojingak roof. The multi-layered structure, which is decorated on the upper part of the pillars to support the eaves of the roof, is not only on top of the pillars but also between the pillars, and the composition is not too severe and is well-organized, showing the characteristics of the early Joseon Dynasty.

It is said that Yangnyeongdaegun wrote the Hyeonpan, which reads "Sungnyemun," in the book "Jibong Yuseol." It is the oldest wooden structure in Seoul that shows the exact date of construction.

ᄋ Sungnyemun's fire-fighting fire(2008.2.10)

- The 2008 Sungnyemun arson attack was a case in which the Sungnyemun building was burnt down from February 10 to February 11, 2008. The fire broke out around 8:40 p.m. on February 10, 2008, and the second floor of Sungnyemun collapsed around 0:40 a.m. on February 11, 2008, followed by a fire on the first floor, damaging buildings except stone pillars at 1:55 a.m., five hours after the fire.

Dabotap Pagoda and Seokgatap Pagoda (the Three-story Stone Pagoda of Bulguksa Temple, National Treasure No. 21) are the two most renowned pagodas in Korea. They are similar in height (10.29m and 10.75m), and stand facing each other, Dabotap Pagoda in the east, Seokgatap Pagoda in the west, between Daeungjeon Hall and Jahamun Gate of Bulguksa Temple . Dabotap is a unique type of pagoda, while Seokgatap Pagoda (also known as “Sakyamuni Buddha Pagoda”) is representative of the more general type of stone pagoda. The two pagodas were built at the same site to reflect the content of the Saddharmapundarika Sutra (The Lotus Sutra), in which the Dabo Buddha (“Buddha of the past”) stands beside Sakyamuni (“Buddha of the present”) to prove that his Buddhist sermon is right. Bulguksa Temple was founded by Kim Dae-seong’s offer in 751 (the 10th year of the reign of King Gyeongdeok of Silla).
Samguk yusa (Memorabilia of the Three Kingdoms) states that Kim Dae-seong built Seokguram Grotto for his parents in his former life, and Bulguksa Temple for his present parents. However, the temple was not completed at the time of his death, so it was finished afterwards by the kingdom, and in the end, the temple was run not for the private individual Kim Dae-seong but for the benefit of the kingdom as a whole.
Bulguksa Temple can be said to be the realization of the Buddhist paradise in which Buddhist monks of past, present, and future live together. It clearly reveals aspects of the spiritual world of the people of Silla. While it is perfectly clear that Seokgatap Pagoda is a three-story pagoda standing on a two-story platform, it is difficult to count the number of stories of Dabotap Pagoda. In fact, even experts have diverging opinions, with some saying it is has four stories and others that it has only three. However, the uniqueness of Dabotap Pagoda can be seen in the structure of each part. Stone staircases are attached to each side of the cross-shaped platform, with an octagonal pagoda body surrounded by square railings placed upon it. It is presumed that the pagoda was built in 751 during the construction of Bulguksa Temple.
This work is a masterpiece that beautifully expresses the complicated structure of wooden construction without any distraction by the use of through novel ideas. The work exhibits the artistic sensibility of Unified Silla through its well-organized structure consisting of squares, octagons, and circles, and in its length, width and thickness, which are standardized in every part. During the Japanese Colonial Period, the Japanese dismantled and repaired the pagoda around 1925, but they left behind no records of this work. In the process, Artifact, reliquaries, and other artifacts that must have been placed inside the pagoda all disappeared. In addition, of the four lions originally placed on the stone staircases of the pagoda, the Japanese took away three, all of which must have been in good condition. Though there have been continuous efforts to retrieve these precious cultural heritages, no trace has been found of them as yet.

The Ten-story Stone Pagoda of Wongaksa Temple Site in Seoul is a Joseon-era stone pagoda located in Tapgol Park, Jongno-gu, Seoul, and is the second national treasure of Korea.

The stone pagoda was built in 1467 (the 13th year of King Sejo's reign) and consists of a three-story stylobate and a 10-story pagoda, embossed with figures and flower designs.

The top third floor was corroded by the long-standing collapse of the bird droppings.

It was restored to its original state in 1947. In 2000, the surface was seriously damaged and glass-protected.

The gilt-bronze Amitabha Buddha statue of Bulguksa Temple in Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang Province, is a gilt-bronze Amitabha Buddha statue of Silla during the period of the two Koreas.

On December 20, 1962, it was designated as the 27th National Treasure of Korea, Geumdong Amitabha Buddha, and changed its name to the current one on June 28, 2010.

The curfew, which began on September 8, 1945 under the U.S. Military Government's decree No. 1 and was enforced for 36 years and four months until its abolition on January 5, 1982, was called a total ban on people's passage from midnight every night until 4 a.m. the following day, and was also called curfew and night labor.

At first, it was only implemented in Seoul and Incheon, but after the Korean War, it expanded nationwide from April 1954 and was banned from night traffic from 10 p.m. to 4 a.m.

In 1961, curfews were reduced from 12 p.m. to 4 a.m., Jeju in 1964 and Chungbuk in 1965 were excluded from the curfew, but the curfew was maintained until 1982.

Bosingak Belfry was used during the Joseon dynasty to keep the time. The bell would ring 33 times at 4 AM, signaling the start of the day and the opening of the city gates. At 10 PM, the bell would ring 28 and the gates would close for the night. The bell was originally installed at Wongaksa Temple in 1468, in the 13th year of King Sejo, but was moved to its current location in 1619. The bell has high cultural value due to the exact year of construction being known, allowing historians to accurately date artifacts from the same time period. The original bell, National Treasure No. 2, is preserved in the National Museum of Korea.

Tourists to Jongno-gu and locals alike can enjoy a living history through the bell-ringing ceremony that takes place for one hour every day (excluding Mondays), starting at 11:20. In addition, Bosingak Belfry is the location of Korea's very own "ball drop ceremony" on December 31. On this evening, the streets surrounding the belfry are closed to traffic and people gather to ring in the New Year with the striking of the bell.

Poseokjeong Pavilion served as a separate palace where kings enjoyed banquets with nobles. The building no longer exists, but the abalone-shaped stone water canal still remains, speculated to have been built during the Unified Silla period although the exact year is unknown. The water canal has an estimated length of 10 meters, with a width of approximately 35 centimeters and an average depth of 26 centimeters. Based on Chinese writings from 353, it is said that drinking glasses were floated on the canal. One popular party game had guests creating poems before the glass had passed nine sections of the canel. Guests who could not do this had to drink three glasses. Modern research has shown that the site was not merely a place for fun, but also served as a meeting venue for the royal family, as well as for holding memorial services.

Gwanghwamun is the main gate to the south of Gyeongbokgung Palace. It means "the great virtue of wages reflects the whole country."

Built in 1395, a pair of hatch sculptures are located on both sides of Gwanghwamun, a two-story pavilion. There are three Hongyemun (Archimun) on the stone pillars of Gwanghwamun. The middle door was the king's, and the other left and right doors were the servants' doors.

On the ceiling of the gate in the middle of Gwanghwamun, there is an abacus. Gwanghwamun was destroyed twice by the Korean War, and on August 15, 2010, some restoration works were completed except for Woldae and Haitai.

In modern times, the name "Gwanghwamun" itself is not only used as a castle gate, but also as a common name for Sejong-ro in Beopjeong-dong, including Sejong-daero and Gwanghwamun Square.

In fact, the Sejong-daero intersection, where Sejong-daero, Jongno-gu and Saemunan-ro intersect, is about 600 to 700 meters away from Gwanghwamun, but it is often called "Gwanghwamun intersection (intersection)".

The Uijeongbu and Yukjo government offices were established to perform key administrative functions since the Joseon Dynasty, and this area is one of the places where Seoul's history is implied along with Sungnyemun Gate.

In other words, it is one of the landmarks in Seoul.

Daeungjeon Hall of Jogyesa Temple in Seoul is a Joseon-era Daeungjeon Hall located in Gyeonji-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul. On September 10, 2000, it was designated as Tangible Cultural Property No. 127 of the Seoul Metropolitan Government.

It is the headquarters of the Jogye Order, which represents Korean Buddhism, and is a place where the Bodhisattva spirit of the great monk who pursues a world where people live together.

It is also the site of history with the Korean people during the turbulent times of modern and contemporary history, especially the place of national self-reliance that overcame the gloomy era of Japanese colonial rule.

Jogyesa Temple is the only traditional temple located in the middle of Jongno, the center of Seoul, an international cultural city, where visitors can relax and relax.

http://www.jogyesa.kr