Hwangudan's main gate transformed into public garden with 24-hour access for visitors
Published: 02 Jul. 2025, 14:00
Updated: 02 Jul. 2025, 18:47
![The main gate of Hwangudan, a former imperial altar in central Seoul, transformed into an open garden for the public [SEOUL METROPOLITAN GOVERNMENT]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2025/07/02/df7ef931-caf4-4452-941f-3ea5ccdccedb.jpg)
The main gate of Hwangudan, a former imperial altar in central Seoul, transformed into an open garden for the public [SEOUL METROPOLITAN GOVERNMENT]
The main gate of Hwangudan, a former imperial altar in central Seoul, has been transformed into an open garden for the public and is now accessible 24 hours a day — the first time it has been fully open to citizens in 112 years.
Hwangudan was built in 1897, the first year that Gojong declared himself Emperor of the Korean Empire, to perform state rituals. On Wednesday, the Seoul Metropolitan Government announced that the fences and walls surrounding the area near the main gate of Hwangudan — an official historical site — have been removed and that the space was turned into a garden without walls.
The altar is a significant historical site, serving as a symbol of the Korean Empire’s assertion of sovereignty and its turbulent history. Although the rite of offering sacrifices to heaven, known as wonguje, dates back to the Goryeo Dynasty (918-1392), it was abolished after King Sejo’s ascension in the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910) due to Confucian priorities. Gojong reinstated the ceremony to demonstrate that the Korean Empire was a sovereign state and constructed Hwangudan for that purpose.
In 1913, the Japanese colonial administration partially dismantled Hwangudan to make way for a hotel. When the Chosun Hotel was rebuilt on a larger scale in 1967, only three structures — the octagonal Hwanggungu, which held ancestral tablets, the stone altar and a stone gate with three arches — were preserved. All other structures were demolished, and over time, the site was widely mistaken as part of the Chosun Hotel’s garden.
The main gate of Hwangudan, which had been repurposed as the entrance to a hotel in Ui-dong, northern Seoul, was rediscovered in 2007. It had been serving as the main gate of the Green Park Hotel. In 2009, it was relocated to its current position, though the original site of the gate is believed to have been on the road leading to the Chosun Hotel’s main entrance.
![The main gate of Hwangudan, a former imperial altar in central Seoul, transformed into an open garden for the public [SEOUL METROPOLITAN GOVERNMENT]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2025/07/02/34f66e8a-3deb-4fd9-9c77-298a22b22056.jpg)
The main gate of Hwangudan, a former imperial altar in central Seoul, transformed into an open garden for the public [SEOUL METROPOLITAN GOVERNMENT]
![The main gate of Hwangudan, a former imperial altar in central Seoul, pictures on May 26, 2020 [KOREA CULTURE HERITAGE FOUNDATION]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2025/07/02/7a81d085-1177-4fe5-bb8e-3e90b2e57f79.jpg)
The main gate of Hwangudan, a former imperial altar in central Seoul, pictures on May 26, 2020 [KOREA CULTURE HERITAGE FOUNDATION]
Until recently, fences and walls around the gate hindered access. To restore the site’s accessibility and highlight its historical and cultural significance, the Seoul Metropolitan Government launched the Hwangudan Open Garden Project. The redesigned garden incorporates traditional aesthetics, featuring Chinese plums, crape myrtle and peonies to reflect the altar’s heritage.
An inscription was also carved into the flower bed at the entrance, quoting the historical text "Joseon Sillok": “Without proclaiming it to the world, the world will know the name of Daehan.” The city said the phrase, which refers to the naming of the Korean Empire in 1897, was included to emphasize Hwangudan’s role as the starting point of the Korean Empire under the name Daehan.
The open garden includes barrier-free walkways and night lighting to ensure accessibility for all citizens.
"We hope the new site becomes a new public space that blends historical significance with nature and relaxation," the Seoul Metropolitan Government said.
![The main gate of Hwangudan, a former imperial altar in central Seoul, transformed into an open garden for the public [SEOUL METROPOLITAN GOVERNMENT]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2025/07/02/b318e2df-3c92-4134-b7f7-e372dcd88b80.jpg)
The main gate of Hwangudan, a former imperial altar in central Seoul, transformed into an open garden for the public [SEOUL METROPOLITAN GOVERNMENT]
![The main gate of Hwangudan, a former imperial altar in central Seoul, transformed into an open garden for the public [SEOUL METROPOLITAN GOVERNMENT]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2025/07/02/4b7677b9-709a-4376-bcd6-ffad74d9c9c1.jpg)
The main gate of Hwangudan, a former imperial altar in central Seoul, transformed into an open garden for the public [SEOUL METROPOLITAN GOVERNMENT]
Translated from the JoongAng Ilbo using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.
BY HAN EUN-HWA [[email protected]]
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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