Seoul Grand Park

Seoul Grand Park

Seoul Grand Park Zoo, 2015
Hangul
Hanja 서울
Revised Romanization Seoul Dae Gongwon
McCune–Reischauer Sŏul Dae Kongwŏn

Seoul Grand Park is a park complex to the south of Seoul, South Korea, in the city of Gwacheon (과천시).

Facilities at Seoul Grand Park include hills and hiking trails, Seoul Grand Park Zoo, Children's Zoo, a rose garden, SeoulLand amusement park, and the Seoul Museum of Modern Art.

The attractions all have separate admission fees. Line 4 of the Seoul Metropolitan Subway stops at Seoul Grand Park Station. A free shuttle bus from the station visits the art museum and upper park entrance.

Seoul Grand Park Zoo

Seoul Grand Park Zoo, Korea's first zoo, was created in 1909 by the Japanese occupying forces in the former royal palace of Changgyeongung, which was under the changed name of Changgyeongweon. The zoo opened on Nov. 1, 1909 with Siberian tigers, kangaroos, ostriches, camels, orangutans, and other animals.

Towards the end of World War II the Japanese needed both manpower and steel for weapons, and gave orders to kill the animals in the Korean zoo, poisoning 150 animals. Animals that survived this had to also survive the end of the war, when all the remaining zookeepers fled the zoo.[1] After Korea's independence the zoo was maintained at Changgyeongweon until 1984 when it was relocated to its current site in Makgyedong, Gwacheon.[2]

Notes

  1. Kim Hyung-eun. "Cleaning up the zoos". JoonAngDaily. Retrieved 2 October 2010.
  2. "About Seoul Zoo". Retrieved 2 October 2010.
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Coordinates: 37°25′50″N 127°01′02″E / 37.43056°N 127.01722°E / 37.43056; 127.01722

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