Seoul, Korea – In light of its recent success in securing the G20 event and the development of the Blue House area as a tourist attraction, Seoul City has announced that the old fountain in front of the Blue House is back in operation as of July 1.

The fountain is located in Seoul’s Jongno-gu, Hyoja-dong, right in front of the grounds of the Korean president’s residence, where Bugak Mountain is prominently visible. The sculpted fountain is one of Korea’s most famous, first put into operation in November 1985. It was designed and built by the sculptor Il Young Lee of the Nam-san Academy of Art.

Covering a relatively large area (706㎡), the fountain is surrounded by four sculptures representing freedom, peace, unity, and prosperity. In the center of the fountain is a phoenix that blends into the waterworks, a sight to behold for tourists from domestic locations and abroad and a great location for photo-ops.

The fountain had been out of service since 2008 because of worn-out equipment, but with the recent surge in the popularity of the Blue House as a tourist destination and Seoul’s selection for the G20 event, the authorities decided to repair and reoperate the fountain.

The City of Seoul budgeted 460 million KRW for the project to fully replace old parts of the fountain (waterproofing the tank, pipeworks, and pumps and plant grass and seasonal flowers for a neat appearance. LED illumination was also added, making the fountain a beautiful sight even at night.

City officials say that “more water projects are planned for downtown areas of Seoul to give the city a sense of refreshment and alleviate heat buildup in urban heat-islands.”


Source: JTN (Original article in Korean)
Photo from JTN DB
Translated by Abe Jung / Korea.com