Seoul's history traces back to 18 BC when it was founded by the people of Baekje, one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea. During the Joseon dynasty, Seoul was officially designated as the capital, surrounded by the Fortress Wall of Seoul. In the early 20th century, Seoul was occupied by the Japanese Empire, temporarily renamed "Keijō" ("Gyeongseong" in Korean). The Korean War brought fierce battles, with Seoul changing hands four times and leaving the city mostly in ruins. Nevertheless, the city has since undergone significant reconstruction and rapid urbanization.
Seoullo 7017 (Korean: 서울로 7017), also known as the Seoul Skygarden or Skypark, is an elevated, linear park in Seoul, built atop a former highway overpass. The path, which is about one kilometer in length and lined with 24,000 plants, is similar to New York City's High Line. Skygarden was designed by MVRDV, a Dutch firm, and opened in May 2017. In the future, the park may become an urban nursery, growing trees and plants for replanting elsewhere in the city. The path also improves walking times around the city's Central Station.
The disused overpass closed in 2015 and cuts diagonally across Seoul Station at 17m above street level. The '70' in the name comes from the year 1970 when the flyover was dedicated, while the '17' is both the number of walkways connected to it, and the year 2017. The park includes gardens, terraces, and exhibitions, and will "feature over 24,085 plants representing 228 species of trees, shrubs and flowers found in and outside Korea." (Full article...)
Image 15A narrow street of 19th-century Seoul (from History of Seoul)
Image 16Gyeonghungak was an attached two-storied building of Daejojeon Hall of Changdeok Palace. The first story was Gyeonghungak, and the second story was Jinggwangru. (from History of Seoul)
Image 17Jibokjae, the Royal Library of Seoul in the late Joseon period (from History of Seoul)
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