In 1988, the world converged on Seoul for the Summer Olympic Games. A large park was created for the games with several venues surrounding hills and lakes. It is a park that still beckons for leisurely strolls and an experience with nature in the city.
During the recent Rio Games critics were very vocal about how Olympic venues are left to rot and turn to ruin after the two weeks of use. Their favorite example was Sarajevo followed closely by Athens. However, from my limited experience, these are exceptions to the rule rather than the usual.
It is true Beijing doesn’t use the Bird’s Nest that much, but it has been used for other international sporting events and fun events for locals in the years since the games. Other venues are less used, but this isn’t because they were Olympic venues rather because this is China and lots of buildings go fallow.
Many other host cities I’ve been to still use many of the venues and the parks created for the Olympics. Seoul is a great example of this with this lovely park that benefits the community decades after the games ended.
Visiting the Seoul Olympic Park
At one corner is the World Peace Gate, a modern sculpture with the Olympic flame burning beneath. Behind this is a collection of national flags of the nations that participated in the games. At the base of these flags is a mound of stones brought by the athletes and teams as a way to create a monument to peace. This seemed to be the main theme of the park.
There is a lovely sculpture collection behind one of the park’s museums. There are historic sites. And, of course the venues where records were made and individuals competed. We had a slight rain, so exploring was left to just a walk around the park.
