Pabellón Coreano de la Amistad (Korean Friendship Pavillion) – Mexico City, Mexico - Atlas Obscura

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PabellĂłn Coreano de la Amistad (Korean Friendship Pavillion)

In Chapultepec Park there is a pavilion gifted to Mexico from South Korea to honor the 1968 Summer Olympics.  

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Inaugurated in March 1968 as part of Mexico’s international exchange program for the Mexico City Summer Olympics, the Korean Friendship Pavillion was gifted to the country by the South Korean government. It’s actually a copy of a pagoda located in Seoul’s Tapgol Park. Known in 1919 as Pagoda Park, it was the site of the first reading of South Korea’s Proclamation of Independence.

This replica was painted and carved in South Korea and assembled on-site. The country’s diplomatic mission in Mexico is responsible for the pavilion’s upkeep and maintenance. 

The pavilion is located in a section of Chapultepec Park normally reserved for people over the age of 60. This section was designed based on the value and respect bestowed upon the elderly in East Asian cultures. The danzĂłn dance style, commonly associated in Mexico with older couples, is often heard and practiced in this section of forest.

In addition, the pavilion is seen as a symbol of the robust presence of Korean culture in Mexico. The ethnic neighborhood known as Pequeño SeĂşl (Little Seoul), is located a few kilometers away. 

Know Before You Go

Access to this section of Chapultepec Park where the pavilion is located is often closed off as it requires a 30-minute special notice if you are under 60 years old and want to visit. Anyone can still view it from outside the park's fence. The nearest Metro station is Auditorio.

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