GeneChing
01-03-2008, 12:18 PM
Leave it to the Koreans, once again following Chinese precedent. ;)
Made me wonder what other styles are global enough to support their own theme park - Shaolin, ninjas, and who else?
Park to arise as new mecca for taekwondo (http://www.kois.go.kr/news/news/newsView.asp?serial_no=20080102013&part=108&SearchDay=)
Date: January 03, 2008
Taekwondo, the indigenous Korean martial art and one of the country’s leading cultural legacies, will get a new base at a mammoth park.
The Taekwondo Promotion Foundation has announced the construction of a massive taekwondo park in Muju County, Jeollabuk-do (North Jeolla Province) by 2013. Muju is known as a popular destination for winter recreation, as it hosted the 1997 Winter Universiade.
Organizers said the park will serve as a mecca for taekwondo practitioners, who are estimated to number 60 million in 187 nations.
Getting construction started took almost a decade. In 1998, the Korean Sports Council proposed building a taekwondo sanctuary to raise the martial art’s status at home and abroad. In 2000, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism announced the building plan. Muju won the bid for the park in 2004. A year later, a lawmaker proposed a bill for building the park that was passed by the National Assembly in December 2007.
When complete, the park will become the center of research and development of taekwondo and other martial arts. Taekwondo practitioners from around the world can network at the park, which will eventually serve as a hub for taekwondo culture. It will also help Muju establish self-sufficiency by nurturing taekwondo culture and industry.
To cover two million square meters, the park will offer eye-catching demonstrations, facilities and participating opportunities.
The park’s entrance will have a multi-functional stadium, the World Taekwondo Center. The facility will be mainly used for international tournaments but will also have conference halls and broadcast equipment for international conferences and cultural performances.
Culture and Tourism Zone will allow visitors to learn about taekwondo’s history, practice the sport themselves and share global taekwondo culture. Taekwon Square, a round playground, is in the zone’s center and will host martial arts demonstrations and traditional culture parades. Surrounding the square will be four buildings -- Visitor’s Center, Taekwondo Exhibition Hall, Taekwondo Experience Hall and Global Taekwondo Town.
At the Taekwondo Experience Hall, people will be able to practice kicks and punches and then calm down at the meditation center.
Global Taekwondo Town will display the different taekwondo cultures of other countries with unique facilities and sporting goods. The hall will also offer traditional Korean food and souvenirs.
Education and Training Zone will train taekwondo instuctors, referees and practitioners including black-belt holders from home and abroad. An auditorium, indoor/outdoor training center, swimming pool, study room and R&D center will be housed in its three facilities -- Instructor’s Hall, Training Hall and Taekwondo Graduate School.
The spiritual core of Taekwondo Park will be located in its northeastern corner, Symbolism Zone, which will pay tribute to the martial art’s forefathers. The traditional Korean-style Taekwon and Myeongin halls (grandmasters’ place) will provide visitors with the philosophy and spirit of taekwondo. The buildings will also have outdoor meditation places and banquet facilities to allow grandmasters to train and socialize.
For more information about Taekwondo Park, please contact the Taekwondo Promotion Foundation at (822) 777-3631 (from overseas) or (02) 777-3631 (in Korea).
By Ro Ji-woong
Korea.net Staff Writer
Made me wonder what other styles are global enough to support their own theme park - Shaolin, ninjas, and who else?
Park to arise as new mecca for taekwondo (http://www.kois.go.kr/news/news/newsView.asp?serial_no=20080102013&part=108&SearchDay=)
Date: January 03, 2008
Taekwondo, the indigenous Korean martial art and one of the country’s leading cultural legacies, will get a new base at a mammoth park.
The Taekwondo Promotion Foundation has announced the construction of a massive taekwondo park in Muju County, Jeollabuk-do (North Jeolla Province) by 2013. Muju is known as a popular destination for winter recreation, as it hosted the 1997 Winter Universiade.
Organizers said the park will serve as a mecca for taekwondo practitioners, who are estimated to number 60 million in 187 nations.
Getting construction started took almost a decade. In 1998, the Korean Sports Council proposed building a taekwondo sanctuary to raise the martial art’s status at home and abroad. In 2000, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism announced the building plan. Muju won the bid for the park in 2004. A year later, a lawmaker proposed a bill for building the park that was passed by the National Assembly in December 2007.
When complete, the park will become the center of research and development of taekwondo and other martial arts. Taekwondo practitioners from around the world can network at the park, which will eventually serve as a hub for taekwondo culture. It will also help Muju establish self-sufficiency by nurturing taekwondo culture and industry.
To cover two million square meters, the park will offer eye-catching demonstrations, facilities and participating opportunities.
The park’s entrance will have a multi-functional stadium, the World Taekwondo Center. The facility will be mainly used for international tournaments but will also have conference halls and broadcast equipment for international conferences and cultural performances.
Culture and Tourism Zone will allow visitors to learn about taekwondo’s history, practice the sport themselves and share global taekwondo culture. Taekwon Square, a round playground, is in the zone’s center and will host martial arts demonstrations and traditional culture parades. Surrounding the square will be four buildings -- Visitor’s Center, Taekwondo Exhibition Hall, Taekwondo Experience Hall and Global Taekwondo Town.
At the Taekwondo Experience Hall, people will be able to practice kicks and punches and then calm down at the meditation center.
Global Taekwondo Town will display the different taekwondo cultures of other countries with unique facilities and sporting goods. The hall will also offer traditional Korean food and souvenirs.
Education and Training Zone will train taekwondo instuctors, referees and practitioners including black-belt holders from home and abroad. An auditorium, indoor/outdoor training center, swimming pool, study room and R&D center will be housed in its three facilities -- Instructor’s Hall, Training Hall and Taekwondo Graduate School.
The spiritual core of Taekwondo Park will be located in its northeastern corner, Symbolism Zone, which will pay tribute to the martial art’s forefathers. The traditional Korean-style Taekwon and Myeongin halls (grandmasters’ place) will provide visitors with the philosophy and spirit of taekwondo. The buildings will also have outdoor meditation places and banquet facilities to allow grandmasters to train and socialize.
For more information about Taekwondo Park, please contact the Taekwondo Promotion Foundation at (822) 777-3631 (from overseas) or (02) 777-3631 (in Korea).
By Ro Ji-woong
Korea.net Staff Writer