California Gold: Korean Friendship Bell of San Pedro

The belfry and pavilion
are eye-catching

The open field sits high on a hilltop. This place is called Angel's Gate Park. The ocean breeze is strong, whipping my hair and chilling my arms. Some kids are flying kits high above. One kite's a bird. Another is dragon. A young couple basks in the sun on a blanket, cuddling, kissing. In the middle of the grassy field sits a large structure that doesn't seem to belong. San Pedro is not really know for its Asian influence, but here on a hilltop overlooking the ocean is a pagoda-like pavilion that looks like something from a movie.

San Pedro is a small town with a monster view of the Pacific. It overlooks the coastline along a series of high cliffs. On the southern base of the hills is a large port known for housing a fresh fish market that locals flock to on Saturday mornings at 4am to find amazing ahi tuna and crab. San Pedro is also the home of the Korean Friendship Bell.

The large bell rests for the day.

Walking closer to the pavilion one recognizes a massive bronze bell hanging inside the belfry. This is the "Belfry of Friendship" (Ujeong-ui Jonggak). The bell was presented by the Republic of Korea to the American people to celebrate the bicentennial of the United States and to symbolize friendship
between the two nations. The effort was coordinated by Philip Ahn, a Korean-American actor. It was dedicated on October 3, 1976, and declared a Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument in 1978.

The bell is made of over seventeen tons of copper and tin, with gold, nickel, lead, and phosphorus added to the alloy for tone quality. It has a diameter of 7½ feet with a height of 12 feet. Looking closely one can see the surface is richly decorated in relief, featuring four pairs of figures. Each pair includes a "Goddess of Liberty" (bearing some resemblance to the Statue of Liberty) and a Seonnyeo, or Korean spirit figure, holding a Korean national symbol: a Taegeuk symbol, a branch of Rose of Sharon, a branch of laurel, and a dove.

The park surrounding the belfry.

The bell is struck five times a year: on New Year's Eve, Korean American Day (January 13), the Fourth of July, Korean Liberation Day (August 15), and Constitution Day (September 17). It is sounded by being struck with a large wooden log.

The pavilion that houses the bell was built by Korean craftsmen over a period of nearly a year. Its design is traditional. It is axially symmetric, consisting of a hipped roof supported by twelve columns representing the Korean zodiac. Each column is guarded by a carved animal. The color patterning along the bell's pavilion is known in Korean as dancheong.

The port of San Pedro down below.

Just below the pavilion, down a small hill, is another park that overlooks a steep rocky drop down into the water. I've heard that high school kids come out here after dark to make out or smoke pot. During one such episode, a boy fell over the ledge to his death on the black rocks below. They have put up a wooden railing since then, but I bet kids will still challenge the laws of physics at this point.

The view is spectacular. The Korean Belfy is beautiful. But the air is cold today and I forgot my jacket. Plus it's lunchtime. Some kimchi and seared ahi sound good.

Steep cliffs along the edges of nearby parks provide beautiful if not dangerous views.