Korean Pavilion/Chapultepec Seniors’ Garden

The Korean Pavilion is the most famous installation within the Jardín de Adultos Mayores “Euquerio Guerrero”.

• Euquerio Guerrero López (1907-1990) was a Guanajuato lawyer and later Supreme Court Justice. He later became a senator and rector of the University of Guanajuato.

Although this section of the park is generally set apart for older adults, the Pavilion is plainly visible from Paseo de la Reforma. For that, it’s one of the best-known attributes in the park.

The garden offers regular activities for older people. These include dance, yoga, and tai chi and all beneath mature trees and with fountains and bridges. The garden was created in 1986, and renamed to honor Guerrero after his death in 1990. There’s also a brilliant sculpture garden with 32 sculptures and three busts.

• The garden is also home to the Andrés Henestrosa Library. Andrés Henestrosa Morales (1906-2008) was a poet, essayist, writer, and Oaxaca senator. He’s best remembered for having phoneticized the Zapotec language and transcribing it into the Latin alphabet, as well as for his many writings.

The Korean Pavilion was a gift of the South Korean government in 1968. It actually pre-dates the Seniors’ Garden. The gift was part of the international exchange leading up to the 1968 Summer Olympics. The pavilion is a copy of a pagoda in the Tapgol Park in Seoul.

The replica was created in South Korea and re-assembled here. In fact, it’s still maintained by the Korean diplomatic mission. Access for those under 60 years old requires a 30-minute wait and special permission.