All Photo By Gail
On an appropriately moody, grey afternoon just as the Christmas holidays were winding down on my annual trip to Southern California, we made our way down to San Pedro to check out one of LA’s most majestic hidden gems: the Korean Friendship Bell. If you’ve never been, get ready to add it to your list of “Cool Places to Visit That’s Not a Mall or a Museum.”
Perched on a cliff in Angel’s Gate Park, overlooking the Pacific Ocean, the Korean Friendship Bell is a massive bronze bell housed in an intricately decorated stone pavilion. It was gifted to the United States by South Korea in 1976 as a gesture of friendship and to celebrate the U.S. Bicentennial. (Fun fact: it weighs 17 tons. Yes, I Googled it).
Now, let’s be honest — it was chilly. And windy. And grey. The kind of day where you think, “Maybe I should’ve brought a hat,” while also wondering if your iPhone camera will do the scenery justice in this light (spoiler alert: meh).
Despite the muted sky and scarf-summoning weather, the bell and its stunning pagoda-like pavilion totally held their own.
The colors, even under the gloom, popped like candy — rich blues, reds, and green dancing around elaborate patterns that had us trying for another snap of that ceiling detail every three minutes.
Though the grounds were quiet, save for a few other intrepid bell-curious visitors, there was something peaceful and rather cinematic about the whole scene.
The Korean Friendship Bell rings only five times a year: on New Year’s Eve, Korean American Day, Fourth of July, Korean Liberation Day and on Constitution Day. Additionally, there’s a maintenance ring on the first Saturday of every month, which is open to the public. Even in silence, however, it resonates. You feel the significance in the craftsmanship, the setting, and the message.
Bonus: the view from the bluff is gorgeous. Even on a day when the ocean looked more pewter than turquoise, the expanse of it was breathtaking. The area around the bell is also perfect for a picnic or just a contemplative sit-and-stare moment (weather permitting, of course).
When in Southern California, if you like beautiful architecture, meaningful monuments, and dramatic ocean views, the Korean Friendship Bell is worth a visit. Maybe next time we’ll catch it on a sunny day, but there was definitely something poetic about seeing it cloaked in coastal fog. Find out more about the Friendship Bell and plan a visit at This Link.
