The Road of Dosan Ahn Chang-ho

Dosan-daero runs 1.3 kilometers from Sinsa Station to the southern end of Yeongdong Bridge in Gangnam-gu. Today it is associated with high-end fashion and Garosu-gil's tree-lined cafés—but the name belongs to one of Korea's most important figures in the independence era.

Ahn Chang-ho (1878–1938) was an independence activist, educator, and reformer who dedicated his life to preparing the Korean people for self-governance. He founded the Heungsadan (Young Korean Academy) in 1913, an organization built around four virtues: truthfulness, loyalty, courage, and diligence. He believed Korea could not achieve lasting independence without first cultivating strong, ethical citizens—a conviction that put him at odds with those who prioritized armed resistance above all else.

His pen name, Dosan (島山), meaning "Island Mountain," was chosen during his journey to the United States via Hawaii. Looking out at the mountains rising from mid-Pacific islands, he resolved to stand as firmly and independently as those peaks—isolated but immovable. It became the guiding metaphor of his life.

Ahn was arrested repeatedly by Japanese colonial authorities and died in 1938 following his last imprisonment, never seeing the independence he worked toward. His legacy is preserved a short walk from Dosan-daero at Dosan Park, where his tomb and the Ahn Chang-ho Memorial Hall stand. The memorial displays his handwritten manuscripts, photographs, and personal belongings. Free guided tours are offered on Saturdays—a quiet counterpoint to the designer boutiques and specialty coffee shops that now fill the boulevard named after him.