Seemingly out of place hidden smack in the middle of downtown Little Rock, Arkansas, the ornate oriental H.U. Lee International Gate and Garden is a true gem.
Eternal Grand Master Haeng Ung Lee dedicated his life to the advancement of martial arts and created its largest organization in the world, American Taekwondo Association, headquartered in Little Rock.
This traditional South Korean gate, a sign of welcome, honors American Taekwondo and the friendship between two countries. The 80 ton Songahm Martial Arts Gate is a mixture of Korea and America – the wood is from the United States and shipped to Korea for shaping with old world craftsmanship. Inside the garden is a haven so far away from the main drag, just outside the gate.
Plants from Asia mingle with those of Arkansas and sculptures with significance to the motif are scattered about.
The Staff of the Flying Dragon depicts ancient Korean warriors practicing the arts and milestones of the Songahm style. There is a legend due to the symbolic nature of the dragon in Korean traditions:
All dragons grow and develop at the bottom of a special lake. When one dragon has achieved far above all the other, he is given a special pearl symbolizing that he can now fly from the depths of the lake into the world above. He is given power over the elements and is sent on a mission to bring peace to man. There is only one of these dragons alive at any given time.
It is said that this special dragon fashioned a staff in which his power and leadership rests. Upon the dubbing of the first Grand Master the dragon passed the staff to the Grand Master symbolizing the unity between the two with the desire to spread Taekwondo throughout the world in effort to bring peace to all mankind.