Cheongju

Coordinates: 36°38′N 127°29′E / 36.633°N 127.483°E / 36.633; 127.483
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Cheongju, South Korea
청주시
Specific city
Korean transcription(s)
 • Hangul청주시
 • Hanja淸州市
 • Revised RomanizationCheongju-si
 • McCune-ReischauerCh'ŏngju-si
A front view of Sangdang Fortress
Korea Standard Time)
Postal code
28100~28899
Area code(+82) 43-2xx
Websitecheongju.go.kr/english/index.do

Cheongju (Korean pronunciation: [tsʰʌŋ.dzu]) is the capital and largest city of North Chungcheong Province in South Korea.

History

Cheongju has been an important provincial town since ancient times. In the Cheongju Mountains, particularly in the area where Sangdang Sanseong is located, ruins dating from the Old Stone Age to the Bronze Age have been discovered.[1] Settlements associated with the Paleolithic Age have also been found in Cheongju, such as the Durubong Cave Site.[2]

After the unification of the kingdoms by Shilla in 676, various parts of Korea, including Cheongju, began to adopt Buddhism. This was influenced by the Shilla culture's connection with the Silk Road, which facilitated the spread of Buddhism from Nepal across Northern China to the Korean Peninsula.[3] During the Goryeo era, particularly during the reign of Gwangjong, several monuments related to Buddhism were created. Among them is Cheol Danggan, built in the year 962 in the center of the city near the remains of Yongdu Temple. Cheol Danggan is a flagpole used to hang the Dang flag, which is raised to pay tribute to Buddha.[4] It was listed as a National Treasure in 1962 by the South Korean government.[4] In the Joseon period, the Cheongju region began to adopt Confucianism as its main religion.[3]

Throughout the history of Cheongju, various temples were established during different periods in the history of the Korean peninsula. Examples include the Buddhist Yonghwasa Temple, dating back to the Goryeo period,[5] and the Bulguksa Temple, established in the 8th century during the Shilla Dynasty period.[6] Cheongju temples were also significant in the advancement of Korean printing, including book printing. One of the important documents printed in Cheongju was done so at Heungdeok Temple during the Goryeo Dynasty, specifically in the year 1377.[7]

One of the first schools established in North Chungcheong Province was founded in Cheongju City during 1896.[8] During the Baekje Dynasty period, several tombs were built around the city,[9] in addition to Joseon Dynasty period forts such as Sangdangsanseong, which served to connect the northern and southern provinces after the Japanese invasion of 1592.[10]

In 1593, the Battle of Cheongju took place between Japanese forces and the Joseon kingdom that then ruled the Korean peninsula during the

Hideyoshi's Invasions of Korea, in which more than 8,000 Korean warrior monks participated.[11]

The government of the province relocated here from Chungju in 1908. The opening of the Chungbuk-line in 1926 sparked regional development. In 1946, Cheongju and Cheongwon-gun were separated, and in 1949, Cheongju was upgraded to Cheongju City. Afterwards, it went through the separation of administrative dong and their transfer to Cheongwon-gun, with 2 branch offices (East and West) established in July 1989 that were upgraded to Sangdang-gu and Heungdeok-gu in January.[12]

Cheongju experienced one of the largest population growths in Korea, having almost quadrupled its population from 147,000 in 1970 to 582,158 in 2000.[13]

Geography

Cityscape of Cheongju

Geum River goes through the center of Cheongju city. Additionally, the tributaries of Musim and Miho flow together in the northern part of the city. To the east and west, there are the mountains of Wuam and Bumo. Musimcheon River also goes through the middle of Cheongju city.

Climate

Cheongju is a temperate zone, so there are four seasons. The climate is a humid continental climate (Köppen: Dwa), but can be considered a borderline humid subtropical climate (Köppen: Cwa) using the −3 °C (27 °F) isotherm.

Climate data for Cheongju (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1967–present)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °C (°F) 15.6
(60.1)
22.1
(71.8)
25.9
(78.6)
31.3
(88.3)
34.5
(94.1)
35.3
(95.5)
37.8
(100.0)
39.1
(102.4)
34.3
(93.7)
30.6
(87.1)
25.1
(77.2)
19.3
(66.7)
39.1
(102.4)
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) 3.4
(38.1)
6.4
(43.5)
12.5
(54.5)
19.6
(67.3)
24.8
(76.6)
28.2
(82.8)
30.0
(86.0)
30.6
(87.1)
26.4
(79.5)
20.7
(69.3)
13.0
(55.4)
5.4
(41.7)
18.4
(65.1)
Daily mean °C (°F) −1.5
(29.3)
1.0
(33.8)
6.5
(43.7)
13.0
(55.4)
18.7
(65.7)
23.0
(73.4)
25.8
(78.4)
26.2
(79.2)
21.3
(70.3)
14.6
(58.3)
7.5
(45.5)
0.6
(33.1)
13.1
(55.6)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) −5.8
(21.6)
−3.8
(25.2)
1.0
(33.8)
7.0
(44.6)
13.1
(55.6)
18.4
(65.1)
22.4
(72.3)
22.6
(72.7)
17.0
(62.6)
9.4
(48.9)
2.6
(36.7)
−3.7
(25.3)
8.4
(47.1)
Record low °C (°F) −24.1
(−11.4)
−26.4
(−15.5)
−12.5
(9.5)
−4.8
(23.4)
2.8
(37.0)
7.9
(46.2)
12.3
(54.1)
12.7
(54.9)
3.7
(38.7)
−4.3
(24.3)
−11.0
(12.2)
−20.6
(−5.1)
−26.4
(−15.5)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 20.6
(0.81)
29.0
(1.14)
42.9
(1.69)
75.5
(2.97)
82.8
(3.26)
140.0
(5.51)
293.8
(11.57)
274.2
(10.80)
142.3
(5.60)
58.0
(2.28)
46.6
(1.83)
26.7
(1.05)
1,232.4
(48.52)
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.1 mm) 7.2 6.4 7.8 8.3 8.1 9.4 15.7 14.0 8.7 6.1 8.7 8.8 109.2
Average snowy days 9.1 5.5 2.8 0.3 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.1 2.2 8.5 28.5
Average
relative humidity
(%)
63.5 58.6 55.6 53.4 57.7 64.5 74.2 73.1 70.6 66.8 65.6 64.9 64.0
Mean monthly sunshine hours 166.9 176.9 207.6 220.0 238.8 196.5 150.1 173.1 176.4 204.1 160.6 161.0 2,232
Percent possible sunshine 53.1 55.9 54.0 56.6 53.5 44.6 34.3 42.5 47.6 57.3 51.5 52.4 49.7
Source: Korea Meteorological Administration (percent sunshine 1981–2010)[14][15][16]

Administrative districts

From 1 July 2014, Cheongju and Cheongwon County unified, and administrative districts were changed to the following:

Osong-eup, Gangnae-myeon, Oksan-myeon, Uncheon-dong, Sinbong-dong, Bokdae1-dong, Bokdae2-dong, Gakyeong-dong, Bongmyeong1-dong, Bongmyeong2-dong, Songjeong-dong, Gangseo1-dong, Gangseo2-dong, Ochang-eup

Nami-myeon, Hyeondo-myeon, Sajik1-dong, Sajik2-dong, Sachang-dong, Mochooung-dong, Sugok1-dong, Sugok2-dong, Sannam-dong, Bunpyeong-dong, Seonghwa-dong, Geasin-dong, Jookrim-dong

Nangseong-myeon, Miwon-myeon, Gaduk-myeon, Namil-myeon, Mooni-myeon, Joongang-dong, Seongan-dong, Top-dong, Deasung-dong, Yeongun-dong, Geumcheon-dong, Yongam-dong, Myeongam-dong, Sinsung-dong, Yongam1-dong, Yongam2-dong

Nesoo-eup, Buki-myeon, Wooam-dong, Neduk1-dong, Neduk2-dong, Yoolang-dong, Sacheon-dong, Ogeunjang-dong,[17] Ochang-eup

Government and infrastructure

The headquarters of the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety are located in the Osong Health Technology Administration Complex.

Cultural properties

Transport

Cheongju International Airport provides scheduled flights within Korea and to China. The main train station is located at Ogeunjang approximately 8 km (5.0 mi) north of the city hall. This station is on the Chungbuk Line. Cheongju Bus Terminal provides almost all of the bus lines to bus terminals located in other cities. Ticketing time is between 4:00 am and 11:40 pm. Cheongju Express Bus Terminal provides some bus lines for Seoul (Gangnam, Sangbong, South Seoul, East Seoul, Busan, East Deagu, Gwangju).

In 2023, the Cheongju tunnel flooded during the

annual monsoon which trapped 15 vehicles and resulted in at least 7 deaths and 11 reported missing.[18]

Education

Cheongju is the site of several tertiary institutions, including:

Festival

The Cheongju International Craft Biennale is usually held in September or October.[19]

There is also the Osong Cosmetic and Beauty Expo.[20]

Twin towns – sister cities

City Prefecture/Province/State Country Year Sources
Tottori
Tottori Prefecture Japan 1991 [21]
Wuhan Hubei China 2000 [22]
Bellingham Washington United States 2008 [23][24][25]
Rostov-on-Don
Rostov oblast
Russia 1999 [26]
Wrocław Lower Silesian Voivodeship Poland 2023 [27]

Notable people from Cheongju

References

  1. .
  2. ^ "The Beginnings of Korea's History (Prehistoric Times – Gojoseon)". Korea.net. Retrieved 30 October 2022.
  3. ^ a b Sang-cheul, Choe (2002). "Creating Cultural Identity for Sustainable Urban Development A Case Study of the City of Cheongju in Korea" (PDF). Seoul National University. Retrieved 31 October 2022.
  4. ^ a b "El proyecto de renovación de una plaza iluminará un asta medieval de una ciudad surcoreana". Yonhap News Agency (in Spanish). 1 June 2017. Retrieved 30 October 2022.
  5. ^ "Stone Buddhas of Yonghwasa Temple, Cheongju". Cultural Heritage Administration. Retrieved 30 October 2022.
  6. ^ "Seokguram Grotto and Bulguksa Temple". UNESCO World Heritage Centre. Retrieved 30 October 2022.
  7. ^ "Oldest metal-printed book published in Korean, English". The Korea Times. 31 January 2021. Retrieved 30 October 2022.
  8. .
  9. ^ Traces of Jikji and Korean Movable Metal Types. Cheongju Early Printing Museum Press. 2003. p. 7.
  10. ^ Eun-yi, Lee (10 November 2020). "[Monthly Korea] Modern Charm Nested in a Time-Honored Fortress". Korea.net. Retrieved 29 October 2022.
  11. ^ Shields, Steven (18 August 2020). "[RAS Korea] Cheongju: a historical and cultural gem". The Korea Times. Retrieved 29 October 2022.
  12. ^ * Welcome to Cheongju-Si Homepage * Archived 23 June 2006 at the Wayback Machine
  13. .
  14. ^ "Climatological Normals of Korea (1991 ~ 2020)" (PDF) (in Korean). Korea Meteorological Administration. Archived from the original (PDF) on 29 January 2022. Retrieved 4 April 2022.
  15. ^ 순위값 - 구역별조회 (in Korean). Korea Meteorological Administration. Retrieved 4 April 2022.
  16. ^ "Climatological Normals of Korea" (PDF). Korea Meteorological Administration. 2011. Archived from the original (PDF) on 7 December 2016. Retrieved 8 December 2016.
  17. ^ 청원청주통합 홍보안내. 3 May 2014. Archived from the original on 3 May 2014.
  18. ^ "Many dead in S Korea as flash floods trap 15 vehicles in tunnel". www.aljazeera.com. 16 July 2023.
  19. ^ http://okcj.org/wp/%7CCheongju[permanent dead link] International public website
  20. ^ "Cosmetics & Beauty Expo Osong Korea 2013". Archived from the original on 25 March 2014. Retrieved 25 March 2014.
  21. ^ "Cheongju Sister Cities: Tottori city, Japan". Cheongju City. Retrieved 12 January 2017.
  22. ^ "Cheongju Sister Cities: Wuhan city, China". Cheongju City. Retrieved 12 January 2017.
  23. ^ "Cheongju Sister Cities: Bellingham city, U.S". Cheongju City. Retrieved 12 January 2017.
  24. ^ "Our Sister Cities". Bellingham Sister Cities Association. Retrieved 20 January 2015.[permanent dead link]
  25. ^ "Interactive City Directory". Sister Cities International. Archived from the original on 21 January 2015.
  26. ^ Города-побратимы Ростова-на-Дону (in Russian). Official site Administration of the city of Rostov-on-Don.
  27. ^ "Cheongju Sister Cities: Wrocław, Poland". Cheongju City. Retrieved 13 April 2023.

External links