Suwon

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Suwon
Hangul: 수원시
Hanja: 水原市
Revised Romanization: Suwon-si
McCune-Reischauer: Suwŏn-si
Statistics
Area: 121.1 km²
Population: 1,105,953 2005 reg.
Pop. density: 8,551.7 people/km²
Administrative divisions: 4 gu, 42 dong
Image:Map Suwon-si.png

Suwon (Suwon-si) is the provincial capital and largest city in Gyeonggi-do, South Korea. Suwon is approximately 30 kilometres (20 miles) south of Seoul. It is sometimes called the capital of Korean football because the popularity of the Suwon Samsung Bluewings, and is traditionally known as "The City of Filial Piety".

Contents

[edit] History

King Jeongjo made an ultimately unsuccessful attempt to make Suwon the nation's capital in 1796 with the construction of Hwaseong Fortress, a fortified wall running around the entire city intended to guard the tomb of his father which he had located there. The fortress was constructed under the guidance of philosopher Jeong Yag-yong, and still exists today. It is a designated UNESCO World Heritage site. The walls once encircled the entire city, but recent urban growth has seen the city spread out far beyond the fortress.

[edit] Administrative divisions

See: Administrative divisions of South Korea

The city is divided into 4 gu (major districts): Jangan-gu, Gwonseon-gu, Yeongtong-gu and Paldal-gu. The newest of these is Yeongtong-gu, divided from Paldal-gu in 2003. [1] These districts are in turn divided into 42 dong.

[edit] Food

Suwon is famous for Suwon kalbi, a variation on the original kalbi theme enjoyed throughout Korea.

[edit] Education

Institutions of higher education in Suwon include Ajou University, Dongnam Health College, Gukje Digital University, Hapdong Theological Seminary, Kyonggi University, Kyunghee University, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon Catholic University, Suwon Science College, Suwon Women's College, and the University of Suwon. In addition, the agricultural campus of Seoul National University is located in the city.

The city also boasts an IB World School with a boarding program for foreign students. Gyeonggi Suwon International School

[edit] Recreation

The path around the walls of Hwaseong Fortress is popular with locals and tourists for sightseeing and keeping fit. Manseok Park in northern Suwon has a 1200m track around a lake and is a mecca for walkers, cyclists and roller bladers. Other facilities at Manseok include tennis (indoor & outdoor), soccer (dirt and artificial turf) and the Suwon X-Games skatepark. Various other parks are dotted around Suwon and several ski resorts and hiking trails are within easy reach of the city.

[edit] Entertainment

Suwon is home to the Suwon World Cup Stadium, a venue during the 2002 World Cup tournament and home to K-League side Suwon Samsung Bluewings. The city is also home to Korean Baseball Organization team Hyundai Unicorns.

[edit] People

Famous people from Suwon include Manchester United football player Park Ji-Sung. A street in the city was recently named after him.

Suwon is also home to many foreign language teachers, the vast majority teaching English. This large expatriate community is spread throughout the city, with a particularly high concentration in the Yeongtong-dong district.

[edit] Transport

Suwon is a regional transportation hub and Suwon Station is an important stop on the Gyeongbu railway line going from Seoul to Busan. There is a bus service to the KTX high-speed train terminus at Gyeongbu. Suwon is connected to Seoul with city and express buses with departure points all over the city. Suwon has several stations on Seoul Subway Line 1, including Sungkyunkwan University, Hwaseo, Suwon Station and Seryu. As with most Korean cities, taxis are plentiful and reasonably priced.

[edit] Notes

  1. . ↑  영통구 연혁 (Yeongtong-gu Yeonhyeok). Suwon City website. Retrieved on 2006-01-10.

[edit] See also

[edit] External links

Administrative divisions of Gyeonggi province, South Korea
Capital: Suwon
Cities: Ansan | Anseong | Anyang | Bucheon | Dongducheon | Gimpo | Goyang | Gunpo | Guri | Gwacheon | Gwangju | Gwangmyeong | Hanam | Hwaseong | Icheon | Namyangju | Osan| Paju | Pocheon | Pyeongtaek | Seongnam | Siheung | Suwon | Uijeongbu | Uiwang | Yangju | Yongin
Counties: Gapyeong | Yangpyeong | Yeoju | Yeoncheon
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