Namwon
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Namwon (Namwon-si) is a city in North Jeolla Province, South Korea. Namwon is about 45 minutes from the provincial capital of Jeonju, which is three hours away from Seoul.
The official city flower is Royal Azalea (철쭉) while the city tree is the crape-myrtle (배롱나무) and the city bird is the swallow (제비).
Namwon is nicknamed "The City of Love".
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[edit] History
Namwon was founded in 685 during the reign of King Sinmun of Silla. Namwon county was founded in April 1, 1895.
The city suffered during the Siege of Namwon in 1597 which was part of the Imjin War. During the siege that lasted from August 13 to August 16 the only defenders against the Japanese army of 56,000 men were 3300 Korean and Chinese soldiers and 6000 women and children. In the end the Japanese found a way to enter the city and killed all the soldiers and civilians.
[edit] Geography
Namwon is located in a basin bordered by the Sobaek Mountains to the east and the Buheung Mountain Ridges to the west with the Yocheon River flowing through the city. Namwon is bordered by the counties of Imsil and Sunchang to the west, Jangsu to the north, Hamyang and Hadong in Gyeongsangnam-do to the east, and Gurye and Gokseong in Jeollanam-do to the south.
[edit] Climate
The average yearly temperature of Namwon is 12.7℃ with the average temperature in January being 0.4℃ and 25.9℃ in July. Due to its location in a mountainous basin with a high rate of precipitation, the climate of Namwon varies greatly. Winds in Namwon are usually weak and blow north to west in the winter and south to west in the summer.
[edit] Culture
[edit] Chunhyang festival
Namwon City holds an annual event called the Chunhyang festival which commemorates an ancient love story and folktale, Chunhyangga, which may or may not have actually happened. This festival is said to be the oldest in Korea.[citation needed]
According to the legend, Chunhyang was a maiden who was taken advantage of by an immoral local governor who forced her to marry him while the young man she really loved was away on government affairs. When the young man returned he disguised himself as a common person and saw for himself the myriad of injustices that the local governor had perpetrated; using his authority to kill him things are set straight and the maiden is set free, giving the tale a happy ending.
Some claim this is a true story and have tried to set dates for its occurrence. Regardless of its veracity the city of Namwon is the setting for the annual festival commemorating the legend that is held with visitors from all over the country. The main bridge that crosses the river that runs through the middle of the city is lit with fantastic lights, and along the river bank there are vendors selling food and items of all kinds. There are several main events like the Chunhyang beauty contest in which the most beautiful female residents of the city can enter, wearing their full traditional Korean dress (chima jeogori). Another event is the Chunhyang parade which runs through cordoned sections of the city along the river bank, and which comprises just about the entire complement of the city's mid-grade schoolgirls (numbering probably in the low hundreds) who are dressed in full chogori and carry musical instruments of some type, and who march in a very long line. There are also other parades of men and anyone else who is not a young girl may dress up in traditional dress and join the procession. The festival lasts four days and fireworks blaze the skies every night.
For the rest of the year when the festival is not on, there is a small theme park dedicated to Chunhyang complete with hypothetical dwellings and surroundings that someone like Chunhyang would have had (a mock house and yard). There are other sights in the park unrelated to Chunhyang such as a fish pond where visitors are free to feed the fish and some old-fashioned swings and horseshoe-style throwing games. Outside the park, along the river bank, there are also mini paddle boats that people can rent to traverse the small river.
[edit] Sights
- Mangbok Temple Site, constructed between 1046 and 1083 during the rule of King Munjong of Goryeo
- Silsangsa Temple, a Buddhist temple
- Gwanghallu Garden, a traditional garden that symbolizes the universe (commonly attributed to the Chunhyang story)
- Cheongheobu Gate, the main entrance to Gwanghallu Garden
- Wanwoljeong Pavilion
- Chunhyang Shrine, built in the memory of Chunhyang
- Wolmaejib House
- Chunhyanggwan Hall
[edit] Gallery
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[edit] Sister cities
Lompoc, United States
Seocho, South Korea
Yancheng, China (since June 13, 1998)
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
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