Chuncheon
| Chuncheon 춘천시 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Municipal City | ||
| Korean transcription(s) | ||
| • Hangul | 춘천시 | |
| • Hanja | 春川市 | |
| • Revised Romanization | Chuncheon-si | |
| • McCune-Reischauer | Ch'unch'ŏn-si | |
|
View of Seoyang Bridge and Seoyang River | ||
| ||
 Location in South Korea | ||
| Coordinates: 37°52′N 127°44′E / 37.867°N 127.733°E | ||
| Country |
 South Korea | |
| Region | Yeongseo, Gwandong | |
| Administrative divisions | 1 eup, 9 myeon, 15 dong | |
| Area | ||
| • Total | 1,116.43 km2 (431.06 sq mi) | |
| Population (Feb 2012) | ||
| • Total | 281,725 | |
| • Density | 225/km2 (580/sq mi) | |
| • Dialect | Gangwon | |
| Climate | Dwa | |
Chuncheon (Hangul: 춘천; Hanja: 春川市; Korean pronunciation: [tɕʰun.tɕʰʌn]) is the capital of Gangwon Province, South Korea. The city lies in the north of the county, located in a basin formed by the Soyang River and Han River. There are some large lakes around the city, most notably Lake Soyang and Lake Uiam(or Dam Uiam). The area is renowned for its small river islands, such as Sangjungdo, Ha-Jungdo, Bungeodo, and Wido.
It is a popular destination among east Asian tourists as it was featured in the popular Korean drama Winter Sonata(겨울연가). It is where the resort island of Namiseom is located.
Chuncheon is the hometown of former prime minister Han Seung-soo, football player Son Heung-min of Tottenham Hotspur F.C., famous novelist Kim You-jeong and Olympic champion Jin Jong-oh.
History
The area now occupied by the city was first settled about 1000 years ago. In 637 AD the city was called Usooju. In 757 AD it was renamed Saku and again in 940 AD as Chunju (춘주, 春州) before receiving its current name in 1413. In 1896, Chuncheon became the capital city of Gangwon province. The city was largely destroyed during the Korean War during the Battle of Chuncheon.
Uiam Dam on the Bukhan River was completed in 1967.[1] In 1995 Chuncheon city was merged with the government of the surrounding Chuncheon county.
Culture
In the spring, the Chuncheon International Mime Festival is held, as well as the Spring Season Art Festival. In the summer, the Chuncheon Puppet Festival takes place. There is also a Makguksu festival; a cold noodle dish that originated in Chuncheon. Also celebrated in the summer is the International Animation Festival. The city has had its own annual marathon race since 1946; the Chuncheon Marathon is held every October. In winter, snow and ice festivals are organized. Currently, MAC Architects-Consultants Group Ltd. (명승건축그룹) is building the Design and Arts Arcadia of Myungseung in Chuncheon.
According to the legend surrounding Cheongpyeongsa temple in Chuncheon-si, a man loved a princess so much that he became a snake and wouldn't leave her alone. When she begged leave to collect rice from the temple, the snake let her go but then went looking for her, only to be struck dead by lightning. The princess then buried him at the temple.[2]
Food
The city was historically known as a chicken farming region, and is famous for "dak galbi", which translates as chicken ribs. It consists of chicken, sliced cabbage, sweet potatoes, tteok (rice cakes), and scallions, mixed with a spicy sauce heavy on gochujang. It is usually cooked in a big iron pan in the center of the table, but the original method is over charcoal. Despite the name, the dish is traditionally made from leg meat, not ribs.[3] There is even a street in the city dedicated to restaurants serving the dish, with some 25 restaurants populating the area.[4]
Also, Makguksu noodle is famous among the nation.
Tourism
Festivities
Cultural Festival
- Kim You-jeong munhakje (April each year)[5]
- Uiam jae (April each year)[6]
- Chuncheon International Mime Festival (annually in May)[7]
- Chuncheon art festival (July each year)[8]
- Chuncheon 古 Music Festival (July each year)[9]
- Chuncheon Puppet festival (every August)
- Chuncheon International Theatre Festival (annually in September)[10]
- Chuncheon International AniTown Festival (annually in September)[11]
Local Festivals
- Chuncheon chicken ribs & makguksu Festival (every August)[12]
- Soyang festival (September each year)[13]
Leisure Sports Festival
- National inlineskate Chuncheon Marathon (April each year)[14]
- Chuncheon Open International Taekwondo Championships (June each year)[15]
- Gangchon national MTB Challenge Competition (September each year)[16]
- The Chosun Ilbo Chuncheon Marathon (October each year)[17]
- Lakeside Chuncheon Marathon Festival[18]
Chuncheon city tour bus
Chuncheon city tour bus runs on April to November.[19] The bus offers different course through Monday to Sunday. If you use city tour bus, they offer some discount admission fee.
- Monday : Chuncheon station(at 10:30a.m) - Soyang River Dam - Cheongpyeongsa Temple(moved by ship) - lunch - visit Cheongpyeongsa Temple - Jade cave - Gangwon Provincial Botanic Garden - Virgin statue at Soyang river(Soyang River Skywalk) - Chuncheon station(at 5:30p.m)
- Tuesday: Chuncheon station(at 10:30a.m) - Uiam Skywalk - railbike - lunch - Gugok Falls - Gongjicheon Stream - Chuncheon station(at 5:30p.m)
- Wednesday: Chuncheon station(at 10:30a.m) - Mulle-gil(canoeing) or Skywalk - lunch - Soyang River Dam - museum of Makguksu(buckwheat noodles) - Gangwon Provincial Botanic Garden - Virgin statue at Soyang river(Soyang River Skywalk) - Chuncheon station(at 5:30p.m)
- Thursday: Chuncheon station(at 10:30a.m) - Kim Yu-jeong Literature Village - railbike - lunch - Soyang River Dam - Gangwon Provincial Botanic Garden - Virgin statue at Soyang river(Soyang River Skywalk) - Chuncheon station(at 5:30p.m)
- Friday: Chuncheon station(at 10:30a.m) - Uiam Skywalk - Kim Yu-jeong Literature Village - lunch - Jade Garden - museum of Makguksu(buckwheat noodles) - Virgin statue at Soyang river(Soyang River Skywalk) - Chuncheon station(at 5:30p.m)
- Saturday: Chuncheon station(at 10:30a.m) - Soyang River Dam - Cheongpyeongsa Temple(moved by ship) - lunch - visit Cheongpyeongsa Temple - Gangwon Provincial Botanic Garden - skywalk - Chuncheon station(at 5:30p.m)
- Sunday: Chuncheon station(at 10:30a.m) - Uiam Skywalk(canoeing) or Kim Yu-jeong Literature Village - lunch - railbike - Museum of animation(toy robot) - Boundaries of a grave of Jang Jeol-gong - Chuncheon station(at 5:30p.m)
Economy
Chuncheon is the market center for agricultural produce from the surrounding area. The main products are rice and soybeans. Since the 1960s light industry has become dominant in the city. After the huge success of the TV drama Winter Sonata, the city has also become a major "Korean Wave" (Han-ryu, 한류) tourist destination, attracting visitors from around East Asia.[20]
Legoland Korea is also under construction in Chuncheon. The first Legoland in Northeast Asia, it will be built in a 1.29 square kilometer parcel of land in Jungdo island and is expected to draw over a million tourists when it opens. It will be the largest Legoland in the world. [21]
There are hydroelectric powerplants in the area around Chuncheon. The Soyang Dam is the largest sand gravel dam in East Asia.[22]
Population
The following table is about transition of population per five year.[23]
| Year | Total Population |
|---|---|
| 1965 | 191,576 |
| 1970 | 209,821 |
| 1975 | 204,246 |
| 1980 | 210,985 |
| 1985 | 213,198 |
| 1990 | 217,869 |
| 1995 | 233,016 |
| 2000 | 251,991 |
| 2005 | 256,455 |
| 2010 | 272,739 |
| 2015 | 281,725 |
Education
- National Universities
- Kangwon National University
- Chuncheon National University of Education
- Korea National Open University Gangwon Campus
- Korea Polytechnic 3 University
- Private Universities
- Hallym University
- Hallym Sungsim University
- Songgok College
Transportation
As of June 2014, there are two train stations in Chuncheon suburban area: the terminus of the Gyeongchun Line, Chuncheon Station, and the busier Namchuncheon Station. Gimyujeong, Baegyang-ri, Gulbongsan and Gangchon Station are located in rural Chuncheon that attracts tourists, especially Gangchon is one of the most favorite recreational destination for University students. This is a double track rapid transit commuter train that connects to massively commuted Yongsan, Cheongnyangni and Sangbong Stations in Seoul. On December 21, 2010, a new realigned twin track electrified line has been constructed, and several new or transferable stations are still being constructed to replace the existing halts in outside Chuncheon, such as Cheonmasan, Sinnae, and Byeollae.
Chuncheon is the northern terminus of the publicly funded Jungang Expressway, and the main destination of the privately run Seoul-Chuncheon Expressway, as also known as Gyeongchun Expressway that connects to Seoul and Hongcheon-east.[24] Chuncheon Bus Terminal connects to all major cities in mainland South Korea.
On National roads-wise, Chuncheon is also the main strategic destination that connects between Changwon to Cheolwon of Route(Number) 5, Incheon to Goseong of 46, and Cheolwon to Yangyang of 56.
There are also river transport facilities in Soyangho (Lake Soyang), which connects to Cheongpyeongsa (청평사, Buddhist) temple.[22]
Climate
| Chuncheon | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Climate chart (explanation) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Chuncheon has cold winters and hot summers. The lowest measured temperature was −27.9 °C (−18 °F) (February 6, 1969),[25] and the highest was 36.8 °C (98 °F) (Aug 5, 2012).[26] The annual precipitation is an average of 1347.3 mm.
| Climate data for Chuncheon (1981–2010, extremes 1966–present) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 12.7 (54.9) |
19.2 (66.6) |
23.4 (74.1) |
32.0 (89.6) |
34.0 (93.2) |
36.0 (96.8) |
36.6 (97.9) |
36.8 (98.2) |
33.0 (91.4) |
28.1 (82.6) |
24.8 (76.6) |
16.6 (61.9) |
36.8 (98.2) |
| Average high °C (°F) | 1.3 (34.3) |
5.1 (41.2) |
11.1 (52) |
19.1 (66.4) |
23.9 (75) |
27.6 (81.7) |
29.1 (84.4) |
29.8 (85.6) |
25.5 (77.9) |
19.6 (67.3) |
11.0 (51.8) |
3.8 (38.8) |
17.2 (63) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | −4.6 (23.7) |
−1.3 (29.7) |
4.5 (40.1) |
11.6 (52.9) |
17.1 (62.8) |
21.7 (71.1) |
24.5 (76.1) |
24.6 (76.3) |
19.4 (66.9) |
12.5 (54.5) |
5.0 (41) |
−1.7 (28.9) |
11.1 (52) |
| Average low °C (°F) | −9.9 (14.2) |
−6.9 (19.6) |
−1.3 (29.7) |
4.4 (39.9) |
10.8 (51.4) |
16.5 (61.7) |
20.8 (69.4) |
20.8 (69.4) |
14.8 (58.6) |
7.1 (44.8) |
0.1 (32.2) |
−6.4 (20.5) |
5.9 (42.6) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −25.6 (−14.1) |
−27.9 (−18.2) |
−16.2 (2.8) |
−6.4 (20.5) |
1.6 (34.9) |
5.6 (42.1) |
11.7 (53.1) |
11.3 (52.3) |
1.9 (35.4) |
−5.4 (22.3) |
−15.8 (3.6) |
−21.7 (−7.1) |
−27.9 (−18.2) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 20.3 (0.799) |
23.8 (0.937) |
41.7 (1.642) |
62.3 (2.453) |
104.0 (4.094) |
123.1 (4.846) |
383.8 (15.11) |
317.5 (12.5) |
160.9 (6.335) |
44.3 (1.744) |
44.7 (1.76) |
20.9 (0.823) |
1,347.3 (53.043) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 0.1 mm) | 6.8 | 6.3 | 7.8 | 7.3 | 9.1 | 10.1 | 15.5 | 13.7 | 8.2 | 6.0 | 7.9 | 7.3 | 106.0 |
| Average snowy days | 8.8 | 6.3 | 3.9 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1.8 | 6.7 | 27.7 |
| Average relative humidity (%) | 69.3 | 65.4 | 63.1 | 59.2 | 66.2 | 71.8 | 79.6 | 79.8 | 78.0 | 75.3 | 73.1 | 71.7 | 71.0 |
| Mean monthly sunshine hours | 165.7 | 172.4 | 197.6 | 215.5 | 221.3 | 200.6 | 144.2 | 169.1 | 173.8 | 174.1 | 141.3 | 148.7 | 2,124.2 |
| Percent possible sunshine | 54.1 | 56.6 | 53.3 | 54.5 | 50.2 | 45.3 | 32.1 | 40.1 | 46.6 | 50.0 | 46.4 | 50.0 | 47.7 |
| Source: Korea Meteorological Administration[27][28][29] (percent sunshine and snowy days)[30] | |||||||||||||
Sports
International competitions
High1 (Korean: 하이원) is a professional ice hockey team which was based in Chuncheon. The club is a member of the Asia League Ice Hockey, which is played among South Korean, Japanese, and Russian teams. High1 was formed in 2004 and its home is currently located in Goyang Ice Rink in Goyang.
Domestic competitions
Chuncheon's association football club Chuncheon FC is a member of Challengers League, top amateur football competition and the third tier of South Korean football league system. The club was found on 27 February 2010 with its home of Chuncheon Stadium.
Sister cities
Chuncheon-si protested against the enactment of "Day of Takeshima" ordinance of Shimane Prefecture , which expressed dispute over the Dokdo Islands, and announced suspension of its sisterhood relationship with Kakamigahara in March, 2005.[31]
| City | State | Country | Year launched | Year terminated |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Higashichikuma District |  Nagano Prefecture |
 Japan |
June 8, 1984 | |
| Hōfu |  Yamaguchi Prefecture |
Japan |
October 29, 1991 | |
| Dongdaemun District | Seoul | South Korea |
2003 | |
| Ansan-si | Gyeonggi-do | South Korea |
2011 | |
| Kakamigahara |  Gifu Prefecture |
Japan |
October 31, 2003 | June 25, 2005 |
| Addis Ababa |  Addis Ababa (State) |
Ethiopia |
May 2, 2004 | |
| Nanyang | Henan |  China |
September 15, 2012 |
See also
References
- ↑ Young-kwon Kim; Korea (South). Haeoe Kongbogwan; Soo-jung Lee (1978). A Handbook of Korea. Korean Overseas Information Service, Ministry of Culture and Information. p. 576. Retrieved 10 June 2013.
- ↑ Cin Woo Lee "Simply stunning: 33 incredible Korean temples" CNN Go. 10 February 2012. Retrieved 2012-04-12
- ↑ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2012-04-02. Retrieved 2011-11-09.
- ↑ Chuncheon's Dakgalbi (spicy stir-fried chicken with vegetables) Archived 2007-09-27 at the Wayback Machine., Tour2Korea.com, Retrieved on April 14, 2006
- ↑ http://tour.chuncheon.go.kr/open_content/page/sub02/sub02.asp?Mcode=20105&cont_code=61&pmode=content_view
- ↑ http://tour.chuncheon.go.kr/open_content/page/sub02/sub02.asp?Mcode=20106
- ↑ http://tour.chuncheon.go.kr/open_content/page/sub02/sub02.asp?Mcode=20101
- ↑ http://tour.chuncheon.go.kr/open_content/page/sub02/sub02.asp?Mcode=20107
- ↑ http://tour.chuncheon.go.kr/open_content/page/sub02/sub02.asp?Mcode=20112
- ↑ http://citf.or.kr/english/
- ↑ http://gimc.or.kr/hb/eng/
- ↑ http://www.mdfestival.com/
- ↑ http://tour.chuncheon.go.kr/open_content/page/sub02/sub02.asp?Mcode=20111
- ↑ http://tour.chuncheon.go.kr/open_content/page/sub02/sub02.asp?Mcode=20603
- ↑ http://www.koreaopentkd.org/
- ↑ http://tour.chuncheon.go.kr/open_content/page/sub02/sub02.asp?Mcode=20604
- ↑ http://tour.chuncheon.go.kr/open_content/page/sub02/sub02.asp?Mcode=20602
- ↑ http://hoban.wizrun.com/
- ↑ http://tour.chuncheon.go.kr/open_content/page/sub02/sub02.asp?Mcode=20801&cont_code=262
- ↑ A promo page of Gangwon Drama Gallery Archived 2007-09-27 at Archive.is, Chuncheon City, 2005
- ↑ "Legoland to break ground in Korea". Korea Herald. Retrieved 16 April 2017.
- 1 2 Lake Soyang (Gangwon province) Archived 2007-09-11 at the Wayback Machine.
- ↑ "Population and housing census".
- ↑ In contrast of private-owned Seoul-Chuncheon, The current line of Chuncheon Junction to East Hongcheon interchange is run by KEC, publicly.
- ↑ 전년 일최저기온 (℃) 최저순위, 지점:101 지명:춘천 Korea Meteorological Administration
- ↑ 전년 일최고기온 (℃) 최고순위, 지점:101 지명:춘천 Korea Meteorological Administration
- ↑ "평년값자료(1981–2010), 춘천(101)" (in Korean). Korea Meteorological Administration. Retrieved 7 December 2016.
- ↑ "기후자료 극값(최대값) 전체년도 일최고기온 (℃) 최고순위, 춘천(101)" (in Korean). Korea Meteorological Administration. Retrieved 7 December 2016.
- ↑ "기후자료 극값(최대값) 전체년도 일최저기온 (℃) 최고순위, 춘천(101)" (in Korean). Korea Meteorological Administration. Retrieved 7 December 2016.
- ↑ "Climatological Normals of Korea" (PDF). Korea Meteorological Administration. 2011. p. 499 and 649. Archived from the original (PDF) on 7 December 2016. Retrieved 7 December 2016.
- ↑ "Chuncheon of Winter Sonata also suspended exchanges of the sisterhood with Kakamigahara (冬ソナ・春川市も交流中断 姉妹関係の各務原市などと)" (in Japanese). Kyodo News. 2005-03-18.
External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Chuncheon. |
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Chuncheon travel guide from Wikivoyage - Official Homepage of Chuncheon City (in English)
Coordinates: 37°52′N 127°44′E / 37.867°N 127.733°E