Chungju City is located in the center of the Korean Peninsula. This area has produced a number of faithful
sons and loyalists from ancient times. So Chungju City is widely known as the place of loyalty and filial
piety. It was designated as the seat of the North Chungcheong provincial government when Chungcheong
Province split into 2 provinces in 1896, the 33rd year of King Gojong of the Joseon Dynasty. In 1908, however,
because of the difficulty to access to it, the provincial government office moved to Chungju City,
and Chungju City was re-named Chungju-gun. In 1956, as Chungju-eub was promoted to a city, Chungju-gun
was divided into Chungju City and Jungwon-gun, followed by the merge of Jungwon-gun into Chungju City in
January 1995.
As a border land commonly shared by the three kingdoms- Silla, Baekjae, and Goguryeo, Chungju City
formed a unique culture known as Jungwon Culture, a mixture of the cultures of these three nations.
A number of precious cultural assets and relics are scattered around Chungju. Among these is a central
tower called Jungang Top, indicating the central
location of the Korean Peninsula and Jungwon victorious monument built by Goguryeo.
Taking pride as the origins of Taegyeon (a traditional martial art) and gayageum (a traditionally musical
stringed instrument beloved by the Koreans), Chungju City holds the Ureuk Cultural Festival in October
every year in memory of Ureuk, the great musician who invented the gayageum.
Together with outstanding cultural backgrounds, the natural scenery created by beautiful mountains, lakes,
and hot springs are the crucial assets of Chungju, hosting 5 millions of tourists throughout the year.
Since Suanbo hot springs on the outskirts of Chungju City was designated as a
special district for tourists in 1995, Chungju City began emerging as a major tourist area and has taken a
big step towards a variety of development of natural and historic resources, which include
Tangeumdae (a scenic area),
Mireuk-sa (a Buddhist temple site), and leisure sites such
as a ski resort, golf courses, and the rest areas in the forests centered around
Chungju Lake. With the completion of Jungbunaeryuk Highway
enhancing accessibility between major metropolitan areas, Chungju City will see much growth. |
