Chuncheon
Chuncheon
춘천 | |
|---|---|
| Korean transcription(s) | |
| • Hangul | 춘천시 |
| • Hanja | 春川市 |
| • Revised Romanization | Chuncheon-si |
| • McCune-Reischauer | Ch'unch'ŏn-si |
 | |
|
Official logo of Chuncheon Emblem of Chuncheon | |
 Location in South Korea | |
| Country |  South Korea |
| Region | Gwanseo |
| Administrative divisions | 1 eup, 9 myeon, 15 dong |
| Area | |
• Total | 1,116.43 km2 (431.06 sq mi) |
| Population (Feb 2012) | |
• Total | 273,130 |
| • Density | 225/km2 (580/sq mi) |
| • Dialect | Gangwon |
Chuncheon (Korean: 춘천; Hanja: 春川市; RR: Chuncheon-si) is the capital of Gangwon Province, South Korea. The city lies in the northeast 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. 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. It is where the resort island of Namiseom is located.
Chuncheon is a hometown of a famous soccer player Son Heung Min, who is currently playing at Hamburger SV in Bundesliga the German football league.
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 (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.
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.[1]
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, Chinese 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.[2] There is even a street in the city dedicated to restaurants serving the dish, with some 25 restaurants populating the area.[3]
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.[4]
There are hydroelectric powerplants in the area around Chuncheon. The Soyang Dam is the largest sand gravel dam in East Asia.[5]
Education
Chuncheon is home to 5 universities: Chuncheon National University of Education, established in 1939, Kangwon National University, founded 1947, and Hallym University, established in 1982, Hallym Sungsim University, Korea Polytechnic 3 University.
Transportation
As of February 2011, there are two train stations in Chuncheon: the terminus of the Gyeongchun Line, Chuncheon Station, and the busier Namchuncheon Station. This is a double track rapid transit commuter train connecting the city to Sangbong Station in Seoul. As of December 21, 2010, a new realigned twin track electrified line has been constructed and several new stations are being constructed to replace the existing halts.
Chuncheon is the northern terminus of the Jungang Expressway, and the main destination of the new Seoul-Chuncheon Expressway. Chuncheon Bus Terminal connects to all major cities in mainland Korea.
There are also river transport facilities in Soyangho (Lake Soyang), which connects to Cheongpyeongsa (청평사, Buddhist) temple.[5]
Climate
Chuncheon has cold winters and hot summers. The lowest measured temperature was −27.9°C (February 6, 1969),[6] and the highest was 36.8°C (Aug 5, 2012).[7] The annual precipitation is an average of 1347.3 mm.
| Climate data for Chuncheon (1981−2010) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 1.3 (34.3) |
5.1 (41.2) |
11.1 (52.0) |
19.1 (66.4) |
23.9 (75.0) |
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 (63.0) |
| 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 (41.0) |
−1.7 (28.9) |
11.1 (52.0) |
| Mean daily minimum °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) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 20.3 (0.80) |
23.8 (0.94) |
41.7 (1.64) |
62.3 (2.45) |
104.0 (4.09) |
123.1 (4.85) |
383.8 (15.11) |
317.5 (12.50) |
160.9 (6.33) |
44.3 (1.74) |
44.7 (1.76) |
20.9 (0.82) |
1,347.3 (53.04) |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| Source: Korea Meteorological Administration [8] | |||||||||||||
Sports
International Competition
High1 (Korean: 하이원) is a professional ice hockey team based in Chuncheon, South Korea, and a member of Asia League Ice Hockey where the competition is played among South Korea, Japan, and China. High 1 was formed in 2004 and its home is currently located in Eui Am Ice Rink, The Goyang SPART complex in Chuncheon.
Domestic Competition
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 and announced suspension of its sisterhood relationship with Kakamigahara in March, 2005.[9]
| City | State | Country | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Higashichikuma District |  Nagano Prefecture
|
 Japan
|
June 8, 1984 |
| Hōfu |  Yamaguchi Prefecture
|
Japan
|
October 29, 1991 |
| Kakamigahara |  Gifu Prefecture
|
Japan
|
October 31, 2003 |
| Addis Ababa |  Addis Ababa (State)
|
Ethiopia
|
May 2, 2004 |
| Nanyang | Henan |  China
|
September 15, 2012 |
See also
References
- ^ Cin Woo Lee "Simply stunning: 33 incredible Korean temples" CNN Go. 10 February 2012. Retrieved 2012-04-12
- ^ www.hansik.org/zh/restaurant/recommendRestaurantView.do?fboardId=1077
- ^ Chuncheon's Dakgalbi (spicy stir-fried chicken with vegetables), Tour2Korea.com, Retrieved on April 14, 2006
- ^ A promo page of Gangwon Drama Gallery, Chuncheon City, 2005
- ^ a b Lake Soyang (Gangwon province)
- ^ 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)". Korea Meteorological Administration. Retrieved 2011-05-02.
- ^ "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.
