Namwon

Name	Namwon
Native name	남원
Native name lang	Korean
Settlement type	Municipal City
Translit lang1	Korean
Translit lang1 type1	Hangul
Translit lang1 info1	남원시
Translit lang1 type2	Hanja
Translit lang1 info2	南原市
Translit lang1 type3
Translit lang1 info3	Namwon-si
Translit lang1 type4
Translit lang1 info4	Namwŏn-si
Imagesize	280px
Pushpin map	South Korea
Pushpin label position	above
Pushpin mapsize	280
Pushpin map caption	Location in South Korea
Coordinates region	KR
Subdivision type	Country
Subdivision name
Subdivision type1	Region
Subdivision name1	Honam
Population blank1 title	Dialect
Population blank1	Jeolla
Area total km2	752.12
Population as of	2002
Population total	104198
Population density km2	45.98
Parts type	Administrative divisions
Parts	1 si, 15 myeon, 9 dong
Blank emblem type	Emblem of Namwon

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 a small city located just outside of Jirisan National Park, which have the largest mountains in the South Korean Mainland. It is 3 and a half hours from the Seoul Central City Bus Terminal and about one hour from both the U-Square Bus Terminal in Gwangju and the Jeonju Inter City Bus Terminal. It is called "the City of Love" because of the famous Korean love story of Chunhyang. Gwanghallu Garden is a shrine to this love story.

History

Namwon was founded in 685 during the reign of King Sinmun of Silla Kingdom. Namwon county was founded on 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.

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.

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. However, temperatures can sometimes (briefly) drop below -10℃ in January. Temperatures in July can often reach 33℃. Temperatures in spring (April and May) and fall (September and October) are often in the mid 20's℃ and with low humidity.

Culture

Chunhyang festival

The annual four-day Chunhyang festival commemorates a legendary love story and folktale, Chunhyangga. This festival is said to be the oldest in Korea.

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.

The main bridge that crosses the river that runs through the middle of the city is lit up, and along the river bank there are vendors selling food and items of all kinds. The Chunhyang beauty contest can be entered by the most beautiful female residents, in traditional dress. 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 are launched every night.

For the rest of the year when the festival is not on, there is a small theme park dedicated to Chunhyang (Namwon Tourist Complex) 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.

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

Sister cities

Lompoc, United States Seocho, South Korea Yancheng, China (since June 13, 1998)

External links

City government website [link no longer valid as of 11-11-2010]

Category:Populated places in South Korea Category:Jeollabuk-do

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