Jeonju 전주시 |
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Municipal City | ||
Korean transcription(s) | ||
• Hangul | 전주시 | |
• Hanja | 全州市 | |
• Revised Romanization | Jeonju-si | |
• McCune-Reischauer | Chŏnju-si | |
![]() Pungnammun |
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![]() Location in South Korea |
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Coordinates: 35°49′N 127°09′E / 35.817°N 127.150°E | ||
Country | ![]() |
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Region | Honam | |
Administrative divisions | 2 gu, 40 dong | |
Area | ||
• Total | 206.22 km2 (79.62 sq mi) | |
Population (2012) | ||
• Total | 654,040 | |
• Density | 3,171.6/km2 (8,214/sq mi) | |
• Dialect | Jeolla | |
ZIP codes | 560011-561870 | |
Area Code | +82 63 | |
Website | Official website |
Jeonju (Korean pronunciation: [tɕʌndʑu]) is a city in South Korea, and the capital of North Jeolla Province. It is an important tourist center famous for Korean food, historic buildings, sports activities and innovative festivals.
In May 2012, Jeonju was chosen as a Creative Cities for Gastronomy as part of UNESCO's Creative Cities Network. This honour recognize the city's traditional home cooking handed down through generations over thousands of years, its active public and private food research, a system of nurturing talented chefs, and its hosting of distinctive local food festivals.[1]
Contents
History
Located in the fertile Honam plain, famous for strawberries and exceptional produce, Jeonju has been an important regional center in the province for centuries. Once, the city was the capital of Hubaekje Kingdom, which was founded by Gyeon Hwon. The city was regarded as the spiritual capital of the Joseon Dynasty because the Yi royal family originated there. The Chŏnju Kim in North Korea, of whom Kim Il-sung was descended from, have their ancestral seat (pon’gwan) in Jeonju as well.
The town was occupied by the Donghak peasants' movement in 1894. Jeonju was given metropolitan status in 1935, and the city was founded in 1949.[citation needed]
Culture
- Jeonju bibimbap 전주비빔밥, a traditional local food, is well-known across South Korea. There are also several very popular vegetarian restaurants serving Jeonju style food and pine wine.
- The National Jeonju Museum exhibits ancient relics from the Baekje days.
- There are extensive royal museums, temples, a castle fortress on a hillside, and a well-known paper museum, as well as an annual paper fashion show highlighting both the latest style and traditional Korean clothing made of paper.
- The Jeonju Hanok Village (Hanok Maeul) is a traditional-style village located in the heart of Jeonju, housing over 800 traditional "hanok" style buildings. It contains many traditional tea shops, souvenir shops and restaurants.[2]
- The Jeonju International Sori Festival is among Songlines' 25 Best International Festivals in 2014.
- The Jeonju International Film Festival draws about 50,000 visitors annually.
- Jeonju is the hometown of the breakdancing crew Last for One, international Battle of the Year champion.
- To get out, explore, and see a traditional side of Korean life, take a bus from the Jeonju Inter-City bus terminal to Namwon. It takes one hour and is also located nearby Jirisan National Park, which has the tallest mountains on the South Korean mainland.
People and everyday life
Education is a major industry in the city, but it does not have the manufacturing or heavy industries found in other Korean cities. The local mountains and parks are popular for outdoor recreation due to its rural location. There are also various historical sites in the area. The city also has a zoo, a large park, and the Samsung Sound and Culture Hall, a large, modern concert complex on the Chonbuk National University campus.
Administrative districts
Jeonju is divided into 2 wards, Deokjin-gu (덕진구) and Wansan-gu (완산구), which in turn are divided into approximately 40 neighborhoods.
Attractions
- Jeonju International Film Festival - usually runs from end of April to May for one week annually.[3]
Climate
Climate data for Jeonju (1981–2010) | |||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
Average high °C (°F) | 4.4 (39.9) |
6.9 (44.4) |
12.4 (54.3) |
19.6 (67.3) |
24.5 (76.1) |
27.9 (82.2) |
30.2 (86.4) |
31.0 (87.8) |
27.0 (80.6) |
21.5 (70.7) |
13.9 (57) |
7.1 (44.8) |
18.9 (66) |
Daily mean °C (°F) | −0.5 (31.1) |
1.5 (34.7) |
6.3 (43.3) |
12.8 (55) |
18.2 (64.8) |
22.5 (72.5) |
25.8 (78.4) |
26.2 (79.2) |
21.5 (70.7) |
15.0 (59) |
8.3 (46.9) |
2.2 (36) |
13.3 (55.9) |
Average low °C (°F) | −4.6 (23.7) |
−3.0 (26.6) |
1.2 (34.2) |
6.7 (44.1) |
12.5 (54.5) |
17.8 (64) |
22.4 (72.3) |
22.6 (72.7) |
17.1 (62.8) |
9.8 (49.6) |
3.5 (38.3) |
−2.2 (28) |
8.6 (47.5) |
Precipitation mm (inches) | 32.7 (1.287) |
40.0 (1.575) |
54.3 (2.138) |
77.3 (3.043) |
91.5 (3.602) |
167.9 (6.61) |
299.6 (11.795) |
277.5 (10.925) |
137.6 (5.417) |
53.5 (2.106) |
50.2 (1.976) |
31.1 (1.224) |
1,313.1 (51.697) |
Avg. precipitation days (≥ 0.1 mm) | 9.3 | 7.8 | 10.3 | 8.6 | 9.2 | 10.7 | 15.9 | 15.5 | 9.7 | 6.7 | 9.1 | 9.4 | 122.2 |
% humidity | 68.6 | 66.5 | 63.7 | 60.6 | 65.3 | 71.3 | 77.5 | 76.7 | 74.1 | 70.4 | 69.1 | 68.9 | 69.4 |
Mean monthly sunshine hours | 151.6 | 157.7 | 185.9 | 211.7 | 217.9 | 172.7 | 136.7 | 160.6 | 168.1 | 194.6 | 154.5 | 142.3 | 2,054.5 |
Source: Korea Meteorological Administration[4] |
Jeonju, like all of Korea, has 4 distinct seasons. They are spring, summer, fall, and winter. The winters can have a mix of days that are cool to days that are quite cold. The colder days are often influenced by a high pressure front that brings cold air from Siberia. In the summer, the humidity over the Korean peninsula from June through September comes from south east Asia. Temperatures in spring (late April and through May) and fall (after September 25th and though October) are often in the mid 20's℃ and with low humidity. Summer is the best time to visit for those accustomed to hot climates or southern countries. Spring and, especially, fall are the best time to visit for those from northern countries. (From the end of September through October, the climate often takes on a Mediterranean feel and is a great time to visit many nearby mountains and rivers, either in Jeonju or nearby Wanju.)
Sister cities
San Diego, California, United States
Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, China
Kanazawa, Ishikawa Prefecture, Japan
Antalya, Turkey
Gallery
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Central neighbourhood (Wansan District) of Jeonju during the period of Japanese rule
See also
External links
- Jeonju city government home page
- English website aimed at the expatriate community in Jeonju
- Jeonju Hiking & Travel Group
References
- ^ "Jeonju's Gastronomic Greatness Recognized by UNESCO". Chosun Ilbo. 16 May 2012. Retrieved 23 May 2012.
- ^ Jeonju Hanok Village [Slow City] (전주한옥마을 [슬로시티]). Visitkorea.or.kr. Retrieved on 2013-07-12.
- ^ "Jeonju Int'l Film Fest to Open This Week". Chosun Ilbo. 23 April 2012. Retrieved 23 April 2012.
- ^ "평년값자료(1981–2010) 전주(146)". Korea Meteorological Administration. Retrieved 2011-05-21.
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