Andong () is a

city A city is a human settlement of notable size.Goodall, B. (1987) ''The Penguin Dictionary of Human Geography''. London: Penguin.Kuper, A. and Kuper, J., eds (1996) ''The Social Science Encyclopedia''. 2nd edition. London: Routledge. It can be def ...

in South Korea, and the capital of

North Gyeongsang Province North Gyeongsang Province ( ko, 경상북도, translit=Gyeongsangbuk-do, ) is a province in eastern South Korea. The province was formed in 1896 from the northern half of the former Gyeongsang province, and remained a province of Korea until the ...

. It is the largest city in the northern part of the province with a population of 167,821 as of October 2010. The

Nakdong River The Nakdonggang River or Nakdonggang () is the longest river in South Korea, and passes through major cities such as Daegu and Busan. It takes its name from its role as the eastern border of the Gaya confederacy during Korea's Three Kingdoms Er ...

flows through the city. Andong is a market centre for the surrounding agricultural areas. Since the 1970s Andong has developed rapidly, although the population has fallen by nearly seventy thousand as people have moved away to

Seoul Seoul (; ; ), officially known as the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea.Before 1972, Seoul was the ''de jure'' capital of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea) as stated iArticle 103 of ...

Busan Busan (), officially known as is South Korea's most populous city after Seoul, with a population of over 3.4 million inhabitants. Formerly romanized as Pusan, it is the economic, cultural and educational center of southeastern South Korea, ...

, Daegu and other urban centres. In the late 1990s and early 2000s it became a tourism and cultural center. Andong is known as a centre of culture and

folk tradition Folklore is shared by a particular group of people; it encompasses the traditions common to that culture, subculture or group. This includes oral traditions such as tales, legends, proverbs and jokes. They include material culture, ranging fro ...

s. The surrounding area maintains many types of traditions and the Andong Folk Festival is held in mid October every year. One of the most famous aspects of these cultural festivities are the Andong

mask A mask is an object normally worn on the face, typically for protection, disguise, performance, or entertainment and often they have been employed for rituals and rights. Masks have been used since antiquity for both ceremonial and pra ...

Andong National University Andong National University is a government-operated university in Andong City, North Gyeongsang province, South Korea. It enrolls roughly 6500 students. It contains undergraduate colleges of Humanities, Social Sciences, Education, Natural Sciences ...

, specialising in education and Korean folklore, has grown rapidly since the 1970s. Other tertiary institutions include

Andong Science College Andong Science College is a small technical college in Seohu-myeon, Andong City, North Gyeongsang province, South Korea. It employs about 75 full-time instructors. Academic departments include nursing, public health administration, cyber-terror ...

and

Catholic Sangji College Catholic Sangji College is a private 2-year college affiliated with the South Korean Roman Catholic church. It is located in the city center of Andong City, North Gyeongsang province, South Korea. The president is Yu Gang-ha (유강하). As a ...

History

Around 1 BC, Andong was founded by the

Jinhan Jinhan () was a loose confederacy of chiefdoms that existed from around the 1st century BC to the 4th century AD in the southern Korean Peninsula, to the east of the Nakdong River valley, Gyeongsang Province. Jinhan was one of the Samhan (or "T ...

people, and it was known as Gochang. During the

Three Kingdoms period The Three Kingdoms () from 220 to 280 AD was the tripartite division of China among the dynastic states of Cao Wei, Shu Han, and Eastern Wu. The Three Kingdoms period was preceded by the Eastern Han dynasty and was followed by the We ...

, the area was controlled by the

Silla Silla or Shilla (57 BCE – 935 CE) ( , Old Korean: Syera, Old Japanese: Siraki2) was a Korean kingdom located on the southern and central parts of the Korean Peninsula. Silla, along with Baekje and Goguryeo, formed the Three Kingdoms ...

kingdom. The Battle of Gochang in 930 was fought here between

Hubaekje Hubaekje or Later Baekje (, ) was one of the Later Three Kingdoms of Korea, along with Taebong and Silla. Later Baekje was a Korean dynastic kingdom founded by the disaffected Silla general Gyeon Hwon in 900, whom led the local gentry and p ...

forces and the

Goryeo Goryeo (; ) was a Korean kingdom founded in 918, during a time of national division called the Later Three Kingdoms period, that unified and ruled the Korean Peninsula until 1392. Goryeo achieved what has been called a "true national unificat ...

army led by Wanggeon, who won control of the city and renamed it Andong. After the ascent of the

Joseon dynasty Joseon (; ; Middle Korean: 됴ᇢ〯션〮 Dyǒw syéon or 됴ᇢ〯션〯 Dyǒw syěon), officially the Great Joseon (; ), was the last dynastic kingdom of Korea, lasting just over 500 years. It was founded by Yi Seong-gye in July 1392 and r ...

to the throne of Korea, Andong became a centre of

Confucianism Confucianism, also known as Ruism or Ru classicism, is a system of thought and behavior originating in ancient China. Variously described as tradition, a philosophy, a religion, a humanistic or rationalistic religion, a way of governing, or a ...

. The area was extremely conservative for a long time and produced many leading confucian scholars. Toe-gye Yi Hwang (1501–70), one of the most prominent of all Korean scholars, came from Andong. Yi Hwang retired back to his homeland late in life and started the establishment of the great Confucian academy

Dosan Seowon Dosan Seowon (alternatively, ''Tosansowon'') was established in 1574 in what is present day Andong, South Korea, in memory of and four years after the death of Korean Confucian scholar Yi Hwang by some of his disciples and other Korean Confucian ...

there, which was finished after his death. During this period Andong and its principal families were influential within Korean political circles, of which the three notable families were the Andong Kim, Andong Jang and Andong

Kwon Gwon also written as Kwon () is a Korean family name. Some sources list as many 56 clans, but most of them were merged with the Andong Gwon clan under the Sijeung-gong faction soon after the establishment of the Goryeo Kingdom. Andong Gwon cla ...

clans. After the 16th century Andong became less influential until the early 19th century, when a marriage of the local

Kim Kim or KIM may refer to: Names * Kim (given name) * Kim (surname) ** Kim (Korean surname) *** Kim family (disambiguation), several dynasties **** Kim family (North Korea), the rulers of North Korea since Kim Il-sung in 1948 ** Kim, Vietnamese f ...

family resulted in strong influence on the royal family. Andong was the site of intense fighting during the

Korean War , date = {{Ubl, 25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953 (''de facto'')({{Age in years, months, weeks and days, month1=6, day1=25, year1=1950, month2=7, day2=27, year2=1953), 25 June 1950 – present (''de jure'')({{Age in years, months, weeks a ...

in the early 1950s, the Battle of Andong. Although the city was almost destroyed, it was quickly rebuilt. In 1976 the

Andong Dam The Andong Dam is an embankment dam on the Nakdong River, east of Andong in Gyeongsangbuk-do province, South Korea. The purpose of the dam is flood control, water supply and hydroelectric power generation. Construction of the dam began in 19 ...

was built, providing the city with a reliable source of electricity. In 1999,

Her Majesty the Queen Elizabeth II Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 1926 – 8 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until her death in 2022. She was queen regnant of 32 sovereign states during h ...

of the United Kingdom celebrated her 73rd

birthday A birthday is the anniversary of the birth of a person, or figuratively of an institution. Birthdays of people are celebrated in numerous cultures, often with birthday gifts, birthday cards, a birthday party, or a rite of passage. Many re ...

in the city. There is an exhibit dedicated to this historic visit at Hahoe folk village museum.

Andong soju Andong soju (; in some brand names ) is a traditional type of distilled soju produced in Andong, North Gyeongsang Province, South Korea. Brewing Andong soju is an alcoholic drink. ''Eumsik dimibang'' (a 17th-century cookbook written by Ja ...

is made using traditional methods that are centuries old unlike its popular modern counterparts. It is protected by government regulation to preserve authenticity and commands a steep premium in the marketplace.

Administrative divisions

Andong is divided into 1 eup, 13 myeon and 10 dong. The following is a list of eup, myeon and dong:

Local specialty foods

Andong has famous local foods that originated in the city such as '' heotjesabap'', '' Andong jjimdak'', ''

'' (a rice wine), '' Andong sikhye'' (a punch), '' Geonjin guksu'' (a noodle dish), and salted mackerel. ''Heotjesabap'' is a variety of ''

bibimbap Bibimbap * ( , from Korean , literally "mixed rice"), sometimes romanized as bi bim bap or bi bim bop, is a Korean rice dish. The term "bibim" means "mixing" and " bap" refers to cooked rice. ''Bibimbap'' is served as a bowl of warm white ri ...

'', served with soy sauce (''ganjang'') instead of the '' gochujang'' (hot pepper paste) that is more commonly used. ''Heotjesa bab'' consists mainly of several types of ''

namul Namul ( ko, 나물) refers to either a variety of edible grass or leaves or seasoned herbal dishes made of them. Wild greens are called ''san-namul'' (, "mountain namul"), and spring vegetables are called ''bom-namul'' (, "spring namul"). On t ...

'' (young sprouted vegetables) over white rice. It is also served with grilled fish, shark, and '' jeon'' (Korean pancake). The dish originated in Andong. The term, ''Heotjesa bap'' literally means "dishes for fake ''

jesa Jesa (, ) is a ceremony commonly practiced in the East Asian cultural sphere. Jesa functions as a memorial to the ancestors of the participants. Jesa are usually held on the anniversary of the ancestor's death. The majority of Catholics, Bud ...

''" that are ceremonies for

death anniversary A death anniversary (or deathday) is the anniversary of the death of a person. It is the opposite of birthday. It is a custom in several Asian cultures, including Azerbaijan, Armenia, Cambodia, China, Georgia, Hong Kong, Taiwan, India, Myanma ...

and ancestor veneration held in Korea. The reason it is considered fake is that it is not covered in incense ash, as would happen to any food sacrificed in a jesa ritual. ''Andong jjimdak'' is a variety of '' jjim'' (a Korean steamed or braised dish), made with chicken, cellophane noodles, and various vegetables

marinated Marinating is the process of soaking foods in a seasoned, often acidic, liquid before cooking. The origin of the word alludes to the use of brine (''aqua marina'' or sea water) in the pickling process, which led to the technique of adding flavor b ...

in a ''ganjang'' (

Korean soy sauce Soy sauce (also called simply soy in American English and soya sauce in British English) is a liquid condiment of Chinese origin, traditionally made from a fermented paste of soybeans, roasted grain, brine, and ''Aspergillus oryzae'' or '' Asp ...

) based sauce. The name literally means "steamed chicken of Andong." There are many speculations on the origins of the dish. One is that the it is a specialty food of the inner rich village of Andong during the

Joseon period Joseon (; ; Middle Korean: 됴ᇢ〯션〮 Dyǒw syéon or 됴ᇢ〯션〯 Dyǒw syěon), officially the Great Joseon (; ), was the last dynastic kingdom of Korea, lasting just over 500 years. It was founded by Yi Seong-gye in July 1392 and re ...

, prepared and eaten for special occasions. The more likely explanation is that during the 1980s in the ''Dak golmok'' (, literally "chicken alley") of the "Andong Old Market," restaurant owners there made a dish including ingredients that regulars demanded, which became the current ''Andong

jjimdak Andong-jjimdak () is a variety of ''jjim'' (a Korean steamed or boiled dish), which originated in the city of Andong, Gyeongsangbuk-do Province and is made with chicken, various vegetables marinated in a ''ganjang'' (Korean soy sauce) based sauc ...

''. Restaurateurs in the area claim it was invented by five local old women who had limited chicken supplies and wanted to stretch it out. The most plausible speculation among existing assumptions is that merchants of the ''Dak golmok'' at the market created the dish to keep their position against the rapid expansion of Western fried chicken shops. ''Andong Soju'' is a specialty of the region. It is made with natural ingredients, unlike mass-produced brands, it was historically used for medicinal purposes, and was developed during the

Silla dynasty Silla or Shilla (57 BCE – 935 CE) ( , Old Korean: Syera, Old Japanese: Siraki2) was a Korean kingdom located on the southern and central parts of the Korean Peninsula. Silla, along with Baekje and Goguryeo, formed the Three Kingdoms of Ko ...

. The traditions of Andong Soju were almost lost during the '60s and '70s due to government legislation, but they were brought back by Cho Ok-hwa, the current skillholder. Andong soju was traditionally made by the wife of a household, and she passed down the secrets to her daughters-in-law. '' Mackerel'' is another popular local delicacy. Caught downstream where the

meets the sea, in ancient times the fish would spoil before being brought further inland. Using special salting techniques, Andong was the furthest inland the fish could be brought, so aristocrats would travel to Andong specially for the salted fish. ''

Sikhye ''Sikhye'' (식혜, also spelled ''shikhye'' or ''shikeh''; also occasionally termed ''dansul'' or ''gamju'') is a traditional sweet Korean rice beverage, usually served as a dessert. In addition to its liquid ingredients, S''ikhye'' contains g ...

'' is a fermented rice punch served across Korea. The Andong variety, however, is particularly spicy, made with powdered red pepper, ginger, and radish. Sikhye contains

lactobacillus ''Lactobacillus'' is a genus of Gram-positive, aerotolerant anaerobes or microaerophilic, rod-shaped, non-spore-forming bacteria. Until 2020, the genus ''Lactobacillus'' comprised over 260 phylogenetically, ecologically, and metabolically div ...

, a benign strain of bacteria found in the gastrointestinal tract, and often used as a digestive aid in dishes including

kimchi ''Kimchi'' (; ko, 김치, gimchi, ), is a traditional Korean side dish of salted and fermented vegetables, such as napa cabbage and Korean radish. A wide selection of seasonings are used, including '' gochugaru'' (Korean chili powder), ...

, yogurt, and sauerkraut, among others.

Culture

Museums

Andong Soju Andong soju (; in some brand names ) is a traditional type of distilled soju produced in Andong, North Gyeongsang Province, South Korea. Brewing Andong soju is an alcoholic drink. ''Eumsik dimibang'' (a 17th-century cookbook written by Ja ...

and Traditional Food Museum * Gyeongsangbuk-do Forest Science Museum * Kwon Jeong Saeng Fairy Tale Museum * Municipal Folk Museum * Seonseonghyun Cultural Heritage Complex * Traditional Cultural Contents Museum

Parks

* Gyemyeongsan Recreation Forest * Amsan Pleasure Ground

Villages

* Andong Gunja Village * Yeumteo Village * Jirye Arts Village *

Hahoe Folk Village The Hahoe Folk Village (Korean: 안동하회마을) is a traditional village from the Joseon Dynasty, located in Andong, Gyeongsangbuk-do, South Korea. The 'Ha' is short for river and 'hoe' means to 'turn around, return, come back. The village i ...

Confuncian Academies

Byeongsan Seowon The Byeongsan Seowon is a ''seowon'' located in Byeongsa-ri village of the Pungcheon-myeon township in the city of Andong, North Gyeongsang Province, South Korea. Seowon is a type of local academy during the Joseon Dynasty (1392–1897). It was ...

* Imcheon Seowon * Gosan Seowon

Mountains

* Gallasan Mountain * Cheondeungsan Mountain

Monuments

* Gyeongsangbuk-do Independence Movement Memorial

Experiences

* Dosan Hot Spring * Andong Maskdance Festival * Hahoe Mask Dance. * Hakgasan Hot Spring * Top-bliss Golf Club * Imhaho Camping Water Leisure Town * HuGreen Golf Club * Danho Sand Park Camping Site * Danho Sand Park Camping Site * HuGreen Golf Club * Top-bliss Golf Club * Ontrepieum

Architecture

Historical

Bongjeongsa Bongjeongsa is a Korean Buddhism, Buddhist temple on the slopes of Mount Cheondeung in Andong city, North Gyeongsang Province, South Korea. It is a subsidiary temple of Gounsa, the head temple of the 16th branch of Jogye Order.(in Korean봉정 ...

, a Buddhist monastery * Nongam Jongtaek * Andong imcheonggak * Taesamyo * Confucian Land

Modern

* Gyeongbuk Provincial Government Office

Education

* Andong Manner School * Advanced Center for Korean Studies

Sports

* Andong Gymnasium

Visitor attractions in Andong

The

is perhaps the most notable folk village in South Korea. This village is listed by the South Korean government with

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. It ...

as a

World Heritage A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for ...

site with

Yangdong Folk Village Yangdong Folk Village (Yangdong Village of Gyeongju) is a traditional yangban (Korean Aristocracy) village from the Joseon dynasty. The village is located in Gangdong-myeon, sixteen kilometers northeast of Gyeongju, Gyeongsangbuk-do, South Kor ...

in 2010. Andong is also a home of Confucian studies and academies during the

Joseon Dynasty Joseon (; ; Middle Korean: 됴ᇢ〯션〮 Dyǒw syéon or 됴ᇢ〯션〯 Dyǒw syěon), officially the Great Joseon (; ), was the last dynastic kingdom of Korea, lasting just over 500 years. It was founded by Yi Seong-gye in July 1392 and r ...

. The notable examples of

seowon Seowon () were the most common educational institutions of Korea during the mid- to late Joseon Dynasty. They were private institutions, and combined the functions of a Confucian shrine and a preparatory school. In educational terms, the seowon ...

, or Confucian academy are

that enshrines

Yi Hwang Yi Hwang (January 3, 1502– January 3, 1571) was the most important Korean philosopher, writer, and Confucian scholar of the Joseon Dynasty. He was a figure of the Neo-Confucian literati, established the Yeongnam School and set up the Dosan S ...

for

Yu Seong-ryong Ryu Seong-ryong (November 1542 – May 1607), was a scholar-official of the Joseon Dynasty of Korea. He held many responsibilities including the Chief State Councillor position in 1592. He was a member of the "Eastern faction", and a follower o ...

, Imcheon Seowon for

Kim Seong-il Kim Seong-il (; 1538–1593) was a Joseon dynasty politician and ambassador. He was a member of the Eastern faction in the Joseon court. He served as envoy to Japan in a Tongsinsa, along with Ho Song and Hwang Yun-gil in 1590, and met with th ...

, Gosan Seowon, Hwacheon Seowon and others. Other notable visitor destinations are Sisadan, Jirye Artists' Colony,

temple and Andong Icheondong Seokbulsang aka Jebiwon Stone Buddha. Andong also has

. In the area where Andong Dam is located, there is a monument to the Andong Samil Movement to honor the

March 1st Movement The March 1st Movement, also known as the Sam-il (3-1) Movement (Hangul: 삼일 운동; Hanja: 三一運動), was a protest movement by Korean people and students calling for independence from Japan in 1919, and protesting forced assimilation ...

. In addition, there are Wonmom theme parks and Unbu parks.

Festival

Andong International Mask Dance Festival

Climate

Andong is located in the mountainous region of central South Korea and is part of the temperate climate. Temperatures vary widely, fog is high at 79 days per year, seasonal winds are northwest in winter and northwest in summer.

Gallery

Image:Korea-Andong-Sisadan-01.jpg, Sisadan Image:Korean-Andong-Buyongdae-01.jpg, Buyeongdae Image:Korea-Andong-Hahoe.Village-03.jpg, Andong

soju (; Hangul: ; Hanja: ) is a clear and colorless Korean distilled alcoholic beverage. It is usually consumed neat. Its alcohol content varies from about 12.9% to 53% alcohol by volume (ABV), although since 2007 low alcohol soju below 20% h ...

and hahoe mask Image:Korea-Andong-Nakdong River-03.jpg, Bridge near Andong dam. Image:Andong Gu Market.jpg, Andong Gu Market, food market in downtown Andong Image:Woryeong Bridge Andong.JPG, , Bridge in Sang-a dong, Andong

Sister cities

Bacolod, Negros Occidental Bacolod, officially the City of Bacolod (; hil, Dakbanwa/Syudad sang Bacolod; fil, Lungsod ng Bacolod), is a 1st class Cities of the Philippines#Legal classification, highly urbanized city in the Regions of the Philippines, region of Western ...

, Philippines * Sagae, Yamagata Prefecture, Japan * Partnership of kindness with: *

People from Andong

Cho Yoon-jeong Cho Yoon-jeong ( ko, 조윤정, born 2 April 1979) is a retired South Korean tennis player. In her career, she won one doubles title on the WTA Tour, at Seoul in 2004. Her best Grand Slam performance came when she made the third round of the ...

(born 1979), tennis player * Ji Han-jae (born 1936), martial artist,

Hapkido Hapkido ( , , also spelled ''hap ki do'' or ''hapki-do''; from Korean 합기도 ''hapgido'' ) is a hybrid Korean martial art. It is a form of self-defense that employs joint locks, grappling, throwing techniques, kicks, punches, and other s ...

grandmaster and actor *

Lee Elijah Lee Elijah (born February 19, 1990) is a South Korean actress. She debuted with leading role in 2013 tvN's drama ''Basketball''. After several years in major supporting roles, she was cast as lead again with JTBC's ''The Good Detective'' (2020) ...

(born 1990), actress *

Lee Jae-myung Lee Jae-myung (; born 22 December 1964) is a South Korean politician serving as a member of the National Assembly and the leader of the Democratic Party of Korea. Lee was the nominee of the Democratic Party in the 2022 South Korean presidenti ...

(born 1964), Governor of

Gyeonggi Province Gyeonggi-do (, ) is the most populous province in South Korea. Its name, ''Gyeonggi'', means "京 (the capital) and 畿 (the surrounding area)". Thus, ''Gyeonggi-do'' can be translated as "Seoul and the surrounding areas of Seoul". Seoul, the na ...

* Kim Jin-kyu (1922–1998), actor, film director and producer *

Kim Jong-gil Kim Jong-gil (Hangul: 김종길; November 5, 1926 – April 1, 2017) was an early-modern South Korean poet. Life Kim Jong-gil was born on November 5, 1926, in Andong, Gyeongsangbuk-do, Korea. and graduated from Korea University with undergradu ...

(1926–2017), poet *

Kim Mi-soon Kim Mi-soon () is a South Korean Paralympic archer. Kim is from Andong, South Korea. She began archery in 2010 and made her international debut in 2014. She competed at the 2016 Summer Paralympics where she won bronze medals in the Archery at ...

, Paralympic archer *

Park Ki-woong Park Ki-woong (born February 13, 1985) is a South Korean actor. He is best known for the TV series '' The Slingshot'' (2009) and '' Bridal Mask'' (2012), Return (2018) and Rookie Historian Goo Hae-ryung (2019) as well as the films ''My Tutor F ...

(born 1985), actor * Park So-yeon (born 1987), singer, actress and K-pop

idol Idol or Idols may refer to: Religion and philosophy * Cult image, a neutral term for a man-made object that is worshipped or venerated for the deity, spirit or demon that it embodies or represents * Murti, a point of focus for devotion or medit ...

(

T-ara T-ara (; ko, 티아라) are a South Korean girl group formed by MBK Entertainment in 2009, consists of four members: Qri, Eunjung, Hyomin and Jiyeon. T-ara's career is marked by hook-heavy dance-pop music, a result of their close partners ...

) * Kim "Canna" Chang-dong (born 2000), professional

League of Legends ''League of Legends'' (''LoL''), commonly referred to as ''League'', is a 2009 multiplayer online battle arena video game developed and published by Riot Games. Inspired by '' Defense of the Ancients'', a custom map for ''Warcraft III'', ...

player, currently a top laner for

DWG KIA DWG KIA, commonly referred to as DAMWON KIA ( ko, 담원 기아) and formerly known as DAMWON Gaming (abbr. DWG; ko, 담원 게이밍, links=no), is a South Korean professional esports organization. Its ''League of Legends'' team competes in t ...

External links

*
City government websiteAndong : Official Site of Korea Tourism Org

References

{{Authority control Cities in North Gyeongsang Province