Namwon (; ''Namwon-si'') 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 ...

North Jeolla North Jeolla Province (; ''Jeollabuk-do''), also known as Jeonbuk, is a province of South Korea. North Jeolla has a population of 1,869,711 (2015) and has a geographic area of 8,067 km2 (3,115 sq mi) located in the Honam region in the southwes ...

Province,

South Korea South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korean Peninsula and sharing a land border with North Korea. Its western border is formed by the Yellow Sea, while its eas ...

. Namwon is about 50 minutes from the provincial capital of

Jeonju Jeonju () is the 16th largest city in South Korea and the capital of North Jeolla Province. It is both urban and rural due to the closeness of Wanju County which almost entirely surrounds Jeonju (Wanju County has many residents who work in Jeonj ...

, which is almost three hours away from

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 ...

. The official city flower is

Royal Azalea ''Rhododendron schlippenbachii'', the royal azalea, is a species of '' Rhododendron'' native to the Korean Peninsula and adjacent regions of Manchuria ( Liaoning, Nei Mongol), Japan, and the Russian Far East. It is the dominant understory shrub ...

() while the city tree is the

crape-myrtle ''Lagerstroemia'' (), commonly known as crape myrtle (also spelled crepe myrtle or crêpe myrtle), is a genus of around 50 species of deciduous and evergreen trees and shrubs native to the Indian subcontinent, southeast Asia, northern Australi ...

() and the city bird is the

swallow The swallows, martins, and saw-wings, or Hirundinidae, are a family of passerine songbirds found around the world on all continents, including occasionally in Antarctica. Highly adapted to aerial feeding, they have a distinctive appearance. The ...

(). Namwon is a small city located just outside

Jirisan National Park Jirisan National Park ( ko, 지리산국립공원, 智異山國立公園) is a national park in South Korea, located on the boundaries of Jeollanam-do, Jeollabuk-do, and Gyeongsangnam-do. It is also located bordering the towns of Namwon, Gurye, ...

, which has the largest set of mountains on the South Korean Mainland. It also borders the Seomjin River, one of South Korea's more prominent rivers. It is 3 hours and 15 minutes from the Seoul Central City Bus Terminal (via direct bus) and about one hour from both the U-Square Bus Terminal in Gwangju and the Jeonju Inter City Bus Terminal (depending on traffic). 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 680 during the reign of King Sinmun of

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. Namwon county was founded on April 1, 1895. The city suffered during the Siege of Namwon in 1597 during the

Imjin War The Imjin River ( in South Korea) or Rimjin River ( in North Korea) is the 7th largest river in Korea. It flows from north to south, crossing the Demilitarized Zone and joining the Han River downstream of Seoul, near the Yellow Sea. The river i ...

. During the siege that lasted from August 13 to 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 Imsil County (''Imsil-gun'') is a county in North Jeolla Province, South Korea. Imsil County is a county in central South Jeolla Province, South Korea. It is an area upstream of the Seomjingang River in the Noryeong Mountains, and there is a basin ...

and Sunchang to the west,

Jangsu Jangsu County (''Jangsu-gun'') is a county in North Jeolla Province, South Korea. It is well known for Jangsu-Galbi. Climate Twin towns – sister cities Jangsu is twinned with: * Anyang, South Korea (1996) * Hapcheon, South Korea (1999) ...

to the north, Hamyang and

Hadong Hadong County (, ''Hadong-gun'') is a county in South Gyeongsang Province, South Korea. It is on the far-west side of the province, bordering South Jeolla Province. The county office is located at Hadeong-eup. History The county of Hadong was call ...

in Gyeongsangnam-do to the east, and

Gurye Gurye (''Gurye-gun'') is a Administrative divisions of South Korea, county in the province of Jeollanam-do, South Korea. Gurye is a small, picturesque farming town situated between Jirisan and the Seomjin River. In the northeastern part of unwaveri ...

and

Gokseong Gokseong County (''Gokseong-gun'') is a county in South Jeolla Province, South Korea. Climate Attractions * Taeansa TempleCin Woo Le"Simply stunning: 33 incredible Korean temples" ''CNN Go''. 10 February 2012. Retrieved 2012-04-12 * Neungpa Towe ...

Jeollanam-do South Jeolla Province (; ''Jeollanam-do''; ), also known as Jeonnam, is a province of South Korea. South Jeolla has a population of 1,902,324 (2014) and has a geographic area of located in the Honam region at the southwestern tip of the Korean ...

to the south.

Climate

Namwon has a

humid continental climate A humid continental climate is a climatic region defined by Russo-German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1900, typified by four distinct seasons and large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers and freezing ...

(

Köppen Köppen is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Bernd Köppen (born 1951), German pianist and composer * Carl Köppen (1833-1907), German military advisor in Meiji era Japan * Edlef Köppen (1893–1939), German author and ...

: ''Dwa''), but can be considered a borderline humid subtropical climate (

: ''Cwa'') using the isotherm. The average yearly temperature of Namwon is with the average temperature in January being and in August. Due to its location in a mountainous basin with a high rate of

precipitation In meteorology, precipitation is any product of the condensation of atmospheric water vapor that falls under gravitational pull from clouds. The main forms of precipitation include drizzle, rain, sleet, snow, ice pellets, graupel and hail. ...

, 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 in January with wind chills making it feel as though it were below . These winds are part of a cold front that comes down from

Siberia Siberia ( ; rus, Сибирь, r=Sibir', p=sʲɪˈbʲirʲ, a=Ru-Сибирь.ogg) is an extensive region, geographical region, constituting all of North Asia, from the Ural Mountains in the west to the Pacific Ocean in the east. It has been a ...

for a very brief time. Temperatures in July and August can often reach , with the humidity making it feel as though it were . 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 25 and through October) are often in the mid 20s °C (73–80 °F) and with low humidity.

Festivals

Chunhyang Festivals

The Chunhyang festival, that commemorates the love, fidelity and integrity of Chunhyang, started when female Korean entertainers created a fund to have a ceremony to honour Chunhyang in 1931, at a time when Korea was colonized by Japan. The festival is known as a festival for love through which the city of Namwon and the cultural assets of Chunhyang are promoted to the global community. The Chunhyang festival, one of the 10 most celebrated festivals in Korea, attracts not only Korean participants but has also become popular among foreigners. Miss Chunhyang Beauty Pageant and other events make the festival memorable and fun for visitors. 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 Hanbok (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.

Baraebong Royal Azalea Festival

From the end of April to mid May, Mt.Jiri is filled with their vivid red and pink flowers. Tourists can see crimson red flowers from the peak of Barae Bong of 1,165m down to Pal Rang Chi. There is a botanical garden and a herb valley nearby Barae Bong.

Namwon Herb Festival

Namwon Herb Festival, holds at Jirisan Mt. Herb Valley every spring and autumn, showcases many herbs that grow around Jirisan Mt.

Heungbu Festival

Namwon is the setting of a Korean traditional novel named Heungbujeon(Story of Heungbu), and this festival is one of the most popular local events. Heungbu Festival opens on September 9 every year in lunar calendar to celebrate the friendship and love of a man named heungbu. Since the first festival held in 1993, it has offered various events including Heungbu theater, farm music competitions and food tasting event made with gourds.

Attractions

Namwon 'The City of Love' has a lot to offer. It has a very clean environment surrounded by Jiri Mountain

. Much of its local and traditional culture and nature have been preserved compared to other places in Korea. * Chunhyang Theme Park * Honbul Literary House * Wanwoljeong Pavilion * Gyoryongsanseong Fortress * Korean Traditional Music Holy Grand * Silsangsa Temple(Historic Site No.309) * Hwangsan Battle Monument(Historic Site No.104) * Manin Cemetery of Righteous Warriors (Historic Site No.272) * Manbok Temple Site, constructed between 1046 and 1083 during the rule of King Munjong of

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 ...

* Gwanghallu Garden, a traditional garden that symbolizes the

universe The universe is all of space and time and their contents, including planets, stars, galaxies, and all other forms of matter and energy. The Big Bang theory is the prevailing cosmological description of the development of the universe. ...

(commonly attributed to the Chunhyang story)

Sister cities

International

Lompoc Lompoc ( ; Chumash: ''Lum Poc'') is a city in Santa Barbara County, California. Located on the Central Coast, Lompoc has a population of 43,834 as of July 2021. Lompoc has been inhabited for thousands of years by the Chumash people, who called ...

, California, United States *

Yancheng Yancheng () is a prefecture-level city in northeastern Jiangsu province, People's Republic of China. As the city with the largest jurisdictional area in Jiangsu, Yancheng borders Lianyungang to the north, Huai'an to the west, Yangzhou and Taiz ...

, Jiangsu, China

Domestic

Seocho Seocho District () is one of the 25 '' gu'' (local government districts) which make up the city of Seoul, South Korea. Seocho is generally referred to as a part of Greater Gangnam Area, along with Gangnam District. As of 2022, Seocho District ra ...

* Guro, Seoul *

Miryang Miryang (perhaps pronounced as Milbeol using Idu script), formerly also spelled as 推火郡 (probably pronounced as Milbeol or Miribeol using Idu script), Milbeol (密伐) and Milseong (密城), is a city in Gyeongsangnam-do Province, South Ko ...

, South Gyeongsang *

Asan Asan () is a city in South Chungcheong Province, South Korea. It borders the Seoul Capital Area to the north. Asan has a population of approximately 300,000. Asan is known for its many hot springs and is a city of spas. Asan has grown into th ...

South Chungcheong South Chungcheong Province ( ko, 충청남도, ''Chungcheongnam-do''), also known as Chungnam, is a province of South Korea. South Chungcheong has a population of 2,059,871 (2014) and has a geographic area of 8,204 km2 (3,168 sq mi) located i ...

Friendship cities

International

Verona Verona ( , ; vec, Verona or ) is a city on the Adige River in Veneto, Italy, with 258,031 inhabitants. It is one of the seven provincial capitals of the region. It is the largest city municipality in the region and the second largest in nor ...

, Veneto, Italy *

Hangzhou Hangzhou ( or , ; , , Standard Mandarin pronunciation: ), also romanized as Hangchow, is the capital and most populous city of Zhejiang, China. It is located in the northwestern part of the province, sitting at the head of Hangzhou Bay, whic ...

, Zhejiang, China * Hioki,

Kagoshima , abbreviated to , is the capital city of Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan. Located at the southwestern tip of the island of Kyushu, Kagoshima is the largest city in the prefecture by some margin. It has been nicknamed the "Naples of the Eastern wor ...

, Japan

Notable people from Namwon

Yongseong Baek Yongseong Jinjong (Korean: 용성 진종, Hanja: 龍城震鍾, 1864—1940) was an important Korean Buddhist master who helped propagate Buddhism in Korea. Primarily grounded in the Seon tradition, he also set about teaching others of Pure ...

(Real Name: ''Baek Sanggyu'',

Hangul The Korean alphabet, known as Hangul, . Hangul may also be written as following South Korea's standard Romanization. ( ) in South Korea and Chosŏn'gŭl in North Korea, is the modern official writing system for the Korean language. The le ...

: 백상규),

Korean Buddhist Korean Buddhism is distinguished from other forms of Buddhism by its attempt to resolve what its early practitioners saw as inconsistencies within the Mahayana Buddhist traditions that they received from foreign countries. To address this, the ...

master * C.W. Kim (Real Name: ''Chon Won'',

: 천원),

Korean American Korean Americans are Americans of Korean ancestry (mostly from South Korea). In 2015, the Korean-American community constituted about 0.56% of the United States population, or about 1.82 million people, and was the fifth-largest Asian American ...

architect * Kim Choon-ho (

: 김춘호), South Korean former professional

tennis player Tennis is a racket sport that is played either individually against a single opponent (singles) or between two teams of two players each (doubles). Each player uses a tennis racket that is strung with cord to strike a hollow rubber ball cove ...

* Choi Ihn-suk (

: 최인석), South Korean writer, playwright and screenwriter *

Chang Yoon-hee Chang Yoon-hee (; born ) is a retired South Korean female volleyball player. She was part of the South Korea women's national volleyball team. On the club level she played with Honam Oil, which later became LG Oil and then GS Caltex. ...

(

: 장윤희), South Korean former female

volleyball player This is a list of top international volleyball players. A * Foluke Akinradewo * Carolina Albuquerque * Todor Aleksiev * Ana Ida Alvares * Thiago Soares Alves * Dante Amaral * Andrea Anastasi * Matt Anderson * Stéphane Antiga * Halina As ...

* Jang Deog-cheon (

: 장덕천), South Korean lawyer, politician and current mayor of Bucheon * Choe Kang-wook (

: 최강욱), South Korean lawyer, politician and the President of the Open Democratic Party (ODP) * Seo Sun-hwa (

: 서선화), South Korean

sports shooter Shooting sports is a group of competitive and recreational sporting activities involving proficiency tests of accuracy, precision and speed in shooting — the art of using ranged weapons, mainly small arms (firearms and airguns, in forms such as ...

* Oh Eun-sun (

: 오은선), South Korean

mountaineer Mountaineering or alpinism, is a set of outdoor activities that involves ascending tall mountains. Mountaineering-related activities include traditional outdoor climbing, skiing, and traversing via ferratas. Indoor climbing, sport climbing, an ...

Jungyup Ahn Jung-yeop (Hangul: 안정엽, born February 25, 1977), better known by the mononym Jungyup (Hangul The Korean alphabet, known as Hangul, . Hangul may also be written as following South Korea's standard Romanization. ( ) in South K ...

(Real Name: ''Ahn Jung-yeop'',

: 안정엽), singer and leader of the South Korean R&B group Brown Eyed Soul * Huihyeon (Real Name: ''Ki Hui-hyeon'',

: 기희현), singer, rapper, dancer, actress and

K-pop idol An idol () refers to a type of celebrity working in the field of K-pop in fandom culture in South Korea, either as a member of a group or as a solo act. K-pop idols are characterized by the highly manufactured star system that they are produced by ...

, leader and member of K-pop girlgroup DIA and its subunit BinChaenHyunSeuS

Gallery

File:Namwon Tourist Complex (2010) 1.JPG, Namwon Tourist Complex - 2010 (1) File:Namwon Tourist Complex (2010) 2.JPG, Namwon Tourist Complex - 2010 (2) File:Namwon Countryside - Keumji Myeon - 2010(1).jpg, Namwon Countryside - Keumji Myeon - 2010(1) File:Namwon Countryside - Keumji Myeon - 2010(2).jpg, Namwon Countryside - Keumji Myeon - 2010(2) File:Namwon Countryside - Keumji Myeon - 2010(3).jpg, Namwon Countryside - Keumji Myeon - 2010(3) File:Namwon Countryside - Jucheon Myeon - 2010(1).jpg, Namwon Countryside - Jucheon Myeon - 2010(1) File:Namwon Countryside - Jucheon Myeon - 2010(2).jpg, Namwon Countryside - Jucheon Myeon - 2010(2) File:Namwon Countryside - Jucheon Myeon - 2010(3).jpg, Namwon Countryside - Jucheon Myeon - 2010(3) File:Namwon Countryside - Suji Myeon - 2010(1).jpg, Namwon Countryside - Suji Myeon - 2010(1) File:Namwon Countryside - Suji Myeon - 2010(2).jpg, Namwon Countryside - Suji Myeon - 2010(2) File:Namwon Countryside - Suji Myeon - 2010(3).jpg, Namwon Countryside - Suji Myeon - 2010(3) File:Biking through Namwon - September 2010 (9).jpg, Namwon Countryside - Ibeak Myeon - 2010(1) File:Biking through Namwon - September 2010 (11).jpg, Namwon Countryside - Ibeak Myeon - 2010(2) File:Biking through Namwon - September 2010 (10).jpg, Namwon Countryside - Ibeak Myeon - 2010(3) File:Namwon Countryside - Ibeak Myeon - 2010(4).JPG, Namwon Countryside - Ibeak Myeon - 2010(4) File:Namwon17.jpg, Namwon on a clear summer day - July, 2007. File:Biking through Namwon - September 2010 (29).jpg, Namwon Countryside - Unbong Myeon - 2010(1) File:Biking through Namwon - September 2010 (43).jpg, Namwon Countryside - Unbong Myeon - 2010(2) File:Yocheon River (Namwon), in spring.jpg, Yocheon River in spring (2008) - I File:Yocheon River (Namwon), in spring (1).jpg, Yocheon River in spring (2008) - II File:Along the Yocheon River (2010).JPG, Namwon - along the Yocheon River (2010). File:Namwon.JPG, Namwon view of the Yocheon river from Agibong mountain - 2012.

References

External links

City government website
{{Authority control Cities in North Jeolla Province

History

Geography

Climate

Festivals

Chunhyang Festivals

Baraebong Royal Azalea Festival

Namwon Herb Festival

Heungbu Festival

Attractions

Sister cities

International

Domestic

Friendship cities

International

Notable people from Namwon

See also

Gallery

References

External links