Gwangju, Gyeonggi
Gwangju[lower-alpha 1] (Korean pronunciation: [kwaŋ.dʑu]) is a city in Gyeonggi Province, South Korea, a suburb southeast of Seoul. The city is not to be confused with the much larger Gwangju Metropolitan City, former capital of South Jeolla Province, South Korea.
Gwangju 광주시 | |
---|---|
Municipal City | |
Korean transcription(s) | |
• Hangul | 광주시 |
• Hanja | 廣州市[1] |
• Revised Romanization | Gwangju-si |
• McCune-Reischauer | Kwangju-si |
Emblem of Gwangju | |
Location in South Korea | |
Country | |
Region | Sudogwon |
Administrative divisions | 3 eup, 3 dong, 4 myeon |
Area | |
• Total | 430.99 km2 (166.41 sq mi) |
Population (December 2013) | |
• Total | 286,699 |
• Density | 665.2/km2 (1,723/sq mi) |
• Dialect | Seoul |
History
Bunwon-ri in Gwangju took an important role of ceramic production during the Kingdom of Joseon. There had official kilns and produced superb quality of white porcelains for use at the royal court and to export to China.[3]
In 1962, 4 myuns(towns) including 5 ris(townships) were incorporated to Seoul.[4]
In 1973, 6 of ris were separated and these came to parts of Seongnam city. In 1979, gwangju myun promoted eup. In fact, Gwangju was a county but became a city in 2001.[5]
Festival
Gwangju Toechon Tomato Festival - Gwangju City, Gyeonggi Province has been holding a festival since 2003 to promote the city's pollution-free tomatoes and sell them to consumers.
Notable people
- Kim Yu-bin (1988), singer and actress
- Choi Soo-young (1990), singer and actress, member of Girls' Generation.
- Lee Hong-gi (1990), singer and actor
- Lee Hye-ri (1994), singer and actress
- Julio Ko (1970), kayaker and educator
- Yoon Si Yoon (1986), actor and variety entertainer
- Chae Hyungwon (1994), member of boy group Monsta X
International relations
Friendship cities
Faku County, Liaoning, China Dornogovi Province, Mongolia Bathurst, New South Wales, Australia
See also
Notes
- In the 19th century, Gwangju was sometimes spelled Koang-tsiou.[2]
References
Citations
- 광주역사-연혁. Archived from the original on 2014-07-18.
- EB (1878), p. 390.
- John Onians (2004). Atlas of World Art. Laurence King Publishing. p. 205p. ISBN 978-1-85669-377-6.
Government-sponsored kilns at punwon-ri, near Seoul, produced an exquisite and distinctive Joseon white porcelain for use at court and for export to China. Its undecorated cream-colored surfaces, and austere elegant shapes were thought to reflect a purity of mind and moral character appropriate for Neo-Confucian patrons.
- Law concerning Seoul metropolitan city, provinces, counties, districts and counties(1962. 11. 21.)
- Establishment of new cities including Hwasung.(2000. 12. 20.)
Bibliography
- Encyclopædia Britannica, 9th ed., Vol. VI, New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1878, pp. 390–394. ,
External links
Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Gwangju (Gyeonggi). |
- City government website (in English)
- City Council website (in Korean)