Cheongju capital city of Chungcheongbuk-do bars and nightlife

Cheongju (청주) is a capital city of Chungcheongbuk-do (province). Cheongju is located 128km south-east of Seoul and capital city of Chungchongbuk-do.The dry and wet season are clearly divided, so the summer has south-east or south-west winds of heat and moisture, while the winter has north-west cold and dry winds.

Cheongju may be famous for its university as so many high level university in the city such as Chungbuk National University, Cheongju University, Seowon University, Cheongju National University of Education, Chung Cheong College.

Cheongju City Information

Cheongju City has a total area of 153.31㎢ and a total population of 615,155, with an economically active population of 700,000. It is a T-shaped city with its towns developed towards the south and north, following Musimcheon. It has 1,587 public officials. Its financial resources have reached 491.5 billion won, and it enjoys a financial independence rate of 63.8%. Road extension in the city is 944km, with a 99.2%paving rate.

It has a water supply production capability per day of, distribution rate is 95.3, and the car-registration number has reached 196,944, with 0.93 per household.

Cheongju, aside from being the home of the Hanhwa Eagles baseball team and the Korean Air Force Academy, is also the provincial capital of Chungcheongbuk-do and a fairly large city of over 600,000 souls. Unlike nearby Daejeon, which is essentially a product of colonial rule, Cheongju has been a regional center for centuries, sitting as it does amidst some of Korea’s finest farmland. The city grew significantly with the opening of the Chungbuk railway line in the 1920s; this development has left behind a pretty significant modern architectural heritage that includes public offices and schools.

Cheongju is a major transportation hub, so getting there shouldn’t present a problem. Most of the modern historic sites are in the old downtown area of Sangdang-gu.

Special products of Cheongju are locally brewed Judube wine, pottery and aerated water which includes several kinds of mineral.

Cheongju is also famous for the education and cultural city where the oldest metal-printed book"Jigji" was made. Cheongju is peacefull place and they are proud of natural beauty and their history over 1000 years.

The city also features an intriguing traditional covered market downtown selling all manner of wares, from de-boned pig faces to plastic toy swords to live eels, and a maze of walking streets lines with shops of all description.

How to access Cheongju

Cheongju is also located conveniently in the central area of Korea. From here, you can take a bus to Seoul (90 minutes), Daejon (30 minutes), Pusan (4 hours) or a number of other important destinations. It is a clean and exceptionally safe city, and has a number of good bars where the foreigners like to hang out, in the university sector. Attic Bar and Pearl Jam are two of the most popular.

Cheongju National Museum

The Cheongju National Museum opened on October 30, 1987. Its mission is to survey, study, and display the cultural heritage of Chungcheongbuk-do Province and educate the public onthe unique provincial culture.

The museum is at the east foot of Mt. Uamsan and surrounded by beautiful scenery.

The museum building was designed by Swoogeun Kim, Korea’s most renowned architect, and represents a major step forward in design of contemporary Korean buildings. The low yet strong roof lining of the museum naturally harmonizes the building with the surrounding mountain environment, making the museum one of the most beautiful of all throughout Korea.

The museum has a permanent collection of some 2,300 artifacts excavated from Chungcheongbuk-do Province dating from the prehistoric ages to the Joseon Dynasty. The exhibits are chronologically presented to help viewers better grasp and understand the history and cultureof Chungcheongbuk-do Province. On display outdoors are restored relics including a hearth for producing iron from Seokjang-ri, Jincheon dating back to the Baekje Kingdom, and tombs of the Unified Silla from Yongdam-dong, Cheongju. The museum holds special exhibitions and traveling exhibitions every year.

Cheongju main attractions :

There are many things to see and do in Cheongju. Why not take a trip to the Early Printing Museum? It may be small but it can tell you everything you wanted to know about Jikji, a book of Buddhist sayings, the oldest book in the world printed with movable metal parts. Although the book is not at the museum (it was purchased by the National Library of France in 1853), it is still a great place to visit.

What about strolling next door to the Korean Craft Museum? This exhibition centre is three storeys high and contains wonderful displays of creative modern ceramics and other crafts produced by local leading artists.

The Heungdeok Seongdang is not to be missed. It is a fortress-like Catholic church (Jijingno) which still holds Mass in English every Sunday at 5pm.

Some of main attractions of Cheongju :

1. Heungdeok Temple Site.
This temple is the home to the Early Printing Museum, and is purported to be the site of the printing of Jikji, the oldest existent book printed using movable metal type. The museum itself contains exhibits related to the art of printing through the ages.

In Huengdeok Temple precinct is the Ancient Printing Museum located where the Buddhist text titled "Jikji" printed by removable metal types for thefirst time in the world.

2. Sangdangsanseong(Sangdang Moutain Fortress).
It lies on the slopes of Mt. Uam within the city limits. The fortress is comprised mainly of a 3-4 metre tall wall that stretches over 4.2 kilometers in circumference. The present walls date to the 1716 restoration of the site. Within the walls lies a small tourist village that has several restaurants.

National historic site No. 212. Located in Sanseong-dong, Sangdang-gu, Cheongju, the site is a stone wall fortress of large scale ¹)pogok-style, with a circumference of 4.2km and a height of 3m to 4m.

3. Snagdang-sanseong is a parabolic stone fortress. Its name might come from Snagdang-hyeon of Beakje, one of Three Kingdoms. Its circumference is 4Km long, and the size of its inner part is 1,808,000m². Unfortunately the exact construction year is unknown, but the historical book on Three kingdoms called Samguksagi shows some records of the site. The present fortress is the one
rebuilt in the year of King Sukjong(1716) after its reparation during the invasion of Japan in the 29th year of King Seonjo(1596).

4. Chungyeolsa Shrine dedicated to SONG Sanghyeol
Monument No.16 : It is an ancestral shrine for the memorial tablet of Dongnaebusa Song Sang-hyeon who died fighting during the)Japanese Invasion of Korea. In the second year of King Gwanghaegun's (1610) reign, the tomb was moved here from Dongnae and the shrine was then built.

5. Sinjeondonggoga (Ancient house in Sinjeon-dong, Cheongju)
Tangible Cultural Property No.145: The house was built in 1926 and ³)Sangnyang-mun is recorded in Jong-dori Jangyeo (beam) of the main building.

Bars in Cheongju

The following is a list of bars in Cheongju. As we are still trying to get around to doing complete profiles for nightlife in all cities of Korea.

1. Attic
2. Buzz Bar. Located in Chungdae Jungmun this is the place to go if you like Guinness on tap with some cheese nachos.
3. Harlem. Located in Chun Dae Chun Moom a few streets away from Pearl Jam
4. Hunters
5. Kiss Night Club. Cheongju's hippest night club is located directly across the street from the less popular 'Don't Tell Mama' in Ha Buk Dae.
6. Pearl Jam. Located in Chungdae Jungmun. This bar is one of the main places to meet other Westerners. Hoppin' on the weekends there is often live music with both Western and Korean bands.
7. Road King. Located in Chun Dae Chun Moon this bar caters primarily to Westerners on the weekend.
8. 86 Bar. Located in Chun Dae Chun Moom in the basement of a small building is 86 Bar.

Photos of Cheongju

A view of Cheongju from the local mountain fortress, Sangdangsanseong.

Chungyeolsa Shrine dedicated to SONG Sanghyeol

Heungdeok Temple Site. Heungdeok Temple Site is the home to the Early Printing Museum, and is purported to be the site of the printing of Jikji, the oldest existant book printed using movable metal type.

Ramada Plaza Cheongju. Located at 500-3 Yulryang-Dong, Sangdang-Gu, Cheongju, 360-817 KR

Sangdangsanseong(Sangdang Moutain Fortress). Sangdangsanseong (Sangdang Mountain Fortress) lies on the slopes of Mt. Uam within the city limits. The fortress is comprised mainly of a 3-4 meter-high wall that stretches over 4.2 kilometers in circumference.

Sinjeondonggoga (Ancient house in Sinjeon-dong, Cheongju)

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