Namwon

Namwon
Korean alphabet :	남원
Chinese characters :	南原市
Revised Romanization :	Namwon-si
McCune-Reischauer :	Namwon-si
	Basic data
Province :	Jeollabuk-do
Coordinates :	35 ° 25 ' N , 127 ° 23' E Coordinates: 35 ° 25 ' N , 127 ° 23' E
Surface:	752.12 km²
Residents:	88,496 (as of 2009)
Population density :	118 inhabitants per km²
Structure:	1 Si , 15 Myeon , 9 Dong
map
	Namwon
	Namwon
	Namwon on the map of South Korea.

Namwon ( Namwon-si ) is a city in Jeollabuk-do Province , South Korea .

The official city symbols include the swallow ( 제비 ), the flower of the royal azalea (Rhododendron schlippenbachii, 철쭉 ) and the crinkled myrtle ( 배롱 나무 ).

As the place where the famous Korean love story of Chunhyang took place, Namwon is also known as the "City of Love".

history

Namwon was founded in AD 685 during the reign of King Sinmun in the Silla kingdom .

During the Japanese invasion of Korea (1592–1598) , the city was besieged by the Japanese in 1597. The only defenders against the 56,000-strong Japanese siege army were 3,300 Korean and Chinese soldiers and 6,000 women and children. After the brief siege (August 13-16), all surviving defenders were killed by the Japanese.

geography

Namwon is the southeasternmost city in Jeollabuk-do Province . It is located in the immediate vicinity of the border with the provinces Jeollanam-do in the south and Gyeongsangnam-do in the east. The city lies in a valley, surrounded by the Noryang Mountains in the northwest and the Sobaek massif in the east. The western foothills of the Jiri-san National Park, the largest rural national park in terms of area on the (south) Korean mainland, extend directly to the eastern border of the city. To the east of the city, still within the urban area, the Yocheon River stretches.

Namwon borders the administrative districts of Imsil and Sunchang in the west, Jangsu in the north, on the province of Gyeongsangnam-do with the districts of Hamyang and Hadong in the east and on the districts of Gurye and Gokseong in the province of Jeollanam-do in the south.

The city is about 1 hour away from the provincial capital Jeonju and Gwangju and about 4 hours from Seoul by bus .

climate

The average annual temperature is 12.3 ° C, with the average temperature in January being -1.4 ° C and that in August 25.2 ° C. Due to its geographical location in a valley surrounded by mountains with high rainfall in July and August, Namwon is exposed to strong climatic fluctuations over the year. The wind speed is usually low. Temperatures in January can drop below -10 ° C and in July and August can reach over 35 ° C. The temperatures in the spring months of April and May as well as the autumn months of September and October are around 25 ° C with relatively low humidity.

Average monthly temperatures and rainfall for Namwon

	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Max. Temperature ( ° C )	5.0	8.2	13.2	19.9	24.6	27.9	29.9	30.6	27.3	21.9	14.5	7.4	O	19.2
Min. Temperature (° C)	−6.8	−5.2	-1.3	4.0	10.4	16.7	21.1	21.1	15.2	6.6	0.2	−5.2	O	6.5

Precipitation ( mm )	31.2	41.0	52.5	71.5	111.0	176.7	298.9	346.1	137.0	46.3	42.8	25.4	Σ	1,380.4

Rainy days ( d )	8.4	7.1	8.3	7.7	8.9	9.8	14.9	15.5	8.4	5.9	7.1	7.3	Σ	109.3

Source: Korea Meteorological Administration KMA, data: 1981–2010

Culture

Chunhyang Festival (춘향제)

The five-day festival is held annually in spring to commemorate a Korean folk tale - the love story of Chunhyang . The story is about love under adverse social circumstances.

It is about the love between a girl from a humble background, Seong Chun-hyang, and a boy of noble descent, Yi Mong-nyong. The two perform their wedding in secret, but the boy has to follow his father to Seoul a short time later and leave his great love behind. The arbitrary and cruel governor of Namwon then takes her as his concubine. Despite the many abuse he has given, she does not submit to him. It so happened that Yi Mong-nyong was promoted to governor of Jeolla Province and found out about Seong Chun-hyang's fate. When he hears what was done to his love, he punishes the governor, now officially takes Seong Chun-hyang to his wife and returns with her to Seoul.

The festival commemorates Seong Chun-hyang as an indomitable and virtuous woman. In 2012 the festival took place for the 82nd time - it is one of the oldest cultural festivals of modern times in Korea.

During the festival, the Yocheon River promenade is lined with vendors and the main bridge is festively lit. There are performances, parades, pansori singing and archery competitions and a beauty pageant. Fireworks are also held every evening.

Attractions

Manbok-Saji - temple complex, built between 1046 and 1083 AD during the reign of King Munjong of Goryeo
Gwanghallu Garden, a traditional garden that symbolizes the universe (also usually associated with the love story of Chunhyang )
Chunhyang Shrine, in memory of Chunhyang
Yocheon River
Silsang-Sa Temple, a Buddhist temple
Jiri San National Park