Changwon is the capital of South Gyeongsang Province and one of Korea's largest planned cities, known both as a center of heavy industry and, through its Jinhae district, as the site of Korea's most famous cherry blossom festival.
History
Modern Changwon began in 1974, when the South Korean government selected it to become the country's first fully planned city, modeled in part on Canberra, Australia, and built around a new industrial complex specializing in heavy machinery and defense manufacturing. That complex grew into a major economic engine, and today a large share of Korea's defense industry is based in the city. Changwon's present boundaries date only to July 2010, when the city merged with the historic port city of Masan and the naval town of Jinhae. Masan had been an independent port since the late 19th century and a site of major pro-democracy protests in 1960 and 1979, while Jinhae had been developed as a naval base under Japanese colonial rule and remains home to Korea's naval academy and fleet headquarters today.
Highlights
- Jinhae's Yeojwacheon Stream, lined with cherry trees and decorated with lanterns during peak bloom, one of the signature cherry blossom viewing spots in the district.
- Gyeonghwa Station, a former railway station in Jinhae whose tree-lined tracks, arched in cherry blossoms each spring, are among the most photographed spots in the festival.
- Changwon Daero, the city's central boulevard and Korea's longest straight road, a striking piece of the city's 1970s planned-city design.
- Masan's Odong-dong district, the traditional heart of the old port city of Masan, known for its seafood restaurants.
Food
Changwon's Masan district is known nationally for agujjim, a spicy braised anglerfish dish that developed a following in the area's Odong-dong restaurant district and became a signature Masan specialty.
Annual events
- Jinhae Gunhangje Festival (a 10-day event beginning April 1) — Korea's best-known cherry blossom festival, drawing roughly a million visitors for blossom viewing, a military parade honoring Admiral Yi Sun-sin, and fireworks over Jinhae's port.
Getting there
Changwon has its own KTX service, with trains from Seoul taking roughly three hours via the Gyeongjeon Line. The city also has multiple bus terminals with more than 80 regional express and city bus routes connecting it to the rest of the country.
How long
Changwon is spread across three merged former cities, so seeing more than one district — central Changwon's planned-city layout, Jinhae's cherry blossom sites, and Masan's old port area — comfortably fills a full day or more; during the Jinhae cherry blossom festival in early April, an overnight stay is worth planning for given the crowds.