Cheongju is the capital and largest city of North Chungcheong Province, a modern administrative and university city built on a genuinely ancient site — archaeologists have found traces of habitation here from the Old Stone Age through the Bronze Age.
History
Cheongju's most important historical claim is a printing one: in July 1377, monks at the city's Heungdeoksa Temple printed Jikji, an anthology of Buddhist teachings, using movable metal type — predating Johannes Gutenberg's famous Bible by roughly 78 years and making it the oldest extant book printed with movable metal type anywhere in the world. The temple site itself was lost for centuries and only confirmed by an archaeological excavation in 1985. Administratively, Cheongju became North Chungcheong's provincial seat in 1908, when the provincial government relocated here from Chungju, and the city grew rapidly through the late twentieth century, nearly quadrupling in population between 1970 and 2000; it merged with the surrounding Cheongwon County in 2014 to form the current city.
Highlights
- Cheongju Early Printing Museum, built on the excavated site of Heungdeoksa Temple, telling the story of Jikji and Korea's early printing technology.
- Sangdangsanseong Fortress, a stone mountain fortress wall roughly 4 meters tall that loops for several kilometers around Mt. Uam, popular for an easy hike with city views.
- Cheongnamdae, a former presidential retreat on a reservoir outside the city, opened to the public in 2003 after decades as a restricted government villa.
- Yongdusa Temple Site Iron Flagpole, a Goryeo-dynasty iron flagpole designated National Treasure No. 41, one of the few of its kind to survive intact.
- Cheonjubi Cave, a limestone cave system on the edge of the city, one of relatively few show caves in the region.
Food
Cheongju doesn't have one single iconic dish, but as a provincial capital with a large university population it has a lively restaurant scene, and North Chungcheong's inland farming region is known for produce like grapes and ginseng showing up on local menus.
Annual events
- Cheongju International Craft Biennale (held in odd-numbered years, typically September to October) — one of the world's major craft and design exhibitions, drawing international makers and designers to the city.
Getting there
Cheongju is served by Cheongju International Airport for domestic and some regional flights, and by two rail stations in the area: Osong Station, a stop on the Gyeongbu and Honam KTX lines a short taxi ride from downtown, and Cheongju Station on the conventional Chungbuk Line. Express and intercity buses also connect Cheongju's terminals directly to Seoul's terminals in around 1.5 to 2 hours.
How long
A day trip covers the Early Printing Museum and Sangdangsanseong comfortably, but pairing the city with Cheongnamdae or a side trip into the surrounding countryside makes an overnight worthwhile, especially if visiting during the biennale.