Jeonju

The Baekje kingdom was located in southwestern Korea which included the area Jeonju is now located. It is believed that Jeonju was founded as a market town within Baekje around 57 BC. Jeonju (along with Baekje in general) was conquered by the kingdom of Silla in 660 AD. It soon became part of the Silla kingdom and in 685, Jeonju became one of the nine chu (a provincial capital of the kingdom). From 889 and onward, peasant revolts (caused from over taxation) became widespread throughout the kingdom and it also spread to Jeonju where it became the headquarters of one of the most powerful rebel leaders of the time, Gyeon Hwon. In 892 (or 900), Gyeon Hwon renamed the city Wansan and established it as the capital of the Later Baekje kingdom. …

Jeonju is primarily situated in a basin surrounded by mountains such as Moryongsan to the north and Namgosan to the south, with the Jeonjucheon River flowing through the center of the city as a major ecological axis. Jeonju is divided into two wards, Deokjin District and Wansan District that, in turn, are divided into approximately 40 neighborhoods. Jeonju has a cooler version of a humid subtropical climate (Köppen climate classification Cwa), with winter being warm enough to avoid being classified as an humid continental (Dwa) if the 0 °C isotherm is used. Jeonju, like all of Korea, has four distinct seasons (spring, summer, fall, and winter). The winters can have a mix of days that are cool to days that are quite cold. The colder days are often influenced by a high pressure front that brings cold air from Siberia. …

Jeonju bibimbap (전주비빔밥), a traditional local food, is well known across South Korea. There are several very popular vegetarian restaurants serving Jeonju style food and pine wine. Kongnamul gukbap (콩나물국밥), a rice soup with bean sprouts, which is eaten a lot in winter Yukjeon (육전), a kind of pancake that is baked meat with dough Memil naengmyeon (메밀냉면) Jeonju International Film Festival usually runs from the end of April to May for one week annually. The National Jeonju Museum exhibits ancient relics from the Baekje days. There are extensive royal museums, temples, a castle fortress on a hillside, and a well-known paper museum, as well as an annual paper fashion show highlighting the latest styles and traditional Korean clothing made of paper. …