Gimcheon

Gimcheon (, trans., 'gold spring city') is a city in North Gyeongsang Province, South Korea. It is situated on the major land transportation routes between Seoul and Busan, namely the Gyeongbu Expressway and Gyeongbu Line railway.

In ancient times, Gimcheon was famous for its three mountains (Geumo, Daedeok, Hwangak) and two rivers (Gamcheon, Jikjicheon). During the Chosun Dynasty, Gimcheon had one of the five largest markets in the region. The town has also served as the gateway and traffic hub of the Yeongnam region and is particularly proud of its patriots, history and conservative lifestyle.

The slogan of Gimcheon city is 'Central Gimcheon', a recognition of the fact that it is situated almost at the center of South Korea.

History

 * Samhan Period : called Gammun－guk, Jujoma－guk
 * Three kingdoms : Silla united Gammun－guk and Jujoma－guk and established Gammunju
 * Unified Silla : Gammunju was renamed as Gaeryeonggun. Gimsanhyeon, Jiryehyeon, Eomohyeon and Mupunghyeon were placed.
 * Goryeo Period : Gaeryeonggun was changed into Gaeryeonghyeon. Gimsanhyeon and Jiryehyeon were included into Gyeongsanbu.
 * Joseon Period : During the Joseon Dynasty, it was located in Gimsan-gun, Jirye-hyeon, and Gaeryeong-hyeon, Gyeongsang-do. With the opening of the Gyeongbu Railway in 1905, it was developed as a collection area for agricultural products and other products.
 * 1914 Gimsan, Jirye (except Gilbangri Jeungsanmyeon), Gaeryeonggun and Singokmyeon of Seongju were united into Gimcheongun(20myeons).
 * 1917 : Gimcheonmyeon was promoted to Gimcheon special myeon.
 * 1931 : Gimcheon special myeon was promoted to Gimcheoneup ( 1eup, 15 myeons).
 * 1949 : Gimcheoneup was promoted to Gimcheon city, Gimcheongun wa renamed geumneunggun.
 * 1983 : 4 ris of Geumneunggun were included into Gimcheon city. 2 ris of geumneunggun were included into Seonsangun.
 * 1998 : arrangement of 13-dongs in Gimcheon city into 9-dongs (1-eup, 14-myeons, 9-dongs), arrangement of 9-dongs in Gimcheon city into 8-dongs (1-eup, 14-myeons, 8-dongs).

Sights
Gimcheon's claim to fame is Jikjisa Temple (직지사), located at the foot of Mt. Hwangaksan. The temple was constructed in 418 (the 2nd year of King Nulji's reign, Silla Dynasty). Jikjisa is an important head temple of the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism. This temple is in perfect harmony with the nearby valley and pine forest. The foliage in fall is particularly breathtaking. It features Birojeon Hall (also known as ‘Cheonbuljeon Hall’), in which approximately 1,000 Buddha statues are enshrined, along with a thousand year old arrowroot. Iljumun Gate, Daeungjeon Hall (one of the most famous architectural structures of the Joseon Dynasty) and a 1.63m-tall Seated Stone Buddhist Statue (Treasures No. 319) from the Unified Silla Period, can also be found on the temple grounds.

Jikjisa is believed to have been first constructed by the Goguryeo monk Ado in the year 418, long before Buddhism gained general acceptance in Silla. Jikjisa was largely destroyed during the Seven Year War in the 1590s. The reconstruction of the temple spanned from 1610 to about 1670.

Jikjisa is possibly one of the oldest temples in South Korea and it is relatively well-connected to a convenient train and bus service. Jikjisa Station is located at the foot of the mountain, along the Gyeongbu Line railroad. It is served only by local commuter trains, which run twice daily in each direction. Overnight or weekend temple stay programs are available at the main complex.

Temple admission fees: Adults: 2,500 won Youth: 1,500 won Children: 1,000 won ＊Free: ages under 6 and over 65

Directions to Jikjisa: - Dong Seoul Terminal to Gimcheon (Departure 3 times a day (10:10, 14:10, 18:10), 3 hour ride). - Get on the bus (No. 11, No. 111) to Jikjisa Temple at Gimcheon Station or Gimcheon Bus Terminal(25 minute ride).

Hiking & mountains
Mt. Hwangaksan (1,111m in elevation), home of Jikjisa, is located in the Sobaeksan Mountains. The area is a habitat for many cranes that reside on this mountain. This location is also known for its pine forests, streams, fall foliage and snowscapes.

Other natural and outdoor cultural properties:
 * Sudo Valley
 * Yongo Waterfall
 * Yetnalsomssimaeul Culture Village
 * Sculpture Park
 * Riverside Park
 * Yeonhwaji Pond

Festivals
Various events including a beauty pageant, a grape fair, sales and food fair introducing various grape foods are offered every July in the downtown area.
 * Grape Sale Promotional Event

An annual sporting event held at the Sport City every May. Traditional military band performances and ballroom dancing are also offered, in addition to various food events.
 * Half-Marathon Race

An annual festival at the Gimcheon Art Hall every October emphasizing the importance of family through plays and dramatic performances.
 * Family Drama Festival

Museums

 * Bitnae Nong-ak Training Center
 * World Ceramic Museum

Temples and cultural sites

 * Cheongamsa Temple
 * Sudoam Temple
 * Gyerimsa Temple
 * Gaenyeong Hyangyo Confucian School
 * Jirye Hanggyo Confucian School
 * Hahoe House of the Seongsan Yeo Family
 * Seated Buddha Statue, Gahangsa Temple
 * Bangchojeong Pavilion
 * The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints
 * The House and Residence of Local Man Jang-Yeoul Lee

Other places of interest

 * Baegsu Literature Hall
 * Culture & Art Hall
 * Gimcheon Municipal Library
 * Citizen's Bell
 * Obong Reservoir
 * Sports City
 * Gimcheon University

Traditional food
Traditional restaurants can be found in almost all of Gimcheon's districts but the largest concentration of such establishments is located at the base of Jikjisa Temple, in the Jikji Culture Park. The Culture Park features an ample selection of both local and traditional specialities.

Climate
Gimcheon has a humid continental climate (Köppen: Dwa), but can be considered a borderline humid subtropical climate (Köppen: Cwa) using the -3 C isotherm.

Road
Gimcheon is located along the Gyeongbu Expressway and many major roadways connect the city to other surrounding areas.

Rail
Main transportation connections are via the Gyeongbu Line and the Gyeongbuk Line train lines. In 2010, a newly constructed KTX station, Gimcheon-Gumi Station opened on the outskirts of the city center The district around this new KTX station is slowly expanding, however, currently it is only accessible by vehicle, local bus or taxi. From the KTX station to Gimcheon Train Station (the main downtown shopping center) via taxi, it is roughly a 15,000 to 20,000₩ expense.

Community and expat information
In 2004, it was reported that the population was 144,587, including 143,527 Koreans and 1,060 non-Koreans.

While Gimcheon is much smaller compared to its nearby counterparts, there is a sizeable expat community scattered amongst the seven district neighborhoods. As of 2013, there are an estimated 40 to 60 expats residing within the city limits, most employed as English teachers through the government run EPIK (English Program in Korea) and TaLK programs.

Local specialties

 * Grapes - Gimcheon is responsible for 11% of total grape production in Korea.
 * Plums - 29% of the total plum production in Korea stems from Gimcheon. They are high in vitamin A and known for aiding with fatigue.
 * Gwahaju - Literally named "post-summer wine", this local drink is made from glutinous rice and yeast. Fresh water for production is sourced from Gimcheon's Gwahacheon Stream.
 * Jirye Wild Boar Meat - Said to be especially beneficial for young children due to a high concentration of protein, healthy fats and DHA.
 * Brassware and gong production.
 * Joma Potatoes

Administrative districts
The outlying regions of Gimcheon are divided into fourteen myeon (or townships) and one eup (or large village). In addition, the city center is divided into seven dong, or precincts.

Notable people

 * Shin Hyun-joon, first commandant of the South Korean marine corps
 * Song Yoon-ah, South Korean actress
 * Kang Hae-rin, member of South Korean girl-group NewJeans

Sister cities

 * Chengdu, Sichuan, China
 * 🇯🇵 Nanao, Ishikawa, Japan