[RAS Korea] Cheongju: a historical and cultural gem

The south gate of Sangdang Fortress / Courtesy ofSteven L. Shields.

By Steven L. Shields

Traveling south from Seoul on the Gyeongbu Expressway (Expressway 1, the main autoroute to Busan), cars and buses whiz past a couple of exits for Cheongju, North Chungcheong Province. The route does not pass through this beautiful provincial capital. Instead, it is several kilometers to the west, heading straight for Daejeon. The same is true for the KTX; the train line has no route to or though Cheongju. Until the government built the newer Expressway 35, Cheongju was accessible from only one expressway exit or overland by ordinary highways. Once known only as the gateway to Songrisan National Park and Beopju Temple, Cheongju has become home to parks, museums, historical sites and cultural arts.

For centuries, Cheongju has been an important regional hub. From Baekje times to the present, Cheongju was a center of commerce and government, with an essential regional fortress located in a nearby mountain pass. The city proper was walled, with gates in the four principal directions. Although the walls and gates are long since dismantled, the primary streets still use the name of the gate to which they connected.

In the early months of the 1592-98 Imjin War, Japanese forces captured Cheongju and emptied the provincial government granary. The main force moved north, leaving a small garrison behind. Jo Heon, a government official-turned-guerilla commander, led the move to retake Cheongju. Jo's rallying cry was, "When the king is humiliated, we subjects must not be afraid to die." He commanded more than 1,000 civilian volunteers. They were joined by 1,000 monk-warriors, under the command of Buddhist monk Yeonggyu. They attacked the city and recaptured it on Sept. 6, 1592. For the nation's war effort, holding Cheongju was critical to cutting the Japanese supply lines and protecting the southwestern Jeolla region.

The monk-warrior contingent is one of Korea's heroic stories. Buddhist monks, of course, are devoted to praying, teaching and promoting peace. Yet, when the kingdom was threatened by overwhelming Japanese forces in 1592, more than 8,000 monks answered the call to arms. The monks were rallied by abbots of several monasteries throughout the country. While their total numbers were small compared with the national and volunteer armies, they more than made up for it in fierceness and courage. The Battle of Cheongju was their first serious combat experience. The monk-warriors continued throughout the next several years at the forefront of national pride and patriotic sacrifice.

With a population of less than 1 million, modern-day Cheongju still has a small-city feel. The people are friendly, relaxed and rarely in a hurry. There is still much farming in the area, and the countryside peacefulness is only a short distance from the city center. Various farmers' markets dot the area, selling fresh produce, locally produced meat and home-style sesame oil and soy sauces. There is much to see and do in the city and the surrounding region. A day trip quickly fills with places to go.

The nearby Sangdang Mountain Fortress was first built during the Baekje Kingdom (18 BCE―660 CE), some 1,500 years ago. The current walls and gates date to 18th century Joseon. They have been restored to their glory over the past 20 or so years. Just as Cheongju has long been an important regional center, as are the militarily strategic mountain passes. The hike around Sangdang makes for an enjoyable, if vigorous, morning constitutional.

Cheongju is home to the Early Printing Museum, commemorating not just the history of printing, but also the location where the oldest known book printed by movable metal type was published. There is also a Baekje relics museum, at the site of a collection of Baekje tombs. Over the past 20 or more years, extensive archaeological work has uncovered historical treasures that offer an exciting glimpse into Baekje's life and culture.

In the lush wooded hills just on the edge of the city is the Cheongju National Museum. This state-of-the-art museum displays essential relics from the Cheongju region. The main display halls are well-appointed, the displays exquisitely designed. Some graphics and videos deepen an understanding of the history and culture of the area.

The main entrance to Cheongju National Museum / Courtesy of Steven L. Shields

The 1920s train station has been reconstructed and sits one block south of City Hall. This building was Cheongju's second (of four) train stations, replacing an 1890s building. In the late 1960s, a new station was built north of City Hall but was replaced about 12 years later by the current station west of the city. The 1920s station offers a quick review of rail travel in old Cheongju and offers hands-on displays that children would enjoy. There is even a mock-up train car with passing scenery.

s Cheongju Rail Station / Courtesy of Steven L. Shields

Cheongju is home to the Korean Craft Museum, which was Korea's first museum dedicated to the industrial arts. The city also hosts a silk museum, explaining the long history of silk production in Korea. And the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art opened recently in a renovated tobacco factory. The museum allows visitors into the conservation rooms for a serious look at what it takes to collect and preserve art.

Royal Asiatic Society Korea has conducted tours to the region since the 1960s and looks forward to the end of the pandemic so we can take our many friends to Cheongju. Please visit raskb.com for current information.

Steven L. Shields, a retired cleric, serves as a vice president of Royal Asiatic Society Korea (raskb.com) and is a columnist for The Korea Times.