# Bongdam

Bongdam is a town in the city of Hwaseong in South Korea. Covering over 4000 hectares, the town is the focus of a planned community, primarily as a commuter town for the bordering city of Suwon.
A town located in the midwestern part of Hwaseong-si, Gyeonggi-do. It is bordered by Jeongnam-myeon, Gian-dong, and Annyeong-dong to the east, Bibong-myeon and Paltan-myeon to the west, Hyangnam-eup (Balan) to the south, and Maesong-myeon and Omokcheon-dong, Gwonseon-gu, Suwon-si to the north.

## History

* April 1, 1914: Suwon-gun (수원군)'s Sambong-myeon (삼봉면 - 三峰面) and Galdam-myeon (갈담면 - 葛潭面) were combined, forming Bongdam-myeon (봉담면 - 峰潭面), a town of 15 villages.
* August 14, 1949: As Suwon-eup was raised in status to Suwon-bu, the remainder of Suwon-gun was renamed Hwaseong-gun. (Suwon-bu became a city soon afterwards.)
* February 15, 1983: Bibong-myeon's village of Sanggi-ri left Bibong-myeon and became part of Bongdam-myeon, completing the 16 villages which remain in Bongdam today.
* May 1992: Bongdam-myeon's council office moved from 31-3 Sang-ri to the nearby newly constructed facility at 27-1 Sang-ri.
* April 1, 1998: Bongdam's status was raised from myeon to eup.
* March 21, 2001: Hwaseong's status was raised from gun (county) to si (city).
* March 20, 2008: Much of the housing in Donghwa-ri was cleared for a new housing development.

## Geography

Bongdam is bounded to the north-west by the hills of Sambongsan (삼봉산 - 三峰山: 271 m) and Taehaengsan (태행산 - 太行山: 266 m), to the west by Geocheon Reservoir and Geondalsan (건달산 - 建達山: 328 m), to the south-west by Deogu Reservoir and Cheolmasan (철마산 - 鐵馬山: 123 m), to the south-east by Seobongsan (서봉산 - 棲鳳山: 250.3m), to the east by Taebongsan (태봉산 - 太鳳山: 224 m) and Botong Reservoir, and to the north-east by Gogeumsan (고금산 - 古琴山: 87 m) and the city of Suwon. No major streams pass through the town, though its plain is drained in entirety to Sihwa.

## Demographics

Bongdam's population is currently increasing, and this is expected to continue as further housing developments are planned. The foreign population stands at 4.6%, approximately double the national average.

## Administrative divisions

Bongdam is divided into 16 ri (villages):
* Buncheon-ri (분천리)
* Dangha-ri (당하리)
* Deogu-ri (덕우리)
* Deok-ri (덕리)
* Donghwa-ri (동화리)
* Hagadeung-ri (하가등리)
* Maha-ri (마하리)
* Nae-ri (내리)
* Sanggi-ri (상기리)
* Sang-ri (상리)
* Segok-ri (세곡리)
* Sugi-ri (수기리)
* Suyeong-ri (수영리)
* Wangnim-ri (왕림리)
* Wau-ri (와우리)
* Yu-ri (유리)

## dwelling

* Apartment Hanshin Public Bongdam Hanshin - Moved in December 1996
* Bongdam Hanshin The Hue Edu Park - Moved in May 2019
* Shinil Classic Town - Moved in November 1999
* Shinil 2nd Happy Tree - Move in October 2005
* Hosu Village Dongmun Good Morning Hill - Move in March 2008 / Dongmun Construction
* Bongdam I-Park - Move in September 2009 / Hyundai Industrial Development
* Bongdam Hillstate - Move in June 2021
* Bongdam Hillstate Pride City - August 2024

## Education

Bongdam is home to six institutes of higher education: the University of Suwon, Hyupsung University, Suwon Catholic University, the Haeran Campus of Suwon Women's University, Jangan College, and Korea National College of Agriculture and Fisheries. The town also has a high school, three middle schools and seven primary schools.

## Transport
### Rail

Trains on the former Suin Line used to pass through Suyeong-ri in the far north of Bongdam. The Suin Line is currently being reconstructed and will form part of the Seoul Subway network. It is planned for a station named Bongdam, two stops from Suwon, to be operating by 2012, though this station will be just outside Bongdam, in Suwon's Omokcheon-dong. Also, all KTX trains pass through Bongdam, though the town does not have a station on this line.

### Road

Bongdam has an interchange on combined motorways 17 and 400.

## Culture

The Baekje tombs in Maha-ri and other important graves – those of Lee Gon (이곤) in Sang-ri, and Buncheon-ri's tombs of Seo Geojeong (서거정) and Choi Rubaek (최루백), are among the oldest significant remains in Bongdam. There are also two older Buddhist temples: Beopheungsa in Sugi-ri, Bogwangsa in Wangnim-ri.

## Gallery

* Bongdam's central square
* Road past Bongdam Centre
* Hwaseong Sports Centre
* Lake by Bongdam Council Office
* Bongdam Council Office
* Bongdam Public Library