Andong

Andong(Korean:안동;Korean pronunciation:[an.doŋ]) is acityin South Korea, and the capital ofNorth Gyeongsang Province. It is the largest city in the northern part of the province with a population of 167,821 as of October 2010. TheNakdong Riverflows through the city. Andong is a market centre for the surrounding agricultural areas.
Since the 1970s Andong has developed rapidly, although the population has fallen by nearly seventy thousand as people have moved away toSeoul,Busan,Daeguand other urban centres. In the late 1990s and early 2000s it became a tourism and cultural center.
Andong is known as a centre of culture andfolk traditions. The surrounding area maintains many types of traditions and the Andong Folk Festival is held in mid October every year. One of the most famous aspects of these cultural festivities are the Andongmasks.
Andong National University, specialising in education and Korean folklore, has grown rapidly since the 1970s. Other tertiary institutions includeAndong Science CollegeandCatholic Sangji College.
Around 1 BC, Andong was founded by theJinhanpeople, and it was known as Gochang. During theThree Kingdoms period, the area was controlled by theSillakingdom. TheBattle of Gochangin 930 was fought here betweenHubaekjeforces and theGoryeoarmy led byWanggeon, who won control of the city and renamed it Andong.
After the ascent of theJoseon dynastyto the throne of Korea, Andong became a centre ofConfucianism. The area was extremely conservative for a long time and produced many leading confucian scholars.Toe-gye Yi Hwang(1501–1570), one of the most prominent of all Korean scholars, came from Andong. Yi Hwang retired back to his homeland late in life and started the establishment of the great Confucian academyDosan Seowonthere, which was finished after his death. During this period Andong and its principal families were influential within Korean political circles, of which the three notable families were the Andong Kim, Andong Jang and AndongKwonclans.
After the 16th century Andong became less influential until the early 19th century, when a marriage of the localKimfamily resulted in strong influence on the royal family.
Andong was the site of intense fighting during theKorean Warin the early 1950s, theBattle of Andong. Although the city was almost destroyed, it was quickly rebuilt. In 1976 theAndong Damwas built, providing the city with a reliable source of electricity.
In 1999,Her Majesty the Queen Elizabeth IIof the United Kingdom celebrated her 73rdbirthdayin the city.There is an exhibit dedicated to this historic visit at Hahoe folk village museum.Andong sojuis made using traditional methods that are centuries old unlike its popular modern counterparts.  It is protected by government regulation to preserve authenticity and commands a steep premium in the marketplace.
Andong is divided into 1 eup, 13 myeon and 10 dong. The following is a list of eup, myeon and dong:
Andong has famous local foods that originated in the city such asheotjesabap,Andong jjimdak,Andong soju(a rice wine),Andong sikhye(a punch),Geonjin guksu(a noodle dish), and saltedmackerel.
Heotjesabap(헛제삿밥) is a variety ofbibimbap, served withsoy sauce(ganjang) instead of thegochujang(hot pepper paste) that is more commonly used.Heotjesa babconsists mainly of several types ofnamul(young sprouted vegetables) over white rice. It is also served with grilled fish, shark, andjeon(Korean pancake). The dish originated in Andong. The term,Heotjesa bapliterally means "dishes for fakejesa" that are ceremonies fordeath anniversaryandancestor venerationheld in Korea. The reason it is considered fake is that it is not covered in incense ash, as would happen to any food sacrificed in a jesa ritual.
Andong jjimdakis a variety ofjjim(a Korean steamed or braised dish), made with chicken,cellophane noodles, and various vegetablesmarinatedin aganjang(Korean soy sauce) based sauce. The name literally means "steamed chicken of Andong."There are many speculations on the origins of the dish. One is that the it is a specialty food of the inner rich village of Andong during theJoseonperiod, prepared and eaten for special occasions.The more likely explanation is that during the 1980s in theDak golmok(닭골목;lit.chicken alley) of the "Andong Old Market," restaurant owners there made a dish including ingredients that regulars demanded, which became the currentAndongjjimdak.Restaurateurs in the area claim it was invented by five local old women who had limited chicken supplies and wanted to stretch it out.The most plausible speculation among existing assumptions is that merchants of theDak golmokat the market created the dish to keep their position against the rapid expansion of Western fried chicken shops.
Andong Sojuis a specialty of the region. It is made with natural ingredients, unlike mass-produced brands, it was historically used for medicinal purposes, and was developed during theSillaperiod. The traditions of Andong Soju were almost lost during the '60s and '70s due to government legislation, but they were brought back by Cho Ok-hwa, the current skillholder. Andong soju was traditionally made by the wife of a household, and she passed down the secrets to her daughters-in-law.
Mackerelis another popular local delicacy. Caught downstream where theNakdong Rivermeets the sea, in ancient times the fish would spoil before being brought further inland. Using special salting techniques, Andong was the furthest inland the fish could be brought, so aristocrats would travel to Andong specially for the salted fish.
Sikhyeis a fermented rice punch served across Korea. The Andong variety, however, is particularly spicy, made with powdered red pepper, ginger, and radish. Sikhye containslactobacillus, a benign strain of bacteria found in the gastrointestinal tract, and often used as a digestive aid in dishes includingkimchi, yogurt, and sauerkraut, among others.
HuGreen Golf Club
TheHahoe Folk Villageis perhaps the most notable folk village in South Korea. This village is listed by the South Korean government withUNESCOas aWorld Heritagesite withYangdong Folk Villagein 2010.
Andong is also a home of Confucian studies and academies during theJoseonperiod. The notable examples ofseowon, or Confucian academy areDosan Seowonthat enshrinesYi Hwang,Byeongsan SeowonforYu Sŏngnyong,Imcheon SeowonforKim Sŏngil,Gosan Seowon,Hwacheon Seowonand others. Other notable visitor destinations areSisadan,Jirye Artists' Colony,Bongjeongsatemple andAndong Icheondong Seokbulsangaka Jebiwon Stone Buddha.
Andong also hasAndong Dam. In the area where Andong Dam is located, there is a monument to the Andong Samil Movement to honor theMarch First Movement. In addition, there are Wonmom theme parks and Unbu parks.
Andong has ahumid continental climate(Köppen:Dwa), but can be considered a borderlinehumid subtropical climate(Köppen:Cwa) using the −3 °C (27 °F) isotherm. The city is located in the mountainous region of central South Korea and is part of the temperate climate. Temperatures vary widely, fog is high at 79 days per year, seasonal winds are northwest in winter and northwest in summer.
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