Sangju Hamchang·Ian·Gonggeom-myeon [Slow City]

About this place

Sangju City was officially certified as a Slow City at the Cittaslow International Network General Assembly held in Poland in June 2011. The region enjoys favorable conditions for agriculture, including wide plains, adequate rainfall, high summer temperatures, and abundant sunshine. The designated core areas of the Sangju Slow City are Hapcheon-eup, Gonggeom-myeon, and Ian-myeon. Sangju is an ancient capital associated with Silla's Seorabeol and Gaya's Daegaya, and is a region known for its well-developed agricultural and culinary culture, with 42% of all households being farms. It is also a representative cycling city, home to the Sangju Bicycle Museum. Notable attractions include Gyeongcheon Pavilion (the region's top scenic spot) beside the Nakdong River, the Sangju Bicycle Museum, Gonggeomji Reservoir (one of the three major reservoirs of the Three Han [Samhan] period), and Hamchang's famous silk village. Local specialties include Sangju dried persimmons, traditional Korean sweets (hangwa), and premium beef. Sangju is known as the 'land of three whites' for its renowned rice, silkworm cocoons, and dried persimmons, and is gaining attention for its herbal bio-industry due to its many health-related products. At the Hamchang Silk Museum — which houses the Sangju Slow City Visitor Center — visitors can observe the silk-making process including silkworm rearing and weaving, as well as related tools. The museum also has a 'slow mailbox' that delivers letters one year later. Nearby attractions include a Silk Theme Park, the Gyeongsangbuk-do Sericulture and Insect Research Institute's butterfly ecology garden, and a silkworm insect experience center. In Ian-myeon's Heugam-ri, there is the Sangju Pottery Village where a family has been crafting earthenware using traditional techniques for five generations, while Jisan-ri provides opportunities for real farming and rural life experiences.