Tap-dong Western-style Building was constructed by Christian missionaries in the early 20th century, comprising missionary residences, a Bible school, and a hospital. Western-style buildings began to be erected in Cheongju after missionary Miller arrived in 1904. From then, land was purchased and six buildings were constructed at different times. The basements mainly used stone for exterior walls, and the foundation stone of one of the six buildings was taken from the walls of Cheongju Prison, where Protestant missionaries had been held. According to records, high-quality clay for making roof tiles and bricks was found on the site, and over 50 people were employed to extract and bake bricks. The building used many imported materials that were not made in Korea at the time, such as glass, steam boilers, fireplaces, flush toilets, and iron fittings. It is a structure combining Korean and Western styles, showing different architectural features depending on the construction period, and represents a transitional architectural style moving from traditional to modern architecture.
Since ancient times, Cheongju was called Juseong (舟城) because its terrain was said to resemble a boat floating on the Musimcheon River. The Cheongju Yongdusa site’s iron flagpole standing in Nammullo 2-ga in the heart of Cheongju is said to be a mast erected to stabilize that boat. Central Park, located in the city center of Cheongju, serves as a resting place for citizens and contains the ancient ginkgo tree named Apgak-su, the Chungcheong Province Byeongmajeoldosa Pavilion (Yeongmun), and Mangseonru. The Byeongmajeoldosa Pavilion is a two-story wooden pavilion with a front of three kan and side of two kan, featuring an Ikkong-style octagonal roof, designated as a tangible cultural property. In front of it stands the 1,000-year-old ginkgo tree Apgak-su and several monuments commemorating figures such as Jo Heon and Young-gyu Dae-sa, including memorial tablets by Han Bong-su, Park Chun-mu, and the Seowon Hyangyak tablet. Central Park serves as a place of rest for citizens at the heart of Cheongju city and hosts various music concerts and presentations for the public. The park has many historic remains including the 1,000-year-old ginkgo tree Apgak-su (Chungbuk monument), the wooden two-story Byeongmajeoldosa Pavilion Yeongmun (Chungbuk tangible cultural property), the Joheon Jeonjang Gijeokbi (Chungbuk tangible cultural property), and the Cheokhwabi (Chungbuk monument). The ginkgo tree in Central Park is named Apgak-su (鴨脚樹) because its leaves resemble duck feet. There is a legend about this ginkgo tree: during the end of the Goryeo period under King Gongyang, Yun Yi and Lee Cho falsely told Ming China that Yi Seong-gye’s faction planned to invade Ming along with King Gongyang. Due to this, people such as Lee Saek, Jung Ji, Lee Seung-in, and Kwon Geun were imprisoned and interrogated at Cheongju prison, but a sudden heavy rain caused flooding inside the fortress. Prisoners survived by climbing a nearby tree, which is said to be this Apgak-su.
Cheongju Central Park is a resting place for citizens located in the center of Cheongju city. Within this space is the Byeongma Jeoldosa Yeongmun. Byeongma Jeoldosa was a 2nd rank military officer position during the Joseon Dynasty appointed regionally to command troops. The Byeongma Jeoldosa Yeongmun building was the gate to the Chungcheongdo Byeongma Jeoldosa camp inside the Cheongju Eupseong fortress. In front of the gate stands a ginkgo tree estimated to be about 1,000 years old. The Chungcheongdo Byeongma Jeoldosa camp was originally located in Haemi-hyeon, Chungnam, but was moved here in the 2nd year of King Hyojong's reign (1651). The Byeongma Jeoldosa position was concurrently held by the Chungcheongdo governor, and a dedicated 2nd rank Jeoldosa was separately appointed here to oversee the cavalry and infantry of Chungcheongdo's army. The architecture of the building reflects the late Joseon Dynasty military camp or naval base entrance style. It is a two-story gate built on square high stone foundations, with a door at the center of the lower floor for entry and an upper floor with a well-style wooden floor and lattice railings. Until 1988, this building was mistakenly known as Cheongnyeonggak, believed to have been founded by Seo Wonhyeon-gam Lee Byeongjeong. *Form of the Byeongma Jeoldosa* The building, restored in 1955, is a hip-and-gable roof structure with three bays along the front and two bays on the side, featuring doubled eaves. The bracket system is of the Ikgong style, and the framework is composed in the 5-ryangga style. The building structure consists of low long stone foundations supporting trapezoidal square wooden pillars with round columns set upon them. Although there is no trace of door fittings below the gate, two square pillars are erected side by side at the center below, unlike the external round columns, and the stone bases are configured low, suggesting there was originally a large gate here. It is also presumed there was a stairway leading to the upper floor on the interior south side. The upper floor has a well-style wooden floor and lattice railings on all four sides. Additionally, on both ends of the western side's outer pillars are hanging pillar couplets engraved with “節制州郡兵營” and “鎭南千丈銅柱”.
When there is an event at a temple, a flag called a dang is hung at the entrance, and the pole used to hang this flag is called a danggan. The two pillars supporting the danggan on both sides are called dangganjiju. Nammun-ro, Sangdang-gu, Cheongju-si, where the danggan stands, was once the site of a temple called Yongdusa. Yongdusa was founded in 962 (the 13th year of King Gwangjong of Goryeo) but was ruined due to frequent wars and rebellions toward the late Goryeo period. The site where the temple stood has now become the busiest street in downtown Cheongju. This danggan remains intact with its base stone and two supporting pillars, preserving its original form well. The two pillars have vertically carved lines in the center of their outer surfaces, adding variation to the plain surface. Between them, 20 cylindrical iron rings are stacked and interlocked from top to bottom to form the danggan, while the top of the stone pillars has a latch-like fixture securing the danggan firmly. Especially on the surface of the third iron ring, the motivation and process for erecting this iron danggan are recorded; originally, it is said to have consisted of 30 iron rings. The danggan was erected in the same year as the temple's founding, 962 (the 13th year of King Gwangjong), providing a precise date and thus holding significant value. Furthermore, since danggan remains are rare in Korean cultural heritage, this iron danggan, along with those at Gapsa Temple in Gongju and Chiljangsa Temple in Anseong, forms a rare example. Historically, Cheongju suffered many disasters caused by floods, and a fortune teller suggested that erecting a large mast would cause the area to resemble a boat, thus avoiding disasters. Accordingly, a danggan functioning as a mast was erected here, enabling the region to escape disasters. Since then, Cheongju has been called Juseong (Boat Fortress), as the story goes.
Seomun Market is located west of the so-called Seomundong Five-way Intersection. Centered on this intersection, the right side is the so-called Jokbal Alley, the left side is Seomun Market, and the north side is the city area connected by a main road, which was the site of Cheongju Eupseong. Because of its strategic transportation location, it was considered the largest market in Cheongju in the 1960s. Seomun Market has Seomun Market Samgyeopsal Street. The people of Malgeungol Cheongju have traditionally enjoyed sharing pork during both joyful and sorrowful times. Especially, pork was grilled after soaking in a special soy sauce called Jirangmul or sprinkled with coarse salt; this method removes gamey odors and softens the meat and was passed down as Malgeungol's secret. Additionally, to balance meat and vegetables, samgyeopsal is eaten with scallion salad or aged kimchi, forming the trio of Cheongju samgyeopsal culture. Visitors to Malgeungol, nostalgic for Cheongju samgyeopsal memories, repeatedly return to Cheongju, leading Seomun Market merchants to open the samgyeopsal street in 2012 amid the market's decline. Now, Cheongju samgyeopsal is a food of communication nationwide, and the samgyeopsal street has become a communication space throughout the country.
Sangdang Park is a park that holds the meaning of being the center of Sangdang-gu. The park covers an area of 10,000㎡, which is not very large, but it is equipped with walking trails, exercise facilities, and various convenience facilities for rest and exercise. Within the park, there is the Chungbuk April 19 Student Revolution Memorial Tower, established on April 22, 1979, the Chungcheongbuk-do Citizen Charter Tower, and the statue of Han Bong-su, a militia leader, erected on May 24, 1997.
