공원당 | Restaurant Guide | K-Travel Mate

Located at the heart of Cheongju city center, Jungang Park is a relaxing space full of cultural heritage and things to do. Its most famous feature is the massive ginkgo tree that has stood here for nearly a thousand years. Ginkgo trees are famously long-lived, so this 30-meter high tree with an 8-meter circumference is majestic and welcoming at once. Its nickname, Apgaksu, is said to originate from its leaves resembling a duck foot. Mangseollu Pavilion, a nugak (a building built to have a view of the surrounding areas without any doors or walls) built during the Goryeo period, is the oldest wooden structure in Cheongju. Another cultural site is the Byeongma Jeoldosa Yeongmun Gate, a door that served as the entrance to the office of Byeongma Jeoldosa. Byeongma Jeoldosa was a Joseon-period position tasked with quelling rebellions. The park also hosts musical concerts and presentations.

Seomun Market, located west of the Seomun-dong intersection, is home to Samgyeopsal (Pork Belly) Street, which opened in 2012. Here, visitors can enjoy Cheongju-style samgyeopsal (grilled pork belly), a local specialty known for its distinctive preparation method that has been passed down through generations.

Hyanggyo is a national educational institution from the Joseon dynasty that housed the tablets of esteemed Confucian scholars and held rituals in their honor. It consists of six hanok buildings, including the Daeseongjeon Hall, a space for rituals, and Myeongnyundang Hall, the space for education. Today, various Confucian cultural experience programs, such as Confucian student experiences, tea ceremonies, and calligraphy classes, are offered. They also provide accommodations for guests wishing to experience a "Hyanggyo Stay."

우암산 기슭 우회 도로변에 자리한 삼일 공원에는 3•1 운동을 주도한 민족 대표 33인 중 충북 출신 여섯 분의 동상이 세워져 있다. 조국 광복을 위해 피를 흘렸던 선열들의 숭고한 넋을 기리고 그 위업을 계승하기 위해 1980년 건립된 공원은 시민들에게 민족정신의 산 교육장이 되고 있다. 동상이 세워진 충북 출신 민족 대표는 의암 손병희, 우당 권동진, 청암 권병덕, 동오 신홍식, 은재 신석구, 청오 정춘수 선생 등이다. 그러나 정춘수의 동상은 친일행각 사실이 드러나 1990년 시민들에 의해 강제 철거되고 좌대만 남아 있다. (출처 : 청주시 문화관광)