Editing Cheongju (section)

==History==
Cheongju has been an important provincial town since ancient times. In the Cheongju Mountains, particularly in the area where Sangdang Sanseong is located, ruins dating from the Old Stone Age to the Bronze Age have been discovered.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Ch'a |first=Yong-gŏl |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9xgqAQAAIAAJ&q=Cheongju+Historical |title=Mountain Fortresses in Central Inland Korea: Sangdang Sanseong Mountain Fortress |date=2007 |publisher=Korea Fortress Academy |isbn=978-89-961732-2-9 |language=en}}</ref> Settlements associated with the Paleolithic Age have also been found in Cheongju, such as the Durubong Cave Site.<ref>{{Cite web |last= |first= |title=The Beginnings of Korea's History (Prehistoric Times – Gojoseon) |url=https://www.korea.net/AboutKorea/History/The-Beginnings-of-the-Countrys-History |access-date=2022-10-30 |website=[[Korea.net]] |language=en}}</ref>

After the unification of the kingdoms by Silla in 676, various parts of Korea, including Cheongju, began to adopt Buddhism. This was influenced by the Silla culture's connection with the Silk Road, which facilitated the spread of Buddhism from Nepal across Northern China to the Korean Peninsula.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |last=Sang-cheul |first=Choe |date=2002 |title=Creating Cultural Identity for Sustainable Urban Development A Case Study of the City of Cheongju in Korea |url=https://s-space.snu.ac.kr/bitstream/10371/90613/1/1.Creating_Cultural_Identity_for_Sustainable_Urban_Development_A_Case_Study_of_the_City_of_Cheongju_in_Korea.pdf |access-date=2022-10-31 |website=[[Seoul National University]]}}</ref> During the Goryeo era, particularly during the reign of Gwangjong, several monuments related to Buddhism were created. Among them is Cheol Danggan, built in the year 962 in the center of the city near the remains of Yongdu Temple. Cheol Danggan is a flagpole used to hang the Dang flag, which is raised to pay tribute to Buddha.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last= |date=2017-06-01 |title=El proyecto de renovación de una plaza iluminará un asta medieval de una ciudad surcoreana |url=https://sp.yna.co.kr/view/ASP20170601002100883 |access-date=2022-10-30 |website=[[Yonhap News Agency]] |language=es}}</ref> It was listed as a National Treasure in 1962 by the South Korean government.<ref name=":0" /> In the Joseon period, the Cheongju region began to adopt Confucianism as its main religion.<ref name=":1" />

Throughout the history of Cheongju, various temples were established during different periods in the history of the Korean peninsula. Examples include the Buddhist Yonghwasa Temple, dating back to the Goryeo period,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Stone Buddhas of Yonghwasa Temple, Cheongju |url=https://english.cha.go.kr/chaen/search/selectGeneralSearchDetail.do;jsessionid=uXDcBcWj923LA6UUGosFV8atSH8JaORzlGfkXaUeS5PKh4Eh4bvCWyoA4xjBPRg7.cha-was01_servlet_engine4?mn=EN_02_02&sCcebKdcd=12&ccebAsno=09850000&sCcebCtcd=33&pageIndex=137&region=&canAsset=&ccebPcd1=&searchWrd=&startNum=&endNum=&stCcebAsdt=&enCcebAsdt=&canceled=&ccebKdcd=&ccebCtcd= |access-date=2022-10-30 |website=[[Cultural Heritage Administration]]}}</ref> and the Bulguksa Temple, established in the 8th century during the Silla Dynasty period.<ref>{{Cite web |last= |first= |title=Seokguram Grotto and Bulguksa Temple |url=https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/736/ |access-date=2022-10-30 |website=UNESCO World Heritage Centre |language=en}}</ref> Cheongju temples were also significant in the advancement of Korean printing, including book printing. [[Jikji|One of the important documents]] printed in Cheongju was done so at Heungdeok Temple during the Goryeo Dynasty, specifically in the year 1377.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2021-01-31 |title=Oldest metal-printed book published in Korean, English |url=https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/culture/2022/10/142_303352.html |access-date=2022-10-30 |website=[[The Korea Times]] |language=en}}</ref>

One of the first schools established in North Chungcheong Province was founded in Cheongju during 1896.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Hwang |first=Kyung Moon |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=hrbkCgAAQBAJ&dq=Cheongju+First+School+Province&pg=PA171 |title=Rationalizing Korea: The Rise of the Modern State, 1894–1945 |date=2015-12-29 |publisher=University of California Press |isbn=978-0-520-96327-6 |pages=171 |language=en}}</ref> During the [[Baekje]] Dynasty period, several tombs were built around the city,<ref>{{Cite book |last= |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=MtFAAQAAIAAJ&q=Cheongju+History+Fortress+Temples |title=Traces of Jikji and Korean Movable Metal Types |last2= |first2= |date=2003 |publisher=Cheongju Early Printing Museum Press |pages=7 |language=en}}</ref> in addition to Joseon Dynasty period forts such as Sangdangsanseong, which served to connect the northern and southern provinces after the Japanese invasion of 1592.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Eun-yi |first=Lee |date=2020-11-10 |title=[Monthly Korea] Modern Charm Nested in a Time-Honored Fortress |url=https://www.korea.net/NewsFocus/Culture/view?articleId=191605 |access-date=2022-10-29 |website=[[Korea.net]] |language=en}}</ref>

In 1593, the Battle of Cheongju took place between Japanese forces and the Joseon kingdom that then ruled the Korean peninsula during the [[Hideyoshi's Invasions of Korea]], in which more than 8,000 Korean warrior monks participated.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Shields |first=Steven |date=2020-08-18 |title=[RAS Korea] Cheongju: a historical and cultural gem |url=https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/nation/2022/10/177_294476.html |access-date=2022-10-29 |website=[[The Korea Times]] |language=en}}</ref>

The government of the province relocated here from [[Chungju]] in 1908. The opening of the Chungbuk-line in 1926 sparked regional development. In 1946, Cheongju and Cheongwon-gun were separated, and in 1949, Cheongju was made a city. Afterwards, it went through the separation of administrative dong and their transfer to Cheongwon-gun, with 2 branch offices (East and West) established in July 1989 that were upgraded to Sangdang District and Heungdeok District in January.<ref>[http://english.cjcity.net/about/history-01p.asp * Welcome to Cheongju-Si Homepage *<!-- Bot generated title -->] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060623083613/http://english.cjcity.net/about/history-01p.asp |date=23 June 2006 }}</ref>

Cheongju experienced one of the largest population growths in Korea, having almost quadrupled its population from 147,000 in 1970 to 582,158 in 2000.<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Nadarajah |first1=M. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Jd2yAAAAIAAJ&q=%22It+is+one+of+the+most+rapidly+growing+cities+in+Korea+:+its%22 |title=Urban Crisis: Culture and the Sustainability of Cities |last2=Yamamoto |first2=Ann Tomoko |date=2007 |publisher=United Nations University Press |isbn=978-92-808-1125-4 |language=en}}</ref>