Hadong County
Template:Infobox settlement Hadong County (Template:Korean) is a county in South Gyeongsang Province, South Korea. It is located on the far-west side of the province, bordering South Jeolla Province. The county office is located at Hadeong-eup.
History
Hadong was originally called Dasachon (Template:Korean, "county of much sand") when it was a part of the Jin state. It later became part of Nangnoguk (Template:Korean), one of the Byeonhan confederacy's twelve statelets. According to the History of the Three Kingdoms, the region was called Handasa-gun (Template:Korean) before changing into Hadong-gun in 757 CE during the reign of King Gyeongdeok of Silla. During the Goryeo dynasty, the area was known as Hadong-hyeon (Template:Korean). Amid the reign of the Joseon-era King Taejong in 1414, it became known as Hanamhyeon (Template:Korean) with Namhaehyeon (Template:Korean). In 1702, Template:Ill was added to Hadong-gun. Hadong was raised to the status of Hadongdohobu (Template:Korean) in 1740, the thirtieth year of King Sukjong's reign.<ref>Official website http://www.hadong.go.kr/e/main/frame.asp?test=/e/01/01_02.asp?m=m1 Template:Webarchive</ref>
On April 1, 1914, Seo-myeon (Template:Korean) and Geumyang-myeon (Template:Korean) were added to Hadong. Part of Seomjin-ri (Template:Korean), Daap-myeon (Template:Korean), and Template:Ill of South Jeolla Province were added to Hadong on January 1, 1915. In 1917, Naehoengbo-myeon (Template:Korean) was renamed to Hoengcheon-myeon (Template:Korean) while Deokyang-myeon (Template:Korean) was renamed to Jingyo-myeon (Template:Korean). Geumyang-myeon (Template:Korean) was abolished and incorporated into Jingyo-myeon (Template:Korean) and Geumnam-myeon (Template:Korean), formerly Nam-myeon (Template:Korean), on January 1, 1933. On October 1, 1938, Hadong-myeon (Template:Korean) was elevated to Hadong-eup (Template:Korean).
During the Korean War, the region was the site of the Hadong Ambush, a North Korean attack on US Army forces.
Local sights and attractions
Nestled between the Seomjin River and Mount Jiri, the county is a popular destination for both domestic and foreign tourists who enjoy nature.<ref name="KoreaTimes.2008">Template:Cite news</ref> Portions of the Jirisan National Park lie within the county, forming the county's hilly, mountainous landscape.<ref name="AsiaSocietyTravel">Template:Cite web</ref>
The Ssanggyesa is a historic Korean Buddhist temple of the Jogye Order that has been designated a National Treasure.
Pak Gyeongni's 16-volume novel Land is partially set in the village of Pyeongsa-ri (Template:Korean) in Agyang-myeon, Hadong County. A replica of the fictional Choi family's home was built there to commemorate the author's legacy.<ref name="KoreaTimes.2008"/><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Green tea
Hadong has been famous for its green tea since the Silla era when an envoy brought green tea seeds from the Tang Empire to be planted locally.<ref name="KoreaTimes.2008"/> The local government has long promoted this as a major local attraction, including sponsoring a tourism advertisement that aired on CNN in 2007.<ref>http://www.hadong.go.kr/e/main/frame.asp?test=/e/01/01_02.asp?m=m1Template:Dead link</ref> The annual "wild tea" festival, lasting 25 days, takes place during May and June.<ref name="KoreaTimes.2008"/><ref name="AsiaSocietyTravel"/>
Development
While much of South Korea has experienced rapid industrial development, Hadong remains a destination for those wishing to escape the bustle of city living.Template:Original research inline However, a lack of industrial sector activity has left the government with little incentive to expand the sometimes inadequate existing road infrastructure.Template:Original research inline A petition for the allocation of funds for new road construction was signed by a number of Hadong residents.<ref>하동군 국도 19호선 4차선 확.포장 시급 Newsis 2008-01-22</ref>
Former South Korean president Lee Myung-bak has recentlyTemplate:When announced plans for the construction of a Gyeongsangnam-do leisure resort palace in Hadong.<ref>[이명박 정부 개발 핫 이슈] "동아시아 7대 경제권 도약 꿈꾼다" 2008-01-22 Retrieved 2008-01-26</ref>
Notable people
- Jeong Gi-ryong
- Yi Byeong-ju, a novelist, journalist, and reporter
- Jeong Ho-seung
- Kang Man-soo
- Jeong Gongchae, a poet who won the 1960 Contemporary Literature (Hyundae Munhak) Award<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Schools
Twin towns – sister cities
Hadong is twinned with:
- Template:Flagicon Anyang, South Korea
- Template:Flagicon Gwangyang, South Korea
- Template:Flagicon Geoje, South Korea
- Template:Flagicon Seongdong-gu, South Korea
- Template:Flagicon Haeundae-gu, South Korea
- Template:Flagicon Zhangqiu, China
- Template:Flagicon Ya'an, China
- Template:Flagicon Zhangjiajie, China
References
External links
Template:South Gyeongsang Template:Coord Template:Authority control