Boseong County

Template:Expand Korean Template:Infobox settlement Boseong County (Boseong-gun) is a county in South Jeolla Province, South Korea. Boseong is famous for its green tea leaves, with 26.71 hectares of land dedicated to its production.<ref name="SeoMac">Template:Cite journal</ref> It is also the birthplace of the Korean independence activist Philip Jaisohn.

History

In the Samhan era, Boseong belonged to the Mahan confederacy and later became Bokhol County (伏忽郡) under the rule of the Baekje dynasty. The name "Boseong" was given in Unified Silla.<ref>Boseong County homepage (English) Template:Webarchive</ref>

Geography

Large areas consist of mountains such as Mangil-Bong, Jonje Mountain and Joowol Mountain. The Boseong River flows through the center of Boseong. The multipurpose Juam Dam was built on the Boseong River in 1990.

Climate

Boseong is one of the rainiest places in South Korea. It has a moderate climate. The average annual temperature is 12.6 °C. The average temperature in January is −0.5 °C and the average temperature in August is 27.8 °C. Annual mean precipitation is 1,450 mm.

Administrative district

Boseong consists of two towns-Boseong town and Beolgyo town. In both towns, the population has gradually decreased.

The town of Boseong is the seat of a county office. It is also a major transportation hub since 1930 and the distribution center of agricultural products. The largest tea gardens in South Korea are in the southern part of the Boseong County.
Beolgyo is also major transportation hub. It had flourished since the Japanese occupation but it has somewhat declined in recent years.

Boseong Green Tea

Boseong Green Tea is a special product of the Boseong district.

Boseong County, also called DongguyeojI-Seungnam (meaning "tea house" in the Joseon Dynasty),<ref name="doopedia"/> is known as the green tea capital of Korea. It has produced green tea for the past 1600 years.<ref name="SeoMac"/> It is the largest tea-producing area in Korea, accounting for 40 percent of the nation's tea production.<ref name="doopedia">Template:Cite web</ref> Almost one third of all tea farmland is located in Boseong, and nearly half of all green tea production in Korea comes from the area. This status has been carefully crafted in recent decades, partly due to the long history green tea has with the area.<ref name="SeoMac"/>

The surrounding climate and soil provide good conditions for growing a unique green tea that has a distinct taste and aroma.<ref name="SeoMac"/>

The earliest historical mention of green tea in Korea was from the reign of Queen Seondeok of Silla in the mid-7th century AD.<ref name=RolHil>"Korea’s Rolling Hills of Green Tea in Boseong" 2008 Template:Webarchive</ref> Nearly two hundred years later, historical records indicate that green tea seeds were planted at the foot of nearby Jirisan Mountain.<ref name="RolHil"/> During the Joseon dynasty, green tea began to fall out of favor due to its close association with Buddhism, but was still enjoyed by certain parts of the population; and the Jirisan plantation continued to thrive.<ref name="RolHil"/> But green tea was not produced on a large-scale basis until the 1930s. By the 1970s, huge, terraced farms as large as 250 acres became commonplace on local mountainsides.<ref name="SeoMac"/> The 1980s marked the beginning of a decline in green tea demand, which resulted in lower green tea output and a degradation of crops.<ref name="SeoMac"/> The local government then decided to reinvigorate the green tea industry: local green tea businesses were subsidized; newer, more efficient means to increase output and quality were developed through collaboration with local universities and research institutes.<ref name="SeoMac"/> Local media outlets also made efforts to present Boseong as the green tea capital of the country, in order to increase dominance in the industry by local businesses and draw in tourists from around the country.<ref name="SeoMac"/>

Mt. Hwangseong features the largest plantation in Boseong, the Daehan Green Tea Plantation.<ref name="RolHil"/> This plantation accounts for over one third of all tea production in the area. The mountainside features a terraced design that extends along the lower reaches of the mountain and is carefully manicured, providing an impressive view when seen from the top. This view is accessible by road and has become a well-known stop for tourists. The Boseong Fragrance Tea Festival is also staged in May of each year and 2013 will mark the 38th year of the festival. The festival gives tea enthusiasts the chance to pick tea leaves, make tea bowls or sample local cuisine infused with green tea flavoring.<ref name=PilKor>Template:Cite journal</ref>

Boseong Green Tea passed the strict quality inspection of the Russian Medical Biology Lab, and was officially recognized as a beverage suitable for an astronaut's special diet.

Transportation

National Road No. 2 goes through Boseong, and the Gyeongjeon Line transits several towns. There are mainly five stations including Boseong station, Dukryang Station, Yedang Station, Joseong Station and Beolgyo Station. Coastal region has well-connected transportation. However, inland of Boseong has a poor transportation because of mountains.

Notable people

Paik Hak-soon Director of Inter-Korean Relations and Center for North Korean Studies at the Sejong Institute in Korea <ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Park Ra-yeon South Korean poet
Cheong Yang-seog South Korean politician
Baek Ji-heon, K-pop idol from the K-pop group Fromis 9