Yangju with a textile industry cluster

Northern part of Gyeonggi Province wishing for peace with North Korea
 
Yangju is located in the northeastern inland part of Gyeonggi Province. The name Yangju was given to the region during the reign of King Munjong of Goryeo, as it was thought that it was a proper place to be designated as the capital of the country. During the Joseon Dynasty, parts of what are now Seoul, Uijeongbu, Dongducheon, Guri, Namyangju, and Paju belonged to Yangju. Yangju is home to numerous tangible and intangible cultural heritages.

A textile industry cluster

Yangju City aims to grow as a new industrial city and is pouring its resources into the establishment of a textile industry cluster. The Korea High Tech Texture Research Institute, the Textile Startup Business Incubation Center, the Green Knit Research Center, the LG Fashion Town, and the Textile Business Support Center (currently under construction) are all situated in Yangju.

The Textile Business Support Center (a 5-story building with total floor size of 15,500㎡ on a 19,834㎡ site) is scheduled for completion by November 2013. The center will take charge of the provision of information on worldwide fashion trends and so forth and of technological support related to the development of new products for businesses in northern Gyeonggi Province.

The center will do its best to help businesses in northern Gyeonggi Province with good potential to explore markets both in and out of the country and develop new products, while linking producers with buyers.

Yangju City spares no effort in helping textile/business businesses and their research facilities continue to grow. It will also help businesses build their competitiveness by encouraging them to produce goods with high added value with the introduction of environmentally-friendly technology in Cold Pad Batch Dyeing for knitwear and the like. The city expects that such an effort will attract more large businesses and foreign-based businesses to the region.

◇ Jangheung Art Park, a leading tourist attraction in Yangju ⓒ Each city and gun

Promotion of projects for the development of areas close to subway stations

Yangju City is pushing ahead with a project to develop a 250ha site close to Yangju Subway Station in Nambang-dong into a railroad logistics complex coupled with a residential/business/commercial complex. It is scheduled for completion in 2015. For more efficient promotion of the project, Yangju City signed an MOU with KORAIL in December 2011. KORAIL will invest public capital in the project and help Yangju City invigorate the economy in north Gyeonggi Province and prepare for the era of economic collaboration between the two Koreas.

Upon completing development of the area included in the project, an administrative/commercial town will be built and a village focusing on a specific theme will be formed in Nambang-dong. In addition, a sports complex equipped with a 5-acre stadium and a 1.5-acre indoor gym will be built in Yuyang-dong.

Yangju City also has an ambitious plan to develop into the administrative/residential hub of north Gyeonggi Province through the said project based on its historical and cultural background.◇ Yangju City is pushing ahead with a project to develop an area close to Yangju Subway Station, focusing on railroad logistics operation. ⓒ Each city and gun

Jangheung Art Park, a pleasant family travel destination

Jangheung Art Park is a must-see tourist destination in Yangju. The park displays works created by domestic and international artists and offers a unique opportunity for a hands-on cultural experience. The park, whose operation was entrusted by Yangju City to the Gana Art Gallery, provides studios to artists. The park, coupled with the nearby Songchu Resort, is a popular half-day picnic destination, particularly among people from Seoul.

There are many other popular family picnic destinations in Yangju, including the Daejanggeum Theme Park, which formed on the theme associated with the big-hit TV drama Dae Jang Geum; an archery range; Songam Observatory, which boasts a domestically-developed 600mm reflexive telescope; and Jangheung Natural Arboretum, which covers 52 acres at the foot of Gyemyeongsan Mountain.

Top 5 Intangible Cultural Heritages of Yangju
Yangju Byeolsandae Nori (Yangju Mask-dance Drama)

Designated as Important Intangible Cultural Heritage No.2 in 1964, Yangju Byeolsandae Nori is both a pop drama concerning ordinary people’s joys and sorrows and a satire on society. It features the performers’ unique gestures and humorous and sensuous narratives. It also portrays conflicts between men and women and the hardships experienced by commoners, as well as satirizing the nobility.

Yangju Sonorigut (Ox Shamanistic Performance of Yangju)
Designated as Important Intangible Cultural Heritage No.70 in 1980, this shamanistic performance is based on the worship of oxen and horses in the ancient times. The present-day performance developed gradually under the influence of jeoseokgeori shamanism and mamabaesonggut exorcism.

Sangyeo and hoedaji sori (Hearse and funeral songs) of Yangju
Sangyeo and hoedaji sori (Hearse and funeral songs) of Yangju were designated as Gyeonggi-do Intangible Cultural Heritage No. 27.

Yangju Nongak (Farmers’ Music)
Yangju Nongak is performed by a troupe who imitate farmers at work during different seasons of year. They march together in a group with the person at its head holding a high banner. As this heritage is very distinct from those performed in other areas, it was designated as Gyeonggi-do Intangible Cultural Heritage No. 46.