The reporter of this article firstly learned about the existence of Cheong-ju when applying to CBNU. As I became a third-year student, I became attracted to the charm of Cheong-ju when I heard these three facts: first, Cheong-ju is the home of Samgyeopsal(Korean grilled pork belly) and cheese snowflakes sherbet; second, that sherbet was first made in one of the cafes in Suamgol; third, Suamgol is a well-known filming site for famous dramas. I selected 4 famous places that you should go in Cheong-ju and visited them. -Ed.



  If you think the taste of all samgyeopsal is the same, then you are right because all samgyeopsals are tasty. You can go to any samgyeopsal eateries in Jungmoon, but wouldn’t it be a good experience to find and visit the home of samgyeopsal’s origins.
This reporter went to samgyeopsal street with lots of expectations because it is the home of samgyeopsal. When I entered one of the opened samgyeopsal eateries and saw the tables, menus and prices, my first thought about it was that there are no differences with any other samgyeopsal eateries. When I had a piece of the grilled samgyeopsal, soon my thoughts changed. It seemed tastier just because I was having it in the home of it. Or could it be that they might just provide better quality samgyeopsal than other samgyeopsal places.
  Anyway, let's give special meaning that we can have samgyeopsal in its original home. Most samgyeopsals taste good, so I guarantee the taste. The side dishes are heftier than other eateries, providing beondegi(steamed silkworm chrysalis), kelp wraps, steamed egg, etc. In addition, Seomoon market is located near downtown Cheong-ju, so it is worth visiting when you’re downtown.

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  Even if you don’t like cheese, you need to try this place’s cheese snowflakes sherbet, unless you have an allergy to cheese or dairy products. The Full Moon’s cheese snowflakes sherbet contains the real handmade cheese cake, which is made with natural ingredients and animal oil. It is already delicious just by its appearance, and when you have a bite, you will learn how delicious it is.
  Cafe Full Moon’s CEO said, ‘When thinking of the menu, I wondered what kind of topping would make the snowflakes sherbet tastier?’ The cheese snowflakes sherbet was firstly born by adding their cheese cake in 2011. As this place’s cheese cake has a considerable quality, international students and foreigners highly praised that they can eat a traditional cheese cake that they used to have in America. Also, it’s worthwhile to visit there as you can enjoy coffee and desserts with such a great night view that you can see Cheong-ju’s downtown at a glance. Plus, they use specialty coffee beans, which are roasted in that cafe every 7 to 10 days, so the taste of the coffee is also famous in Cheong-ju. The cheese snowflakes sherbet is 14,000 won for 2 or 3 people, and the coffees and desserts start from 4,000 won.

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  In the afternoon, I recommend you to tour Suamgol to find pictures that are painted on every alley, and I’m sure it will be so much fun, whether you do it alone or with someone. Walking among the old houses, walls, and pictures painted between broken paving blocks enables you to feel the warmth of briquet fires, that Giyeoung, the main character of the famous animation ‘Black Rubber Shoes’, felt in the period of famine. As Suamgol is located on high ground since it’s a poor hillside village, you can also see a view of downtown Cheong-ju from the top of the village.
  Local residents and artists started to paint various murals together as a public art project in 2008 in Suamgol, the last poor hillside village in Cheong-ju. It became a well-known place for filming dramas, like ‘Cain and Abel’ and ‘Bread Love and Dreams’, due to the graceful figures of warmth and hope that were painted in the middle of a poverty-stricken area. At a result, Suamgol became a famous tourist attraction where 300 people visit per day. However, lots of visitors are causing lots of damages to residents in Suamgol. As about 60 households are there, visiting there late at night can harm them. Thus, I hope you refrain visiting there too late.

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  If you are not content with CBNU’s fresh air and view, the Sangdangsanseong fortress will be a great mountain trail for you. As you have to ride a bus for about 50 minutes to get there from CBNU, it will make you feel like you are on a trip even though it’s still Cheong-ju.
  The Korean historic site No.212, Sangdangsanseong fortress, is a representative tourist attraction in Cheong-ju. It is the Cheong-ju citizens’ most favorite mountain trail, so thousands of people climb up this mountain fortress every weekend since they can see the downtown Cheong-ju at a glance. I recommend you to climb up to the Sangdangsanseong fortress. You can enjoy seeing the view of the whole city while walking the Dulle-gil trail of the fortress.
  There are two hiking courses, a No.1 course starting from ‘U-am Children's Center’, which the local residents use regularly, and a No.2 course starting from ‘South Gate of the mountain fortress’. I recommend you to take the No.2 course. The total distance is 4.2 km, which is longer than the No.1 course, but it is 10 minutes shorter than the course No.1. That is to say, the No.2 course has a more gentle inclination, so it is a great course to hike lightly.

By Min Tae-kwan
tk36@cbnu.ac.kr