Gwangju | |
|---|---|
Panoramic view of Gwangju | |
Location in South Korea | |
| Country | |
| Region | Gyeonggi Province (Sudogwon) |
| Administrative divisions | 2 eup, 10 dong, 4 myeon |
| Government | |
| • mayor | Park Gwan-yeol (박관열) |
| Area | |
• Total | 430.99 km2 (166.41 sq mi) |
| Population (September 2024) | |
• Total | 396,055 |
| • Density | 918.94/km2 (2,380.0/sq mi) |
| • Dialect | Seoul |
| Korean name | |
| Hangul | 광주시 |
| Hanja | 廣州市 |
| RR | Gwangju-si |
| MR | Kwangju-si |
Gwangju (Korean: 광주; pronounced [kwaŋ.dʑu]) is a city in Gyeonggi Province, South Korea, a suburb southeast of Seoul.
Bunwon-ri in Gwangju took an important role of ceramic production during the Kingdom of Joseon. There had official kilns and produced superb quality of white porcelains for use at the royal court and to export to China.
In 1962, 4 myeons (townships) including 5 ris (villages) were incorporated to Seoul.
In 1973, 6 ris were separated and became a part of Seongnam city. In 1979, Gwangju-myeon was elevated to an eup. Gwangju County became a city in 2001.
Gwangju Toechon Tomato Festival - Gwangju City, Gyeonggi Province has been holding a festival since 2003 to promote the city's pollution-free tomatoes and sell them to consumers.
Gwangju has a monsoon-influenced humid continental climate (Köppen: Dwa) with cold, dry winters and hot, rainy summers.
| Climate data for Gwangju, Gyeonggi (1993–2020 normals) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 2.2 (36.0) |
5.4 (41.7) |
11.7 (53.1) |
18.6 (65.5) |
23.9 (75.0) |
27.8 (82.0) |
29.2 (84.6) |
30.2 (86.4) |
26.0 (78.8) |
20.0 (68.0) |
11.9 (53.4) |
3.9 (39.0) |
17.6 (63.7) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | −3.3 (26.1) |
−0.4 (31.3) |
5.3 (41.5) |
11.8 (53.2) |
17.2 (63.0) |
21.8 (71.2) |
24.7 (76.5) |
25.2 (77.4) |
20.2 (68.4) |
13.3 (55.9) |
6.1 (43.0) |
−1.4 (29.5) |
11.7 (53.1) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | −8.2 (17.2) |
−5.7 (21.7) |
−0.5 (31.1) |
5.5 (41.9) |
11.2 (52.2) |
16.8 (62.2) |
21.2 (70.2) |
21.6 (70.9) |
16.0 (60.8) |
8.2 (46.8) |
1.0 (33.8) |
−6.1 (21.0) |
6.8 (44.2) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 16.6 (0.65) |
25.0 (0.98) |
35.5 (1.40) |
67.5 (2.66) |
91.4 (3.60) |
118.1 (4.65) |
374.4 (14.74) |
317.6 (12.50) |
140.5 (5.53) |
55.9 (2.20) |
45.8 (1.80) |
19.8 (0.78) |
1,308.1 (51.50) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 0.1 mm) | 3.4 | 3.5 | 5.3 | 6.8 | 6.6 | 7.6 | 12.9 | 13.0 | 7.5 | 5.2 | 6.8 | 4.8 | 83.4 |
| Source: Korea Meteorological Administration | |||||||||||||
Government-sponsored kilns at punwon-ri, near Seoul, produced an exquisite and distinctive Joseon white porcelain for use at court and for export to China. Its undecorated cream-colored surfaces, and austere elegant shapes were thought to reflect a purity of mind and moral character appropriate for Neo-Confucian patrons.