Ansan (, ) is a

city A city is a human settlement of a substantial size. The term "city" has different meanings around the world and in some places the settlement can be very small. Even where the term is limited to larger settlements, there is no universally agree ...

Gyeonggi Province Gyeonggi Province (, ) is the most populous province in South Korea. Seoul, the nation's largest city and capital, is in the heart of the area but has been separately administered as a provincial-level ''special city'' since 1946. Incheon, ...

, South Korea. It lies southwest of

Seoul Seoul, officially Seoul Special Metropolitan City, is the capital city, capital and largest city of South Korea. The broader Seoul Metropolitan Area, encompassing Seoul, Gyeonggi Province and Incheon, emerged as the world's List of cities b ...

and is part of the

Seoul Metropolitan Area The Seoul Metropolitan Area (Sudogwon; , ) or Gyeonggi (region), Gyeonggi region (), is the metropolitan area of Seoul, Incheon, and Gyeonggi Province, located in north-western South Korea. Its population of 26 million (as of 2024) is ranked ...

. It is connected to Seoul by rail via

Seoul Subway Line 4 Seoul Subway Line 4 of the Seoul Metropolitan Subway is a long line crossing from the southwest to the northeast across the Seoul Metropolitan Area. The central section in Seoul City is operated by Seoul Metro with some trains offering throug ...

. It is situated on the

Yellow Sea The Yellow Sea, also known as the North Sea, is a marginal sea of the Western Pacific Ocean located between mainland China and the Korean Peninsula, and can be considered the northwestern part of the East China Sea. Names It is one of four ...

coast and some islands lie within its jurisdiction. The largest and best-known of these is

Daebu Island Daebu Island () is an island in the Yellow Sea, within the municipal borders of the city of Ansan, Gyeonggi Province, South Korea. Geography The island has a population of roughly 7,114 people and an area of 41.98 km². Administratively, t ...

. Several higher learning institutions are located in Ansan. They include Ansan University, Shin Ansan University,

Seoul Institute of the Arts Seoul Institute of the Arts () is an arts university in Ansan, Gyeonggi Province, South Korea. The Namsan campus in Seoul is used for presentation of arts productions and convergence with industry. The Ansan Campus opened in 2001 and is used for ...

, the ERICA campus of

Hanyang University Hanyang University (HYU, ) is a Private university, private research university in Seoul and Ansan (ERICA campus), South Korea. ''Hanyang'' () derives from the Names of Seoul, former name of the capital Seoul used during the Joseon period. The u ...

, and the

. The

Korea Transportation Safety Authority The Korea Transportation Safety Authority (KOTSA, ) is a transportation safety authority of the government of South Korea. It is headquartered in Gimcheon-si, Gyeongsangbuk-do. See also * The Korea Transport Institute * Aviation and Railway Ac ...

, a government agency, has also been headquartered in Ansan since June 3, 2002.Home page

. Retrieved on June 9, 2009. With its high number of foreign workers, Wongokbon-dong has been designated as a multicultural area. In 2021, Ansan was selected as the largest residential area for foreigners and it is seeking designation as a special multicultural city. Street play festival is held every year in Ansan.

History

Ancient era

The first humans in Ansan were in the

New Stone Age The Neolithic or New Stone Age (from Greek 'new' and 'stone') is an archaeological period, the final division of the Stone Age in Mesopotamia, Asia, Europe and Africa (c. 10,000 BCE to c. 2,000 BCE). It saw the Neolithic Revolution, a wide- ...

, and many

shell middens A midden is an old dump for domestic waste. It may consist of animal bones, human excrement, botanical material, mollusc shells, potsherds, lithics (especially debitage), and other artifacts and ecofacts associated with past human occupat ...

and prehistoric remains were found at

Oido Oido () is an area in Siheung, Gyeonggi Province, South Korea. As its name suggests, it was previously an island, but land reclamation projects in the 20th century led to it eventually joining the mainland. Etymology The place's name is literall ...

, Sihwaho, Chojidong and

Daebudo Daebu Island () is an island in the Yellow Sea, within the municipal borders of the city of Ansan, Gyeonggi Province, South Korea. Geography The island has a population of roughly 7,114 people and an area of 41.98 km². Administratively, t ...

. In the Seonbu-dong and Wolpi-dong area, over 10 stone

dolmen A dolmen, () or portal tomb, is a type of single-chamber Megalith#Tombs, megalithic tomb, usually consisting of two or more upright megaliths supporting a large flat horizontal capstone or "table". Most date from the Late Neolithic period (4000 ...

tombs could be found. Also in 1995,

Old Stone Age The Paleolithic or Palaeolithic ( years ago) ( ), also called the Old Stone Age (), is a period in human prehistory that is distinguished by the original development of stone tools, and which represents almost the entire period of human prehist ...

relics were found while constructing the

Seohaean Expressway The Seohaean Expressway (Korean language, Korean: 서해안 고속도로; Seohaean Gosok Doro), meaning "West Coast Expressway", is a freeway in South Korea, connecting Mokpo to Gunsan, Dangjin, and Seoul. It is numbered 15. The entire len ...

. Most dolmens in Ansan are north

, but the

in Seonbu-dong are table-shaped and another table-shaped tomb was found in Hakon-dong,

Gwangmyeong Gwangmyeong (; ) is a Administrative divisions of South Korea, city in Gyeonggi Province, South Korea. It borders Seoul to the east, north and northeast, Anyang, Gyeonggi, Anyang to the southeast, Siheung to the southwest, and Bucheon to the nort ...

. There are many ancient relics found in the city.

Three Kingdoms and Goryeo eras

Not much evidence or antiquities survive from the Proto-Three Kingdoms and

Samhan Samhan, or Three Han (), is the collective name of the Byeonhan, Jinhan, and Mahan confederacies that emerged in the first century BC during the Proto–Three Kingdoms of Korea, or Samhan, period. Located in the central and southern regions o ...

periods are in Ansan and nearby areas. The

Mahan confederacy Mahan () was a tribal grouping in southwestern Korea described in Chinese sources from the 3rd century. It was the largest of the 'three Hans' (the Samhan), along with Byeonhan and Jinhan. During the 4th century, the kingdom of Baekje rose in ...

Chen Shou Chen Shou ( zh , t = 陳壽 ; 233–297), courtesy name Chengzuo (), was a Chinese historian, politician, and writer who lived during the Three Kingdoms period and Jin dynasty of China. Chen Shou is best known for his most celebrated work, the ...

Records of the Three Kingdoms The ''Records of the Three Kingdoms'' is a Chinese official history written by Chen Shou in the late 3rd century CE, covering the end of the Han dynasty (220 CE) and the subsequent Three Kingdoms period (220–280 CE). It is regard ...

preserves writings about the

chiefdom A chiefdom is a political organization of people representation (politics), represented or government, governed by a tribal chief, chief. Chiefdoms have been discussed, depending on their scope, as a stateless society, stateless, state (polity) ...

state. Ansan was in communion with

Baekje Baekje or Paekche (; ) was a Korean kingdom located in southwestern Korea from 18 BCE to 660 CE. It was one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea, together with Goguryeo and Silla. While the three kingdoms were in separate existence, Baekje had the h ...

but very little has been saved. In the Later Three Kingdoms era, the Ansan area was owned by

Taebong Taebong (; ) was a state established by Kung Ye () on the Korean Peninsula in 901 during the Later Three Kingdoms. Name The state's initial name was Goryeo, after the official name of Goguryeo, a previous state in Manchuria and the northern ...

(also known as Hugoguryeo, "Later

Goguryeo Goguryeo (37 BC – 668 AD) (; ; Old Korean: Guryeo) also later known as Goryeo (; ; Middle Korean: 고ᇢ롕〮, ''kwòwlyéy''), was a Korean kingdom which was located on the northern and central parts of the Korea, Korean Peninsula an ...

") in

Silla Silla (; Old Korean: wikt:徐羅伐#Old Korean, 徐羅伐, Yale romanization of Korean, Yale: Syerapel, Revised Romanization of Korean, RR: ''Seorabeol''; International Phonetic Alphabet, IPA: ) was a Korean kingdom that existed between ...

Hyogong's 4th year (AD 900). After then,

Gung Ye Kung Ye (; – 24 July 918) was the king of the short-lived state of Taebong (901–918), one of the Later Three Kingdoms of Korea. Kung Ye is alleged to have been a son of either King Heonan of Silla or Gyeongmun of Silla, though the accurac ...

, who was the ruler of

, was overthrown by

Wang Geon Taejo (; 31 January 877 – 4 July 943), personal name Wang Kŏn (), also known as Taejo Wang Kŏn (), was the founder of the Goryeo Dynasty of Korea. He ruled from 918 to 943, achieving unification of the Later Three Kingdoms in 936. Background ...

, and the Ansan area was turned over to

Goryeo Goryeo (; ) was a Korean state founded in 918, during a time of national division called the Later Three Kingdoms period, that unified and ruled the Korea, Korean Peninsula until the establishment of Joseon in 1392. Goryeo achieved what has b ...

, founded by Wang Geon. First, the

Ganggu-gun was changed to Ansan-gun but the state of the military was preserved.

Joseon era

Ansan belonged to Gyeonggijwa-do (left

) in the

Joseon Joseon ( ; ; also romanized as ''Chosun''), officially Great Joseon (), was a dynastic kingdom of Korea that existed for 505 years. It was founded by Taejo of Joseon in July 1392 and replaced by the Korean Empire in October 1897. The kingdom w ...

period. Taejo's 5th year (AD 1396), Ansan-eoso (meaning Ansan fishery) that is now under the direct control of a detached building of Saongwon (the Department of foods and meals in the Joseon dynasty) was set up. After Gyeonggijwa-do and Gyeonggiwo-do (right

Gyeonggi province Gyeonggi Province (, ) is the most populous province in South Korea. Seoul, the nation's largest city and capital, is in the heart of the area but has been separately administered as a provincial-level ''special city'' since 1946. Incheon, ...

) were unified in Teajong's 2nd year (AD 1402), Ansan was still called Ansan. Under Teajong's 13th (1413), the whole country was detached into eight

province A province is an administrative division within a country or sovereign state, state. The term derives from the ancient Roman , which was the major territorial and administrative unit of the Roman Empire, Roman Empire's territorial possessions ou ...

Modern era

Until 1914, Ansan and the southern part of today's

Siheung Siheung (; ) is a Administrative divisions of South Korea, city in Gyeonggi Province, South Korea. The city has a population of 511,807 people, where 508,646 are residents out of 218,846 households as of August 2021. Siheung acquired its cu ...

consisted of Ansan County. In 1914, Ansan County was annexed to Siheung County. This region produced high-quality salt from ancient times and valuable marine products. Ansan was then a fishing village. In 1986, several towns of Hwaseong county became incorporated, representing the beginning of Ansan as a city. With currently over 700,000 residents, Ansan now has two distinct and separate districts: Danwon, which has 12 dongs as of 2009, and Sangnok, with 13.

Geography

Ansan is located in the southwest of

and is situated on the coast of the

(locally called ''West Sea''), at . Portions of various Yellow Sea islands lie within its jurisdiction. The largest and best-known of these is

, also known as "Daebudo". Large portions of Ansan, over 100 sq miles, are reclaimed wetlands, part of the Saemangeum land reclamation project known as

Ansan Reed Marshy Park Ansan Reed Marshy Park () is a wetland park located in Sadong, Sangnok District, Ansan-si, Gyeonggi Province, South Korea. As the first man-made wetland in Korea, the park which began construction in 1997 and was completed in December 2005, was ...

. Located at the south of the city (but within its jurisdiction) are islands of

and

Pungdo Pungdo () or Pung Island, is a small populated island on the Yellow Sea, located in within the municipal borders of Ansan, Gyeonggi Province, South Korea. It is about 74 km southwest of Seoul, the country's capital, and 24 km south of the l ...

. On land, the city boundaries is marked by the town of

Gunpo Gunpo (; ), formerly romanized as Kunp'o, is a city in Gyeonggi Province, South Korea. It is south of Seoul and in the Seoul National Capital Area. It borders Anyang to the north, Uiwang to the east, and Ansan to the south and west, and is connec ...

to the east of Ansan,

Anyang Anyang ( zh, s=安阳, t=安陽; ) is a prefecture-level city in Henan, China. Geographical coordinates are 35° 41'~ 36° 21' north latitude and 113° 38'~ 114° 59' east longitude. The northernmost city in Henan, Anyang borders Puyang to the eas ...

to north-east,

to the north and Hwaseong to the south.

Climate

Ansan has a monsoon-influenced

humid continental climate A humid continental climate is a climatic region defined by Russo-German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1900, typified by four distinct seasons and large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers, and cold ...

(

Köppen Köppen is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Bernd Köppen (1951–2014), German pianist and composer * Carl Köppen (1833-1907), German military advisor in Meiji era Japan * Edlef Köppen (1893–1939), German author ...

: ''Dwa'') with cold, dry winters and hot, rainy summers.

Demographics

According to the South Korean Ministry of Justice, Ansan's

Danwon District Danwon District () is a district of Ansan, Gyeonggi Province Gyeonggi Province (, ) is the most populous province in South Korea. Seoul, the nation's largest city and capital, is in the heart of the area but has been separately administe ...

is the district which has the largest foreign population in Korea, with 68,119 residents followed by Siheung (66,103), Hwaseong (59,942), Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul (48,682), Guro-gu, Seoul (48,343), Pyeongtaek (42,243), and Asan, South Chungcheong (35,567 people).

Transportation

Railway

The

Ansan Line The Ansan Line is a railway line connecting Gunpo to Siheung in South Korea. Services on this line run through train services into Seoul Subway Line 4 via the Gwacheon Line. Services from the Suin Line share tracks with this line between Han ...

is a major rail line in Ansan and is part of the

Seoul Metropolitan Subway The Seoul Metropolitan Subway () is a urban rail transit, metropolitan railway system consisting of 23 rapid transit, Medium-capacity rail transport system, light metro, commuter rail and people mover lines located in northwest South Korea. T ...

as Line 4. Service connects from

to Jinjeop in

Namyangju Namyangju (; ) is a city in Gyeonggi Province, South Korea. To the east is Gapyeong County, to the west is Guri, and to the north is Pocheon. Namyangju was originally a southern part of Yangju-gun, but was separated into Namyangju-gun in April ...

. The subway is also connected to the public bus system in Ansan. Previously, the first railroad in the city was the

Suin Line The Suin Line (Suwon-Incheon; ) was a metro line of the Seoul Metropolitan Subway serving the Seoul Capital Area. The original route, abandoned in 1995, was one of the few narrow-gauge railways in South Korea. Opened by the privately owned Cho ...

which was opened by

Korea under Japanese rule From 1910 to 1945, Korea was ruled by the Empire of Japan under the name Chōsen (), the Japanese reading of "Joseon". Japan first took Korea into its sphere of influence during the late 1800s. Both Korea (Joseon) and Japan had been under polic ...

. In mid-2020, the Suin Bundang line started operations, connecting Suwon and Ansan which expanded the living space in Ansan. *

Korail The Korea Railroad Corporation () is the national railway operator in South Korea. It is branded as KORAIL () and changed its official Korean name () in November 2019. Currently, KORAIL is a public corporation, managed by Ministry of Land, ...

(via

) ;;(

) ← Banwol —

Sangnoksu Sangnoksu (, translated into English as ''Evergreen, Evergreen Tree'' or just ''An Evergreen'') is a 1936 novel by Korean writer Sim Hun on the Korean rural education movement. It is considered his most famous work, and has been described as "one ...

— Hanyang Univ. at Ansan — Jungang — Gojan — Choji — Ansan — Singiloncheon → (

) ;*

Seohae Line The Seohae Line () is a dual-track, electrified rail line in western Gyeonggi-do and Seoul, South Korea. The Seohae Line is being built in four sections simultaneously. The line runs south from Ilsan in Goyang City, crosses the Han River, pa ...

;; Wonsi — Siu — Choji — Seonbu — Dalmi → (

) → (

Gimpo Airport Gimpo International Airport , sometimes referred to as Seoul–Gimpo International Airport but formerly rendered in English as Kimpo International Airport, is located in the far western end of Seoul, some west of the central district of Seou ...

) → (

Goyang Goyang (; ) is a city in Gyeonggi Province in the north of South Korea. It is part of the Seoul Metropolitan Area, making Goyang one of Seoul's Satellite city, satellite cities. It is one of the largest cities in the Seoul Metropolitan Area, w ...

) ;*

Suin–Bundang Line The Suin–Bundang Line (Suwon–Incheon–Bundang Line) is a commuter rail service of the Seoul Metropolitan Subway system, operating on trackage from the Suin Line (opened on June 30, 2012) and the Bundang Line (opened on September 1, 1994 ...

(via Ansan Line) ;;( Hwaseong) ←

Sari A sari (also called sharee, saree or sadi)The name of the garment in various regional languages include: * * * * * * * * * * * * * * is a drape (cloth) and a women's garment in the Indian subcontinent. It consists of an un-sti ...

— Hanyang Univ. at Ansan — Jungang — Gojan — Choji —

Ansan Ansan (, ) is a city in Gyeonggi Province, South Korea. It lies southwest of Seoul and is part of the Seoul Metropolitan Area. It is connected to Seoul by rail via Seoul Subway Line 4. It is situated on the Yellow Sea coast and some islands lie ...

— Singiloncheon → (

)

Future expansion

Currently,

starts from Ansan to Sosa station in Bucheon. But the

Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (MOLIT; ) is a cabinet-level division of the government of South Korea. Its headquarters is in the Sejong Government Office in Sejong City. Previously the agency was headquartered in the 4th buil ...

is extended to

through

Gimpo International Airport station Gimpo International Airport Station is a subway, railway and light rail station on Seoul Subway Line 5, Line 9, AREX, the Gimpo Goldline and the Seohae Line. True to its name, it serves the nearby Gimpo Airport, the hub of domestic flights in ...

. It was planned to be completed by 2023 and extended Seohae Line officially opened on 1 July 2023. The Shin Ansan Line will connect

Yeouido Yeouido (), also Yohido, is a river island on the Han River in Seoul, South Korea. It is Seoul's main finance, media, and investment banking district. It is large and has a population of 32,674 . The island is located in the Yeongdeungpo Dis ...

to Ansan in 2024. It will take only 30 minutes from Yeouido to Ansan Also, the

is considering extending to

Seoul Station Seoul Station () is a major railway station in Seoul, the capital of South Korea. The station is served by the Korail Intercity Lines and the commuter trains of the Seoul Metropolitan Subway. Services KTX Seoul Station is the terminus of m ...

. ; ;;Hanyang University — Ansan City Hall — Jungang — Seongpo — Jangha — Mokgam → (

) → (

)

Bus

Th
Ansan Bus Terminal
() near Ansan station provides daily bus service to

Incheon International Airport Incheon International Airport is the main international airport serving Seoul, the capital of South Korea. It is also one of the largest and busiest airports in the world. This airport opened for business on 29 March 2001, to replace the old ...

and most cities in South Korea including

Gimhae Gimhae (, ) is a Administrative divisions of South Korea, city in South Gyeongsang Province, South Korea, situated near the Nakdong River. It is the seat of the large Gimhae Kim clan, one of the largest Kim (Korean name), Kim clans in Korea, cla ...

Busan Busan (), officially Busan Metropolitan City, is South Korea's second list of cities in South Korea by population, most populous city after Seoul, with a population of over 3.3 million as of 2024. Formerly romanized as Pusan, it is the economi ...

. Buses travel via

Gimpo International Airport Gimpo International Airport , sometimes referred to as Seoul–Gimpo International Airport but formerly rendered in English as Kimpo International Airport, is located in the far western end of Seoul, some west of the Jung District, Seoul, cen ...

and

. Express buses to Iksan, Dongdaegu, and

Gwangju Gwangju (; ), formerly romanized as Kwangju, is South Korea's list of cities in South Korea, sixth-largest metropolis. It is a designated Special cities of South Korea, metropolitan city under the direct control of the central government's Home ...

are also available. Near Sangnoksu station are buses going to Suwon station and Gangnam station. Ansan has 53 bus lines with 537 buses operating in and out of the city limits, connecting the city with Seoul and other outlying Gyeonggi cities. The Ansan transfer center also has express city buses, city buses, and intercity buses to link to Banwol industrial estate, Sihwa lake, and nearby cities.

Pedalro

Pedalro is a public bicycle system in Ansan. There are 101 Pedalro stations in Ansan. This is run on a membership basis. However, due to high cost for maintenance, Ansan discontinued the public bicycle service in 2021.

Public institutions

The

, a government agency in South Korea, is headquartered in Ansan. Other major institutions in Ansan include:
Korea Electrotechnology Research Institute, Ansan Branch
* Korea Elevator Safety Agency, Ansan Branch
Korea Institute of Industrial Technology, Research Institute of Industrial Technology Convergence

Korea Rural Research Institute

Korea Testing Laboratory, Gyeonggi Branch
* Metropolitan Air Quality Management Office

Administrative districts

The administrative district of Ansan is parted into 25 Dong, 1187 Tong, and 5884 Ban. The extent of Ansan is 149.06 km² (Sangnok-gu: 57.83 km² Danwon-gu: 91.23 km²). The population standard was 281,829

household A household consists of one or more persons who live in the same dwelling. It may be of a single family or another type of person group. The household is the basic unit of analysis in many social, microeconomic and government models, and is im ...

s and 761,279 people at the end of 2012, of which the Korean citizen population was 715,108 with 43,465 foreigners recorded. 09-09-ansan-en

Education

Ansan had

Hyanggyo () were government-run provincial Confucian schools established during the Goryeo (918–1392), and Joseon (July 1392 – August 1910) periods in Korea. They were established to educate and train officials in Confucian ideals and the ethics of g ...

, nationally sponsored schools, throughout the

period and

. Modern institutions of higher learning located in Ansan include Ansan University, Shin Ansan University,

, and the ERICA campus of

. List of universities in Ansan: * Ansan University *

, ERICA Campus at Ansan *

* Shin Ansan University There are 24 high schools, 29 middle schools, 54 elementary schools and 96 kindergartens in the city.

Danwon High School Danwon High School () is a coeducational high school located in Danwon District, Ansan, South Korea. It is a state school, being under the authority of Gyeonggi Province's Office of Education. The school was founded in 2005. In cooperation with ...

in Ansan was particularly affected by the

Sinking of the MV Sewol On the morning of 16 April 2014, the ferry MV ''Sewol'' sank while en route from Incheon towards Jeju City in South Korea. The 6,825-ton vessel sent a distress signal from about north of Byeongpungdo at 08:58 KST (23:58 UTC, 15 April 2014) ...

in 2014 as a large number of the passengers were students from the school, and city streets featured many ribbon memorials and other markers and ceremonies for the disaster. Ansan Seo Elementary School a.k.a. in

Wongok-dong Wongok-dong () is neighbourhood of Danwon-gu, Ansan, Gyeonggi Province, South Korea. It is officially divided into Wongok-1-dong, Wongok-2-dong and Wongok-bondong. The multi cultural special zone (town) is located in wongok-dong. In multi culture ...

has a multicultural program with students from other countries, a rarity in South Korean education.

Economy

Because Ansan is a planned city built behind the Ansan Smart Hub following the government's industrial planning, the proportion of agriculture in the Ansan economy is very low. Meanwhile, as the government promoted a manufacturing industry plan in the Ansan area before Ansan was built, many people work in the manufacturing industry. There are two national industrial complexes, Banwol and Sihwa, as well as the local Banwol plating industrial complex.

Cultural institutions and heritage

In the past, Ansan had fewer attractions and a poor reputation due to its industrial and fishing roots, but the east side of the city has recently experienced several beautification projects. The canal systems which bisect the city have bicycling and walking paths, and are covered with roses, tulips, and

cherry blossoms The cherry blossom, or sakura, is the flower of trees in ''Prunus'' subgenus '' Cerasus''. ''Sakura'' usually refers to flowers of ornamental cherry trees, such as cultivars of ''Prunus serrulata'', not trees grown for their fruit (although ...

in spring. A community bicycle system sponsored by the city is also available for park access and riding. Nowadays, Ansan has many museums and galleries, such as the Ansan Culture and Arts Center, Seongho Memorial Hall, Danwon Sculpture Park, and Hwarang Public Garden. Ansan has run city bus tours for cultural heritage sightseeing since 2008. Walk Path along Ansan Canal

Events

The Jet-mer-ri village deity is held every year in the Jet-mer-ri shrine to the village deity from 1984, and since 1987 the Beal-Mang-Sung art festival is held. Also, since 1991 the Danwon art festival and since 1996 the Sung-ho cultural festival is held. The Ansan Street Arts Festival is held in Ansan Culture Square in May since 2005. Other festivals in Ansan include: * Ansan Kim Hong-do Festival (September) * Ansan Daebu Island: The scent of ocean tulip festival (April) * Ansan Street Arts Festival (May) * Ansan Valley Rock Festival (July) * Byeolmangseong Art Festival (September) * Seongho Cultural Festival (May)

Historical monuments and structures

Historical monuments and structures in Ansan include: * Ansan Town Wall * Byeolmangseong Fortress * Cheongmundang * Daebudo Island Charity Monument (Daebudo Jaseonbi) * Gosong Pavilion * Hong Jeonghui Gate of Filial Duty (Hongjeonghui Hyojamun) * Jaetmeori Local God Shrine * Korean Juniper Tree in Palgok-ri * Ojeonggak Pavilion * Sasechungyeolmun (Shrine of Loyalty, Virtue and Filial Duty) * Seonbu-dong Dolmens *

Ssanggyesa Ssanggyesa () is a head temple of the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism. It is located on the southern slopes of Jirisan, southwest of sacred Samshin-bong Peak in the Hwagye-dong Valley of Hwagae-myeon, Hadong County, in the province of Gyeongsan ...

* Tomb of Ahn Tandae *

Tomb of Choi Hon A tomb ( ''tumbos'') or sepulchre () is a repository for the remains of the dead. It is generally any structurally enclosed interment space or burial chamber, of varying sizes. Placing a corpse into a tomb can be called ''immurement'', althou ...

* Tomb of Gang Jing * Tomb of General Choi Jeong-geoi *

Tomb of Han Eungin A tomb ( ''tumbos'') or sepulchre () is a repository for the remains of the dead. It is generally any structurally enclosed interment space or burial chamber, of varying sizes. Placing a corpse into a tomb can be called ''immurement'', althou ...

* Tomb of Hong Cheoyun * Tomb of Jeong Eonbyeok * Tomb of Princess Jeongjeong * Tomb of Yi Ik * Tomb of Yi Inhyeon * Tomb of Yu Seok * Tomb of Yun Gang

Modern monuments and cultural institutions

Modern monuments and cultural institutions in Ansan include: * Gyeonggi Museum of Art (sometimes known as the Ansan Art Museum) * Ansan Botanical Garden * Ansan Cultural Center * Ansan Culture and Arts Center * Ansan Lighthouse *Ansan Sled Park *

Choi Yong-sin Memorial Hall Choi may refer to: * Choi (Korean surname), a Korean surname * Choi, Macau Cantonese transliteration of the Chinese surname Cui (崔) and Xu (徐) * Choi, Cantonese romanisation of Cai (surname) (蔡), a Chinese surname * CHOI-FM, a radio station ...

* Fishing Village Folk Museum *Gyeonggi English Village Ansan Camp (also known as Ansan Hwajeong English Village) * Olympic Memorial Hall * Seongho Memorial Hall

Parks and natural landmarks

Ansan is home to several parks, including: * Ansan Lake Park *

* Hwarang Public Garden * Lake Sihwaho * Mt. Gwangdeoksan * Mt. Surisan * Nojeok Bong Park * Seongho Park * Seongpo Arts Square * Sihwaho Lake Reed Marsh Park * Marronniergongwon Park Ansan Canal through Trees

Sports

Large and small stadiums have been founded from the 1990s on in Ansan. Major sports events in the city take place at the

Ansan Wa~ Stadium Ansan Wa~ Stadium () is a multi-purpose stadium in Ansan, Gyeonggi Province, South Korea. It's currently served as home stadium for Ansan Greeners FC. The stadium was opened in 2007 and has a capacity of 35,000 people. It is used mostly for footb ...

. The city was home to Shinhan Bank S-Bird Woman's Basketball Team (member of the

Women's Korean Basketball League The Women's Korean Basketball League (WKBL) (Hangul: 한국여자프로농구) is the premier professional women's basketball league in South Korea. The league was established in 1998. Current clubs See also * Korean Basketball League Ex ...

). The team moved to

Incheon Incheon is a city located in northwestern South Korea, bordering Seoul and Gyeonggi Province to the east. Inhabited since the Neolithic, Incheon was home to just 4,700 people when it became an international port in 1883. As of February 2020, ...

in 2014. It was also a home to the now-defunct

National League National League often refers to: *National League (baseball), one of the two baseball leagues constituting Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada *National League (division), the fifth division of the English football (soccer) system ...

soccer club

Ansan Hallelujah Goyang Zaicro Football Club () was a South Korean professional association football, football team based in Goyang. The club competed in the K League Challenge between 2013 and 2016. They played their home games at Goyang Stadium. The club traces ...

. Ansan is also home to Ansan OK Financial Group Okman

volleyball Volleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules. It has been a part of the official program of the Summ ...

club. They are members of the V-League. Ansan established a professional

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...

team called the

Ansan Greeners FC The Ansan Greeners FC () are a South Korean professional football club based in Ansan. They compete in the K League 2, the second tier of South Korean football. Founded in 2017, they play their home matches at Ansan Wa~ Stadium. History On 22 Ju ...

. In first year, the team also received the 'Plus Stadium' award and the "Full Stadium" award. At present (April 10, 2018), the Ansan Grinders FC has placed second.

Television series and films

*''

A Man Called God ''A Man Called God'' (; also known as ''The Man Almighty'') is a 2010 South Korean television series starring Song Il-kook, Han Chae-young, Kim Min-jong, Han Go-eun and Yoo In-young. It aired on MBC from March 6 to May 23, 2010 on Saturdays an ...

'' (filmed at the pension complex on Daebu Island) *''

Boys Over Flowers is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Yoko Kamio. The story takes place in the fictional Eitoku Academy, an elite school for children from rich families. It tells the story of Tsukushi Makino, a girl from a middle-class ...

'' (filmed at the pension complex on Daebu Island) *'' Designated Survivor: 60 Days'' *''

Heading to the Ground ''Heading to the Ground'' (), also known as ''No Limit'' is a 2009 South Korean television series starring Jung Yun-ho, Go Ara, Lee Yoon-ji, and Lee Sang-yoon. It aired on MBC on Wednesdays to Thursdays at 21:55 for 16 episodes beginning Septembe ...

'' *''

Last Scandal ''Last Scandal'' () is a 2008 South Korean television drama series broadcast by MBC TV. Directed by Lee Tae-gon, it stars Choi Jin-sil, Jung Joon-ho, Jung Woong-in and Byun Jung-soo. It aired from March 8 to April 27, 2008 on Saturdays and Su ...

'' *''

The Secret of Birth ''The Secret of Birth'' () is a 2013 South Korean television series that aired on SBS from April 27 to June 23, 2013, on Saturdays and Sundays at 22:00 for 18 episodes. It stars Sung Yu-ri as a genius amnesiac who pieces together her own life in ...

'' *''

Hotel del Luna ''Hotel del Luna'' () is a South Korean television series starring Lee Ji-eun and Yeo Jin-goo as the owner and manager, respectively, of the eponymous hotel that caters only to ghosts. Produced by GTist, written by the Hong sisters and directed ...

'' (filmed at Lake Park on Hanyang University's ERICA Campus) *''

Twenty 20 (twenty) is the natural number following 19 and preceding 21. A group of twenty units is sometimes referred to as a score. In mathematics Twenty is a composite number. It is also the smallest primitive abundant number. The Happy Family o ...

'' (filmed at the College of Business on Hanyang University's ERICA Campus) *''

While You Were Sleeping (2017 TV series) ''While You Were Sleeping'' () is a 2017 South Korean television series starring Lee Jong-suk, Bae Suzy, Lee Sang-yeob, and Jung Hae-in. Consisting of sixteen chapters distributed over 16 episodes, this legal drama-fantasy television serie ...

'' (filmed at Suwon District Prosecutor's Office Ansan Branch)

Sister cities

Sister cities (foreign cities)

Anshan Anshan ( zh, s=鞍山, p=Ānshān, l=saddle mountain) is an inland prefecture-level city in central-southeast Liaoning province, People's Republic of China, about south of the provincial capital Shenyang. As of the 2020 census, it was Liaoning' ...

Liaoning ) , image_skyline = , image_alt = , image_caption = Clockwise: Mukden Palace in Shenyang, Xinghai Square in Dalian, Dalian coast, Yalu River at Dandong , image_map = Liaoning in China (+all claims hatched).svg , ...

, China *

Kholmsk Kholmsk (), known until 1946 as Maoka (), is a port town and the administrative center of Kholmsky District of Sakhalin Oblast, Russia. It is located on the southwest coast of the Sakhalin Island, on coast of the gulf of Nevelsky in the Strait o ...

, Russia *

Las Vegas, Nevada Las Vegas, colloquially referred to as Vegas, is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and the county seat of Clark County. The Las Vegas Valley metropolitan area is the largest within the greater Mojave Desert, and second-l ...

, United States *

Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk (, , ) is a city and the administrative center of Sakhalin Oblast, Russia. It is located on Sakhalin Island in the Russian Far East, north of Japan. Gas and oil extraction as well as processing are amongst the main industries on ...

, Russia

Sister cities (domestic cities)

Buan County Buan County (, ''Buan-gun'') is a county in Jeonbuk State, South Korea. It is bounded by the city of Jeongeup on the east, the county of Gochang on the south, the city of Gimje on the north, and Yellow Sea on the west. Buan is divided into 1 ' ...

North Jeolla Province North Jeolla Province, officially Jeonbuk State (), is a Special Self-governing Province of South Korea in the Honam region in the southwest of the Korean Peninsula. Jeonbuk borders the provinces of South Chungcheong to the north, North Gyeo ...

Cheongdo County Cheongdo County (''Cheongdo-gun'') is a county in North Gyeongsang Province, South Korea. It is connected to the national transportation grid by the Gyeongbu Line railroad and the Daegu-Busan Expressway. The seat of government is located in the ...

North Gyeongsang Province North Gyeongsang Province (, ) is a province in eastern South Korea, and with an area of , it is the largest province in the Korean peninsula. The province was formed in 1896 from the northern half of the former Gyeongsang province, and remaine ...

Cheongyang County Cheongyang County () is a county in South Chungcheong Province, South Korea. A predominantly rural area, it is known throughout Korea for the spicy Cheongyang chili peppers which are grown there. Another noted local specialty is the fruit of the ...

South Chungcheong Province South Chungcheong Province (), informally called Chungnam, is a Administrative divisions of South Korea, province of South Korea in the Hoseo region in the southwest of the Korean Peninsula. South Chungcheong borders the provinces of Gyeonggi to ...

Chuncheon Chuncheon (; ; literally ''spring river''), formerly romanized as Ch'unch'ŏn, is the capital of Gangwon Province, South Korea. The city lies in the north of the country, located in a basin formed by the Soyang River and Han River (Korea), Han R ...

Gangwon State Gangwon Province (), officially Gangwon State (), is a Special Self-Governing Province of South Korea. It is known as the largest and least densely populated subdivision of South Korea. Gangwon is one of the three provinces in South Korea with ...

Eunpyeong District Eunpyeong District () is one of the 25 districts of Seoul, South Korea. Eunpyeong is divided into 16 '' dong'' (administrative neighborhoods). Eunpyeong is located in northwestern Seoul, bordering Gyeonggi Province city of Goyang to the west, and ...

Gimje Gimje (; ) is a city in North Jeolla Province, South Korea. History The Gimje area is located on the "great plains" of Korea and has been cultivated since ancient times. Nations of early date ascended in the year 200. The Baekje Kingdom invaded a ...

Haenam County Haenam (''Haenam-gun'') is a county in South Jeolla Province, South Korea. The capital of Haenam-gun is Haenam-eup (Haenam town). The economy of the county is based mainly on agriculture, with rice and radish being the two most common crops. Hist ...

South Jeolla Province South Jeolla Province (), formerly South Chŏlla Province, also known as Jeonnam (), is a province in the Honam, Honam region, South Korea, and the Provinces of Korea, southernmost province in mainland Korea. South Jeolla borders the provinces of ...

Jecheon Jecheon (; ) is a city in North Chungcheong Province, South Korea. The city is a major railway junction or a transportation mecca, served by the Jungang, Chungbuk and Taebaek Lines. Jecheon has scenic surroundings and several tourist spots lik ...

North Chungcheong Province North Chungcheong Province (), also known as Chungbuk, is a province of South Korea. North Chungcheong has a population of 1,578,934 (2014) and has a geographic area of located in the Hoseo region on the south-centre of the Korean Peninsula. No ...

Jeongseon County Jeongseon (''Jeongseon-gun'') is a Administrative divisions of South Korea, county in the province of Gangwon-do (South Korea), Gangwon-do, South Korea. It is famous as the hometown of "Jeongseon Arirang," a traditional Korean folksong. It is als ...

Nam District, Gwangju Nam District () is the southern district of Gwangju, South Korea. Among Gwangju’s five districts, it has a relatively short history. It was established in 1995 after being separated from the Seo District, and a month later, it absorbed the Dae ...

Taebaek Taebaek (; ) is a city in Gangwon Province, South Korea. Its name is shared with that of the Taebaek Mountains. Situated at an elevation of , Taebaek is the second highest city in South Korea, after Pyeongchang. Etymology Taebaek in is derived ...

Friendly Cooperation Cities

Aachen Aachen is the List of cities in North Rhine-Westphalia by population, 13th-largest city in North Rhine-Westphalia and the List of cities in Germany by population, 27th-largest city of Germany, with around 261,000 inhabitants. Aachen is locat ...

, Germany *

Bà Rịa–Vũng Tàu province Bà Rịa–Vũng Tàu (abbreviated BRVT) was formerly a province of Vietnam. It was located on the coast of the country's Southeast region. It bordered Đồng Nai to the north, Bình Thuận to the northeast and Ho Chi Minh City metropolit ...

, Vietnam *

Baise Baise ( zh, c=百色, p=Bǎisè, Bósè; local pronunciation: ), or Bose, is the westernmost prefecture-level city of Guangxi, China bordering Vietnam as well as the provinces of Guizhou and Yunnan. The city has a population of 4.3 million, of wh ...

Guangxi Guangxi,; officially the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, is an Autonomous regions of China, autonomous region of the China, People's Republic of China, located in South China and bordering Vietnam (Hà Giang Province, Hà Giang, Cao Bằn ...

, China *

Leshan Leshan, formerly known as Jiading and Jiazhou, is a prefecture-level city located at the confluence of the Dadu River, Dadu and Min River (Sichuan), Min rivers, on the southwestern fringe of the Sichuan Basin in southern Sichuan, about from the ...

Sichuan Sichuan is a province in Southwestern China, occupying the Sichuan Basin and Tibetan Plateau—between the Jinsha River to the west, the Daba Mountains to the north, and the Yunnan–Guizhou Plateau to the south. Its capital city is Cheng ...

, China *

San Fernando San Fernando may refer to: People *Ferdinand III of Castile (c. 1200–1252), called ''San Fernando'' (Spanish) or ''Saint Ferdinand'', King of Castile, León, and Galicia Places Argentina *San Fernando de la Buena Vista, city of Greater Buenos ...

, Philippines *

Tauranga Tauranga (, Māori language for "resting place," or "safe anchorage") is a coastal city in the Bay of Plenty Region and the List of cities in New Zealand, fifth-most populous city of New Zealand, with an urban population of or roughly 3% of t ...

, New Zealand *

Yantai Yantai, formerly known as Chefoo, is a coastal prefecture-level city on the Shandong Peninsula in northeastern Shandong province of the People's Republic of China. Lying on the southern coast of the Bohai Strait, Yantai borders Qingdao ...

Shandong Shandong is a coastal Provinces of China, province in East China. Shandong has played a major role in Chinese history since the beginning of Chinese civilization along the lower reaches of the Yellow River. It has served as a pivotal cultural ...

, China *

Vientiane Vientiane (, ) is the capital city, capital and largest city of Laos. Situated on the banks of the Mekong, Mekong River at the Thailand, Thai border, it comprises the five urban districts of Vientiane Prefecture and had a population of 840,000 ...

, Laos

Mayors

* 1st - Jeon Chang-seon (January 1, 1986 – February 10, 1988) * 2nd - Jang Ui-jin (February 11, 1988 – June 4, 1988) * 3rd - Lee Sang-yong (June 5, 1988 – December 26, 1989) * 4th - Lee Soo-yeong (December 27, 1989 – January 2, 1992) * 5th - Cho Gun-ho (January 3, 1992 – January 10, 1993) * 6th - Kim Tae-su (January 11, 1993 – October 5, 1994) * 7th - Choi Soon-sik (October 5, 1994 – June 30, 1995) * 8th - Song Jin-sub (July 1, 1995 – June 30, 1998) * 9th - Park Sung-gyu (July 1, 1998 – June 30, 2002) * 10th - Song Jin-sub (July 1, 2002 – June 30, 2006) * 11th - Park Joo-won (July 1, 2006 – June 30, 2010) * 12th - Kim Chul-min (July 1, 2010 – June 30, 2014) * 13th - Je Jong-geel (July 1, 2014 – June 30, 2018) * 14th - Yoon Hwa-seop (July 1, 2018~ June 30, 2022) * 15th - Lee Min-Geun (July 1, 2022~)

Notable people

*Actors:

Lee Chung-ah Lee Chung-ah (; born October 29, 1984) is a South Korean actress. She is best known for her leading roles in the films ''Temptation of Wolves'' (2004) and '' My Tutor Friend 2'' (2007), as well as the cable dramas '' Cool Guys, Hot Ramen'' (201 ...

Lee Tae-sung Lee Tae-sung (; born Lee Sung-deok on April 21, 1985) is a South Korean actor. He is known for his roles in '' 26 Years Diary'', '' Playful Kiss'', ''Rooftop Prince'' and '' My Golden Life'' and is currently a cast member of the reality show '' ...

*Models:

Hye-rim Park Hye-rim Park (Korean: 박혜림; born January 17, 1985), also known as Hye Park, is a South Korean born American model. Park made her runway debut during the Fall/Winter 2005 season. Career Her big break came in early 2005, when Steven Meisel ...

*Singers: Lee Ji-hyun (

Jewelry Jewellery (or jewelry in American English) consists of decorative items worn for personal adornment such as brooches, ring (jewellery), rings, necklaces, earrings, pendants, bracelets, and cufflinks. Jewellery may be attached to the body or the ...

Kang Seul-gi Kang Seul-gi (; born February 10, 1994), known mononymously as Seulgi, is a South Korean singer and dancer. She is a member of the South Korean girl group Red Velvet (group), Red Velvet, its sub-unit Red Velvet – Irene & Seulgi, and the super ...

( Red Velvet), Choi Soobin ( TXT), Jo Haseul (

Loona Loona (stylized in all caps or as LOOΠΔ; ; , ) is a South Korean girl group created by Blockberry Creative. The group is composed of eleven members: Heejin, Hyunjin, Haseul, Vivi, Yeojin, Kim Lip, Jinsoul, Choerry, Yves (singer), Yves, Go Won ...

Bang Jae-min Bang Jae-min (; born March 26, 1999), is a South Korean actor and rapper. He debuted as an actor on '' Top Management'' (2018). He also participated in the first two seasons of Mnet's rap competition show, '' High School Rapper''. Career 20 ...

*Baseball players:

Kim Kwang-hyun Kwang-hyun Kim (; born July 22, 1988) is a South Korean professional baseball pitcher for the SSG Landers of the KBO League. He has also played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the St. Louis Cardinals. Amateur career Kim attended Ansan Tec ...

, Kim Min-woo *Volleyball players:

Kim Yeon-koung Kim Yeon-koung (, ; born 26 February 1988) is a Korean people, South Korean professional volleyball player and a former member of the FIVB Athletes' Commission. She is an outside hitter and the former captain of the South Korea women's nation ...

*Soccer players: Cho Gue-sung *Cartoonist : Lee mal nyeon

Exchanges

*Council of the National Multicultural City *Council of the National Lifelong Learning City *Metropolitan mayor nationwide council

References

External links

City government website
{{Authority control Cities in Gyeonggi Province Populated places established in 1986 Planned communities in South Korea 1986 establishments in South Korea