Suwon (, ) is the capital and largest city of

Gyeonggi-do Gyeonggi-do (, ) is the most populous province in South Korea. Its name, ''Gyeonggi'', means "京 (the capital) and 畿 (the surrounding area)". Thus, ''Gyeonggi-do'' can be translated as "Seoul and the surrounding areas of Seoul". Seoul, the na ...

South Korea South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and sharing a Korean Demilitarized Zone, land border with North Korea. Its western border is formed ...

's most populous province which surrounds

Seoul Seoul (; ; ), officially known as the Seoul Special City, is the Capital city, capital and largest metropolis of South Korea.Before 1972, Seoul was the ''de jure'' capital of the North Korea, Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea ...

, the national capital. Suwon lies about south of Seoul. It is traditionally known as "The City of Filial Piety". With a population close to 1.3 million, it is larger than

Ulsan Ulsan (), officially the Ulsan Metropolitan City is South Korea's seventh-largest metropolitan city and the eighth-largest city overall, with a population of over 1.1 million inhabitants. It is located in the south-east of the country, neighboring ...

, although it is not governed as a metropolitan city. Suwon has existed in various forms throughout Korea's history, growing from a small settlement to become a major industrial and cultural center. It is the only remaining completely

walled city A defensive wall is a fortification usually used to protect a city, town or other settlement from potential aggressors. The walls can range from simple palisades or earthworks to extensive military fortifications with towers, bastions and gates ...

. The city walls are one of the more popular tourist destinations in

Gyeonggi Gyeonggi-do (, ) is the most populous province in South Korea. Its name, ''Gyeonggi'', means "京 (the capital) and 畿 (the surrounding area)". Thus, ''Gyeonggi-do'' can be translated as "Seoul and the surrounding areas of Seoul". Seoul, the na ...

Province.

Samsung Electronics Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. (, sometimes shortened to SEC and stylized as SΛMSUNG) is a South Korean multinational electronics corporation headquartered in Yeongtong-gu, Suwon, South Korea. It is the pinnacle of the Samsung chaebol, a ...

R&D center and headquarters are in Suwon. The city is served by three motorways, the national railway network, and the

Seoul Metropolitan Subway The Seoul Metropolitan Subway is a metropolitan railway system consisting of 23 rapid transit, light metro, commuter rail and people mover lines located in northwest South Korea. The system serves most of the Seoul Metropolitan Area includin ...

. Suwon is a major educational center, home to eleven universities. Suwon is home to several football, baseball, basketball and volleyball teams, including four-time

K League K League (Hangul: K리그) is South Korea's professional football league. It includes first division K League 1 and second division K League 2. History Until the 1970s, South Korean football operated two major football leagues, the National ...

champions and two-time

AFC Champions League The AFC Champions League (abbreviated as ACL) is an annual continental club football competition organised by the Asian Football Confederation, and contested by Asia's top-division football clubs. It is the most prestigious club competition ...

winner

football club A football team is a group of players selected to play together in the various team sports known as football. Such teams could be selected to play in a match against an opposing team, to represent a football club, group, state or nation, an all- ...

Suwon Samsung Bluewings The Suwon Samsung Bluewings ( ko, 수원 삼성 블루윙즈) are a South Korean Association football, football club based in Suwon that competes in the K League 1, the top tier of South Korean football. Founded in December 1995, they have won t ...

and

2021 Korean Series The 2021 Korean Series is the championship series of the 2021 KBO League season. All games in the best-of-seven series were held at the Gocheok Sky Dome due to the cold weather. The KT Wiz won the series over the Doosan Bears, 4–0. Park Kyung-s ...

champions

KT Wiz KT Wiz ( ko, KT 위즈) are a South Korean professional baseball team based in Suwon. They are a member of the KBO League. Their home stadium is Suwon Baseball Stadium in Suwon. History On 11 January 2013, the Korea Baseball Organization of ...

of the

Korea Baseball Organization The Korea Baseball Organization (KBO; ko, 한국야구위원회) is the governing body for the professional leagues of baseball in South Korea. The KBO was founded in 1981 and has governed two leagues: the KBO League ( ko, KBO 리그) and K ...

History

In ancient tribal times, Suwon was known as Mosu-guk () of

Mahan confederacy Mahan () was a loose confederacy of statelets that existed from around the 1st century BC to 5th century AD in the southern Korean peninsula in the Chungcheong and Jeolla provinces. Gina Lee Barnes, 《State Formation in Korea: Historical and ...

. During the

Proto–Three Kingdoms period The Proto–Three Kingdoms period (or '' Samhan'' period) refers to the proto-historical period in the Korean Peninsula, after the fall of Gojoseon and before the maturation of Goguryeo, Baekje, and Silla into full-fledged kingdoms. It is a ...

era, however, the area comprising modern Suwon and Hwaseong City was called ''Maehol-gun'' (). In 757, under

King Gyeongdeok Gyeongdeok of Silla (景德王; 742–765) was the 35th ruler of Silla and son of King Seongdeok (reigned 702–737). He succeeded his elder brother, King Hyoseong, the 34th ruler of Silla. His reign is considered a golden age in Unified Silla� ...

of the

Unified Silla Unified Silla, or Late Silla (, ), is the name often applied to the Korean kingdom of Silla, one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea, after 668 CE. In the 7th century, a Silla–Tang alliance conquered Baekje and the southern part of Goguryeo in the ...

, the name was changed to ''Suseong-gun'' (). In 940 during the

Goryeo dynasty Goryeo (; ) was a Korean kingdom founded in 918, during a time of national division called the Later Three Kingdoms period, that unified and ruled the Korean Peninsula until 1392. Goryeo achieved what has been called a "true national unificat ...

changed again in to ''Suju'' ().

King Taejong Taejong of Joseon (13 June 1367 – 8 June 1422), personal name Yi Bang-won ( Korean: 이방원; Hanja: 李芳遠), was the third ruler of the Joseon dynasty of Korea and the father of King Sejong the Great. Before ascending to the throne, ...

of the

Joseon dynasty Joseon (; ; Middle Korean: 됴ᇢ〯션〮 Dyǒw syéon or 됴ᇢ〯션〯 Dyǒw syěon), officially the Great Joseon (; ), was the last dynastic kingdom of Korea, lasting just over 500 years. It was founded by Yi Seong-gye in July 1392 and ...

renamed the city to Suwon in 1413. In 1592, during the

Imjin wars The Imjin River ( in South Korea) or Rimjin River ( in North Korea) is the 7th largest river in Korea. It flows from north to south, crossing the Demilitarized Zone and joining the Han River downstream of Seoul, near the Yellow Sea. The riv ...

, Commander Yi Kwang attempted to launch his army toward the capital city,

(at the time called ''Hanseong'').Turnbull, Stephen. 2002, pp. 116-123. The army was withdrawn, however, after news that the city had already been sacked reached the commander. As the army grew in size to 50,000 men with the accumulation of several volunteer forces, Yi Kwang and the irregular commanders reconsidered their aim to reclaim the capital, and led the combined forces north to Suwon.

Construction of Hwaseong

Later, during the Joseon Dynasty, King Jeongjo made a successful attempt to make Suwon the nation's capital in 1796. Part of this project was the construction of

Hwaseong Fortress Hwaseong Fortress or Suwon Hwaseong is a fortification surrounding the centre of Suwon, the provincial capital of Gyeonggi-do, in South Korea. It was built from 1794 to 1796 by King Jeongjo of the Joseon dynasty to house and honour the remains of ...

, a fortified wall running around the entire city partially intended to guard the tomb of his father,

Prince Sado Crown Prince Sado (Hangul: 사도세자, Hanja: 思悼世子; 13 February 1735 – 12 July 1762), personal name Yi Seon (Hangul: 이선, Hanja: 李愃), was the second son of King Yeongjo of Joseon. His biological mother was Royal Noble ...

, which he had located there. The walls were one of Korea's first examples of paid labour, (

corvée labour Corvée () is a form of unpaid, unfree labour, forced labour, that is intermittent in nature lasting for limited periods of time: typically for only a certain number of days' work each year. Statute labour is a corvée imposed by a state (poli ...

being common previously). The walls still exist today, though they (together with the fortress) were damaged severely during the

Korean War {{Infobox military conflict , conflict = Korean War , partof = the Cold War and the Korean conflict , image = Korean War Montage 2.png , image_size = 300px , caption = Clockwise from top: ...

. Hwaseong originally was constructed under the guidance of philosopher

Jeong Yag-yong Jeong Yak-yong (August 5, 1762 – April 7, 1836) or Chong Yagyong, often simply known as ‘Dasan’ (茶山, one of his ‘ho’ / pen-names meaning ‘the mountain of tea’), was a Korean agronomist, philosopher, and poet. He was one of the ...

. Shortly after the death of King Jeongjo (1800), a white paper detailing the construction of the fortress was published. This proved invaluable during its reconstruction in the 1970s. The fortress walls once encircled the entire city, but modern urban growth has seen the city spread out far beyond the fortress. The walls are now a designated

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. I ...

World Heritage site, and often are used in materials promoting the city.

Korean War

Wrecked North Korean tank on bridge south of Suwon HD-SN-99-03158

The

greatly affected Suwon, as the city changed hands four times. Very shortly after the outbreak of war, the

49th Fighter Wing "Thank God for Mississippi" is an adage used in the United States, particularly in the South, that is generally used when discussing rankings of U.S. states. Since the U.S. state of Mississippi commonly ranks at or near the bottom of such rankin ...

of the

United States Air Force The United States Air Force (USAF) is the air service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part of the United States Army S ...

was dispatched to

Korea Korea ( ko, 한국, or , ) is a peninsular region in East Asia. Since 1945, it has been divided at or near the 38th parallel, with North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea) comprising its northern half and South Korea (Republi ...

from Japan. Its first task was to evacuate civilians from Suwon and

Gimpo Gimpo () is a city in Gyeonggi Province, South Korea. It borders Incheon, with which it shares the South Korean side of the Han River estuary, as well as Seoul and the lesser cities of Paju and Goyang. North Korea is across the Han River. The c ...

, but Suwon soon fell to the advancing North Koreans. Shortly before the

Battle of Osan The Battle of Osan ( ko, 오산 전투) was the first engagement between the United States and North Korea during the Korean War. On July 5, 1950, Task Force Smith, an American task force of 540 infantry supported by an artillery battery, was mo ...

, the first conflict between

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., federal district, five ma ...

and North Korean forces, on July 4, 1950, defenses were erected on the road between Suwon and nearby

Osan Osan () is a city in Gyeonggi Province, South Korea, approximately south of Seoul. The population of the city is around 200,000. The local economy is supported by a mix of agricultural and industrial enterprises. It is famous for one of the lar ...

(then still under Southern command). The next day, Northern troops advanced south. In the 3½-hour battle which followed, 150 American and 42 North Korean soldiers were killed and the United States troops were forced to retreat. The North Korean advance southwards to take Osan was delayed by an estimated seven hours.Charles E. Heller and William A. Stofft, eds. ''America's First Battles, 1776–1965'' (1986)Roy E. Appleman, ''South to the Naktong, North to the Yalu'' (1960) Office of the Chief of Military History, US Army On December 16, 1950, the Greek Expeditionary Force relocated to Suwon, attached to the

US 1st Cavalry Division The 1st Cavalry Division ("First Team") is a combined arms division and is one of the most decorated combat divisions of the United States Army. It is based at Fort Hood, Texas. It was formed in 1921 and served during World War II, the Ko ...

. From November 6, 1951, the

's top fighter pilot Gabby Gabreski was in charge of K-13 Air Base in Suwon. By the end of the war, Suwon was in

. A memorial to the

French military The French Armed Forces (french: Forces armées françaises) encompass the Army, the Navy, the Air and Space Force and the Gendarmerie of the French Republic. The President of France heads the armed forces as Chief of the Armed Forces. France ...

stands in Jangan-gu, near the

Yeongdong Expressway The Yeongdong Expressway () is an expressway in South Korea. Numbered 50, it connects the Seoul area with Gangwon Province. It is named from Yeongdong, an old name for Gangwon. The road has its western end in Namdong-gu of Incheon Metrop ...

's North Suwon exit.

Recent history

*Suwon became the capital of

on June 23, 1967. *On July 1, 1988, Jangan-gu and Gwonseon-gu was installed. *On February 1, 1993, part of Jangan-gu and Gwonseon-gu was separated and these parts became a new district, Paldal-gu. *On November 24, 2003, Yeongtong-gu was installed newly to separate part of Paldal-gu

Geography

Suwon lies in the north of the

plain, just south of

's capital,

. It is bordered by

Uiwang Uiwang () is a city in Gyeonggi Province, South Korea. It is one of many satellite cities that ring Seoul, making up the Seoul Capital Area. Its largest immediate urban neighbor is Anyang. The low peaks of the Gwangju Mountains (including Morak ...

to the north-west,

Yongin Yongin () is a city in the Seoul Capital Area, the largest in Gyeonggi Province, South Korea. With a population over 1 million, the city has developed rapidly since the 21st century, recording the highest population growth of any city in the count ...

to the east, the city of Hwaseong to the south-west, and also shares a short border with

Ansan Ansan (Hangeul: , ) is a city in Gyeonggi Province, South Korea. It lies southwest of Seoul and is part of the Seoul National Capital Area. It is connected to Seoul by rail via Seoul Subway Line 4. It is situated on the Yellow Sea coast and so ...

to the west. There are a few hills around Suwon. The highest of these is

Gwanggyosan Gwanggyosan (582 m) is a mountain in Gyeonggi Province, South Korea. It lies on the border of Suwon and Yongin, though the wider range extends north and so also borders Uiwang, Gwacheon, Seoul, and Seongnam. The summit offers views across Su ...

to the north, on the border with

, though those to the east are more numerous.

is above

sea level Mean sea level (MSL, often shortened to sea level) is an average surface level of one or more among Earth's coastal bodies of water from which heights such as elevation may be measured. The global MSL is a type of vertical datuma standardise ...

. Most of the streams passing through Suwon originate on

or other nearby peaks. Since Suwon is bounded to the east by other hills, the streams, chiefly the Suwoncheon (and one notable tributary being the

Jungbocheon The Jungbocheon in South Korea is a tributary of the Hwanggujicheon, which in turn empties into the Yellow Sea at Asan Bay. Its source is Eupjang Reservoir, also known as Pajang Reservoir, near the North Suwon exit of the Yeongdong Expressway and ...

), flow southwards through the city, eventually emptying into the

Yellow Sea The Yellow 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. It is one of four seas named after common colour term ...

at Asan Bay. The entirety of Suwon is drained in this manner. As is true of all the

n mainland, there are no natural lakes in Suwon. There are, however, many small reservoirs, namely Seoho () near Hwaseo Station, Ilwon Reservoir () near

Sungkyunkwan University Sungkyunkwan University (SKKU or simply ''Seongdae'', Hangul: 성균관대학교; Hanja: 成均館大學校) is a private comprehensive research university in South Korea. The institution traces its origins to the historic Sungkyunkwan, found ...

, Bambat Reservoir () near

Sungkyunkwan University Station Sungkyunkwan University Station (Station P153) is a ground-level metro station on line 1 of the Seoul Subway in Yuljeon Dong, Jangan Gu, Suwon, South Korea. The station's sole exit offers access to Sungkyunkwan University and Dongnam Health C ...

, Ilwang Reservoir () in Manseok Park, Pajang Reservoir () near the North Suwon exit of the

, Gwanggyo Reservoir () at the foot of

, Woncheon and Sindae Reservoirs ( & ) near

Ajou University Ajou University () is a private research university located in Suwon, Gyeonggi Province, South Korea. It was founded in 1973 by an agreement between the governments of France and the Republic of Korea. Ajou University started as Ajou Engineerin ...

(), Geumgok Reservoir (), a small reservoir at the foot of Chilbosan, and the larger Wangsong Reservoir (), located mainly in the city of

, but its dam located in Suwon. At the closest point, being the Chilbosan ridge (239m) to the west on the border with

, Suwon lies from the

coast.

Climate

Suwon has a

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 freez ...

( Köppen: ''Dwa''), but can be considered a borderline humid subtropical climate ( Köppen: ''Cwa'') using the isotherm.

Administrative divisions

The city is divided into 4 '' gu'' (districts): The newest of these is Yeongtong-gu, which was separated from Paldal-gu on November 24, 2003. These districts are in turn divided into 42 '' dong''.

Gwanggyo Gwanggyo refers to a planned city surrounding Yeongtong-gu of Suwon and Suji-gu (or Giheung-gu) of Yongin Yongin () is a city in the Seoul Capital Area, the largest in Gyeonggi Province, South Korea. With a population over 1 million, the city h ...

Town (Hanja: 光敎, Mean:teaching light) was created in surrounding Yeongtong-gu of Suwon and Suji-gu of

(2011).

Demographics

50.2% of the population of Suwon is composed of male residents. Indeed, it is only in Paldal-gu that the number of female residents is greater than that of males. 1.85% of the population is of foreign nationality, the highest concentration (2.3%) being in Paldal-gu. Further information regarding the residents of each district is shown below. Overall, the population of Suwon is increasing, but the domestic population is falling. For example, the Korean population of Suwon fell by 585 from December 2007 to January 2008. However, both genders of the foreign population increased in number in each gu in the same time period. It appears to be a pattern that the foreign population is increasing, as Suwon also saw a 13% increase in the number of registered foreigners residing in the city in the first half of 2007. The only '' gu'' currently showing an increase in population is Gwonseon-gu (though the same was until recently true of Paldal-gu), while all others have falling number of residents, especially Jangan-gu and Yeongtong-gu.

Education

Colleges and universities

There are 11

universities A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. ''University'' is derived from the Latin phrase ''universitas magistrorum et scholarium'', which ...

in Suwon and 2 colleges, and these include

's Natural Sciences Campus,

Kyonggi University Kyonggi University (KGU; ) is an accredited, private higher education institution, established in 1947. KGU has over 17,000 students in majors in undergraduate and graduate programs on two campuses. The main campus is in Suwon, located 30 miles f ...

Kyunghee University Kyung Hee University (abbreviated to KHU) (Hangul: 경희대학교; Hanja: 慶熙大學校) is a private research university in South Korea with campuses in Seoul and Suwon. Founded in 1949, it is widely regarded as one of the best universities i ...

Dongnam Health College Dongnam Health University, previously Dongnam Health College, is a South Korean technical college specializing in the health sciences. Its campus is on the north bank of the Seohocheon in Suwon, Gyeonggi province. The current president is Lee Yo ...

, Gukje Digital University, Hapdong Theological Seminary, and Suwon Women's College. Contrary to its name, University of Suwon is not actually in Suwon, but in the neighbouring city of Hwaseong due to changes in municipal boundaries over the years. The agricultural campus of

Seoul National University Seoul National University (SNU; ) is a national public research university located in Seoul, South Korea. Founded in 1946, Seoul National University is largely considered the most prestigious university in South Korea; it is one of the thr ...

was located in Suwon until 2005, but is now in

Gwanak-gu Gwanak District (Gwanak-gu) is an administrative subdivision (''gu'') of Seoul, South Korea. It lies on the southern skirt of Seoul, bordering Anyang of Gyeonggi Province. The southern border of Gwanak-gu, bordering Anyang, consists of the cr ...

near the rest of its main campus. There are also 2 junior colleges in Suwon.

Primary and secondary schools

There are 33 high schools, 37 middle schools, 81 primary schools and 107 kindergartens in Suwon. Suwon has three schools devoted to

special education Special education (known as special-needs education, aided education, exceptional education, alternative provision, exceptional student education, special ed., SDC, or SPED) is the practice of educating students in a way that accommodates th ...

, namely the Jahye Institute, the School of Suwon Seokwang and Dream Tree Special School, and also has wings of mainstream schools for students requiring

, being the Special Education School of Suwonbuk Middle School, the Special Education School of Suwon Girls' Middle School. International schools: *

Gyeonggi Suwon International School The Gyeonggi Suwon International School (GSIS) is an international school located in Suwon, Gyeonggi Province, South Korea. GSIS is one of two schools in South Korea accredited by the IBO to offer all three programs: the PYP, MYP The Internat ...

Suwon Chinese International School
()

Industry

The main industrial employer in Suwon is

Samsung The Samsung Group (or simply Samsung) ( ko, 삼성 ) is a South Korean multinational manufacturing conglomerate headquartered in Samsung Town, Seoul, South Korea. It comprises numerous affiliated businesses, most of them united under the ...

. Samsung was originally founded in

, but at the beginning of the

, Samsung facilities were so damaged that the founder,

Lee Byung-chul Lee Byung-chul ( Korean: 이병철 12 February 1910 – 19 November 1987) was a South Korean businessman. He was the founder of the Samsung Group, which is South Korea's largest chaebol, and he is considered one of South Korea's most succes ...

was forced to relocate his business to Suwon in 1951.

was founded in Suwon in 1969 and it now has its headquarters and a large R&D complex in central Suwon; it is the city's largest employer. The company's long-standing relationship with the city is also seen in its sponsorship of various Suwon-based sports teams, including the football club

and two of the oldest basketball teams in domestic basketball Seoul Samsung Thunders and

Samsung Life Blueminx Yongin Samsung Life Blueminx ( ko, 용인 삼성생명 블루밍스) is a South Korean women's basketball club, based in Yongin. They have been a member of the WKBL (Women's Korean Basketball League) since its inception. Originally based in Suwon ...

, both of which have since moved out of Suwon. Other companies with offices here include SK,

Samsung LED The Samsung Group (or simply Samsung) ( ko, 삼성 ) is a South Korean multinational manufacturing conglomerate headquartered in Samsung Town, Seoul, South Korea. It comprises numerous affiliated businesses, most of them united under the ' ...

Samsung SDI Samsung SDI Co., Ltd. () is a battery and electronic materials manufacturer headquartered in Yongin, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea. Samsung SDI operates its business with Energy Solutions and Electronic Materials segment. The Energy Solution segment ma ...

Samsung Electro-Mechanics Samsung Electro-Mechanics (SEM, Korean: 삼성전기) is a multinational electronic component company headquartered in Suwon, Gyeonggi-do Gyeonggi-do (, ) is the most populous province in South Korea. Its name, ''Gyeonggi'', means "京 ...

and others.

Culture

is Suwon's most notable attraction. Built in 1796, the entire city used to be encircled by the walls, but now Suwon has expanded beyond this boundary. Hwaseong is also listed as a

World Heritage Site. Haenggung Palace, within Hwaseong, is another noteworthy historical attraction. On completion of the Bundang Line extension, Suwon will also be only a few stops from Singal, the location of the

Korean Folk Village Minsok village (Korean Folk Village) is a living museum type of tourist attraction in the city of Yongin, a satellite city in the Seoul Metropolitan Area in the province of Gyeonggi in South Korea. It was first opened on October 3, 1974 (gr ...

, and the

Everland Everland () is South Korea's largest theme park. Located at the Everland Resort in Yongin, a city in Gyeonggi-do, it receives 5.85 million visitors annually and was ranked nineteenth in the world for amusement park attendance in 2018. As of 2 ...

theme park is nearby in

Recreation

The path around the walls of

is used by locals and tourists for sightseeing and walking. Manseok Park in northern Suwon has a 1200m track around a lake. Other facilities at Manseok Park include tennis (indoor & outdoor), soccer (dirt and artificial turf) and the Suwon X-Games skatepark. Various other parks are dotted around Suwon and several ski resorts and hiking trails are within easy reach of the city.

Travel and tourism

Including Suwon Hwaseong, Suwon city offers various tracking, tour and festivals for tourists. Suwon Hwaseong Festival is a festival held every October at Hwaseong Fortress.

Sports

Suwon has several sports facilities, including an archery field,

badminton Badminton is a racquet sport played using racket (sports equipment), racquets to hit a shuttlecock across a net (device), net. Although it may be played with larger teams, the most common forms of the game are "singles" (with one player per s ...

courts,

ten-pin bowling Ten-pin bowling is a type of bowling in which a bowler rolls a bowling ball down a wood or synthetic lane toward ten pins positioned evenly in four rows in an equilateral triangle. The objective is to knock down all ten pins on the first roll ...

lanes, indoor

swimming pools A swimming pool, swimming bath, wading pool, paddling pool, or simply pool, is a structure designed to hold water to enable swimming or other leisure activities. Pools can be built into the ground (in-ground pools) or built above ground (a ...

tennis Tennis is a racket sport that is played either individually against a single opponent ( singles) or between two teams of two players each ( doubles). Each player uses a tennis racket that is strung with cord to strike a hollow rubber ball c ...

courts,

soft tennis Soft tennis is a racket game played on a court of two halves, separated by a net. Soft tennis originated in Japan in 1884. Like regular tennis, it is played by individuals (singles) or pairs (doubles), whose objective is to hit the ball over the ...

courts and football pitches.

Suwon Gymnasium Suwon Gymnasium is an indoor sporting arena located in Suwon, South Korea. The arena has a capacity for 5,145 spectators and was built in 1984 to host handball events at the 1988 Summer Olympics. Today, Suwon Gymnasium is part of the Suwon Sports ...

hosted the handball events in the

1988 Summer Olympics The 1988 Summer Olympics (), officially known as the Games of the XXIV Olympiad () and commonly known as Seoul 1988 ( ko, 서울 1988, Seoul Cheon gubaek palsip-pal), was an international multi-sport event held from 17 September to 2 October ...

. It has a capacity of 5,145 and since been repurposed for basketball and, more recently, volleyball. Suwon is home to the

Suwon World Cup Stadium The Suwon World Cup Stadium (수원월드컵경기장) is a football stadium located in Suwon, South Korea. It has been home of the K League 1 team Suwon Samsung Bluewings since 2001. The capacity of the stadium is 44,031. Notable football events ...

, a venue built for the

2002 FIFA World Cup The 2002 FIFA World Cup, also branded as Korea Japan 2002, was the 17th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial football world championship for men's national teams organized by FIFA. It was held from 31 May to 30 June 2002 at sites in South Korea ...

and home of the

K League 1 The K League 1 (Hangul: K리그1) is the men's top professional football division of the South Korean football league system. The league is contested by twelve clubs. History The South Korean professional football league was founded in ...

team

. Another K League 1 team,

Suwon FC Suwon FC ( ko, 수원 FC; Hanja: 水原 FC) is a South Korean professional football club based Suwon that competes in the K League 1, the top division of South Korea. They play their home games at Suwon Stadium. History Early years: semi-profes ...

, and a women's team

Suwon FC Women Suwon FC Women (Korean: 수원 FC 위민) is a South Korean women's football team based in Suwon. History The club was founded in January 2008 as Suwon Facilities Management Corporation WFC, or simply Suwon FMC. The team plays in the nation's ...

, which competes in the WK League, both play at the Suwon Sports Complex. Since 2015, Suwon has been home of the

KBO League The KBO League (), officially the Shinhan Bank SOL KBO League, is the highest level league of baseball in South Korea. The KBO League was founded with six franchises in 1982 and is the most popular sports league in South Korea. The Kia Tigers are ...

team

. The team plays at the

Suwon Baseball Stadium The Suwon Baseball Stadium ( ko, 수원야구장), also known as the Suwon kt wiz Park ( ko, 수원 kt wiz 파크) due to sponsorship reasons, is a baseball stadium in Suwon, South Korea. Since 2015, it has been the home of KBO club KT Wiz. The st ...

. The city was previously the home of the Hyundai Unicorns, but the team folded after the 2007 season. Basketball teams Samsung Thunders (men's basketball team) and Samsung Life Bichumi (women's basketball team) were also based in Suwon in the past and are two of the KBL and WKBL's oldest franchises. In 2021, the KT Sonicboom men's basketball team relocated from

Busan Busan (), officially known as is South Korea's most populous city after Seoul, with a population of over 3.4 million inhabitants. Formerly romanized as Pusan, it is the economic, cultural and educational center of southeastern South Korea ...

to Suwon. Suwon is home to both a men's volleyball team and a women's volleyball team, which are

Suwon KEPCO Vixtorm Suwon Korea Electric Power Corporation Vixtorm ( ko, 수원 한국전력 빅스톰) is a South Korean volleyball team. The team was founded in 1945 and became fully professional in 2008. They are based in Suwon and are members of the Korea Volleyba ...

and

Suwon Hyundai Engineering & Construction Hillstate Suwon Hyundai Engineering & Construction Hillstate ( ko, 수원 현대건설 힐스테이트) is a South Korean professional volleyball team. The team was founded in 1977 and became fully professional in 2005. They are based in Suwon and are membe ...

respectively. The two teams play in the

V-League V-League or V.League may refer to: * V.League (Japan), a professional volleyball league * V-League (South Korea), a professional volleyball league * V-League (Philippines), a collegiate volleyball league * V.League 1 The V.League 1 ( vi, Gi� ...

Entertainment

Suwon has three major multiplex theaters: '' Megabox'' and '' CGV'' theaters in the

Suwon Station Suwon Station is a railway station in the city of Suwon, South Korea. The station was completely redeveloped in 2002 and 2003, and is now integrated with the Aekyung Shopping Mall (AK Plaza). This station serves Inter-city railway Gyeongbu Line ...

complex in the city center, as well as ''Kinex 5'' in the district of Yeongtong-gu. There are also other theaters that show fewer foreign films: ''Cinema Town'', ''Taehan Theater'', ''Piccadilly Theater'', ''Jungang Theater'', ''Royal Theater'', ''Dano Theater'' and ''Dano Art Hall''. Woncheon in the Yeongtong-gu district also has two

amusement parks An amusement park is a park that features various attractions, such as rides and games, as well as other events for entertainment purposes. A theme park is a type of amusement park that bases its structures and attractions around a central ...

, Woncheon Greenland and Woncheon Lakeland. But now it is closed. There is

Gwanggyo Lake Park Gwanggyo Lake Park () is a park in Ha-dong, Yeongtong-gu, Suwon, South Korea South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and sharing a Korean ...

behind the back gate of

. Nearby there has also ''

otte Cinema Otte is a surname and given name. Notable persons with that name include: Given name *Otte Brahe (1518–1571), Danish (Scanian) nobleman and statesman *Otte Krumpen (1473–1569), Marshal of Denmark from 1554 to 1567 *Otte Rømer (c.1330–1409), ...

' theater in Lotte Outlets. There are many cafes and restaurants.

Other amenities

Suwon City Council prides itself on the condition of its

public lavatories A public toilet, restroom, public bathroom or washroom is a room or small building with toilets (or urinals) and sinks for use by the general public. The facilities are available to customers, travelers, employees of a business, school pupi ...

. It has made efforts in recent years to ensure that new lavatories are clean and while improving existing facilities. There are now guided bus tours of the municipal restrooms offered for visitors.

Transport

Suwon is a regional transportation hub and

is an important stop on the Gyeongbu railway line between

and

. There is a bus service to the KTX high-speed train station at Gwangmyeong. Suwon is connected to

and other nearby cities by city and express buses with departure points across the city. There are also two bus terminals in Suwon with inter-city and express bus connections to most cities in Korea. These are

Suwon Bus Terminal Suwon Bus Terminal is the main intercity and express bus station serving Suwon, a city in South Korea's north-west province of Gyeonggi-do. The station is located in Gwonseon-gu, 2.6km south-east of Suwon Station. Standing beside a branch of ...

, which is located near 'Hotel Ramada' and

West Suwon Bus Terminal West Suwon Bus Terminal is the second-largest bus station in Suwon, a city in South Korea's north-west province of Gyeonggi-do. The station is located in Gwonseon-gu, 3.1km north-west of Suwon Station. Standing beside a branch of E-Mart, it is ...

, which is located near

. KTX trains also make limited number of stops on services from Seoul to Busan. Suwon has several stations on

Seoul Subway Line 1 Seoul Metropolitan Subway Line 1 of the Seoul Metropolitan Subway is a rapid transit and commuter rail line which links central Seoul, South Korea to Soyosan Station in the northeast, Incheon in the southwest, and Sinchang (Soonchunhyang Univ ...

, which runs North–South through the city, namely

, Hwaseo,

Suwon Suwon (, ) is the capital and largest city of Gyeonggi-do, South Korea's most populous province which surrounds Seoul, the national capital. Suwon lies about south of Seoul. It is traditionally known as "The City of Filial Piety". With a populati ...

and Seryu. The Suin-Bundang Line also crosses Suwon East-West, namely Cheongmyeong, Yeongtong, Mangpo, Maetan-Gwonseon, Suwon City Hall, Maegyo,

, Gosaek, Omokcheon. The

Shinbundang Line The Shinbundang Line (aka ''Sinbundang Line''; ; literally, ''New Bundang Line'') or DX Line for Dynamic Express Line is a long line of the Seoul Metropolitan Subway. It is the world's fifth subway to run completely driverless and the second co ...

also passes Suwon, namely Gwanggyo Jungang,

. Until 1973, the

Suryo Line The Suryeo Line (水驪線, ''Suirei-sen'') is a former narrow-gauge railway line owned by Korean National Railroad. The line connected Suwon to Yeoju. History The first section of the line was opened by the privately owned Chosen Gyeongdong ...

also connected Suwon to

Yeoju Yeoju () is a city in Gyeonggi Province, South Korea. Yeoju was a county but was raised to the status of a city in September 2013. Together with the neighboring city of Icheon, it is known as a major center of contemporary South Korean ceramics, ...

. The

(Number 50) passes through Suwon and two exits on this motorway lie within the city limits, being North Suwon and East Suwon. Suwon is also served by the Suwon exit of the

Gyeongbu Expressway The Gyeongbu Expressway ( ko, 경부고속도로; ''Gyeongbu Gosokdoro'') (Asian Highway Network ) is the second oldest and most heavily travelled expressway in South Korea, connecting Seoul to Suwon, Daejeon, Gumi, Daegu, Gyeongju, Ulsan a ...

(Number 1), though this lies a short distance east of the Suwon's limits, near Singal in the city of

. The Pyeongtaek-Munsan Expressway (Number 17) passes Suwon and there is one exit at Suwon. In 2013, the city hosted the EcoMobility World Festival in the Haenggun-dong neighbourhood (pop. 4,300), where for a month, streets were closed to cars as a car-free experiment. Instead of cars, residents used non-motorized vehicles provided by the festival organizers. The experiment was not unopposed; however, on balance it was considered a success. Following the festival, the city embarked on discussions about adopting the practice on a permanent basis. In 2017, Suwon Station transfer center was opened. It was installed to disperse buses and taxi stands in the eastern plaza of Suwon Station.

Media

There are two newspapers based in Suwon. These are the Gyeonggi Daily (경기일보) and, since 1960, the Gyeongin Daily (경인일보). The former is based in Jangan-gu, with the latter's offices being in Paldal-gu. Both feature news exclusively in Korean.

Military

The

Air Force An air force – in the broadest sense – is the national military branch that primarily conducts aerial warfare. More specifically, it is the branch of a nation's armed services that is responsible for aerial warfare as distinct from an ar ...

has a base in Jang-ji dong, Gwon-sun gu, Suwon. This was used by the

during the

. The base is now occupied mostly by the ROKAF (Republic of Korea Air Force), though the US Army houses half of a battalion there presently, and there are a limited number of US Air Force personnel.

Religion

As in most of

, according to 2006 statistics compiled by the

government A government is the system or group of people governing an organized community, generally a state. In the case of its broad associative definition, government normally consists of legislature, executive, and judiciary. Government ...

, about 25.3% of the population professes to follow no particular religion.

Christians Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words ''Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρι ...

account for 20% of the population and

Buddhists Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religion or philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha. It originated in northern India as a -movement in the 5th century BCE, and g ...

52%. The Catholic Diocese of Suwon was created in 1963 by

Pope Paul VI Pope Paul VI ( la, Paulus VI; it, Paolo VI; born Giovanni Battista Enrico Antonio Maria Montini, ; 26 September 18976 August 1978) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 21 June 1963 to his death in Augus ...

Food

Suwon is known for Suwon

galbi ''Galbi'' * (), ''galbi-gui'' (), or grilled ribs, is a type of '' gui'' (grilled dish) in Korean cuisine. "''Galbi''" is the Korean word for "rib", and the dish is usually made with beef short ribs. When pork spare ribs or another meat is ...

, a variation on the style beef short rib enjoyed throughout

. The city also has the same variety of

Korean dishes Korean Dishes, also known as Chosŏn ryori (), is a North Korean website. The website, associated with the , was announced in 2012 and it launched in mid-2014. Access to the website is blocked in South Korea on the basis of the National Se ...

served throughout the

peninsula A peninsula (; ) is a landform that extends from a mainland and is surrounded by water on most, but not all of its borders. A peninsula is also sometimes defined as a piece of land bordered by water on three of its sides. Peninsulas exist on al ...

and has a wide variety of restaurants serving food from outside Korea. Since 1995, Galbi festival has been held annually, attracting many tourists.

Flora and fauna

Suwon's wildlife is similar to that of most of

. A notable species, however, is the

Suwon tree frog ''Dryophytes suweonensis'', the Suweon treefrog or Suwon treefrog, is a species of frog in the family Hylidae endemic to the Korean Peninsula probably from the Imjin River to the Mangyeong River, south of Iksan. Its distribution and population h ...

. This is one of only two

tree frog A tree frog (or treefrog) is any species of frog that spends a major portion of its lifespan in trees, known as an arboreal state. Several lineages of frogs among the Neobatrachia have given rise to treefrogs, although they are not closely rela ...

s to inhabit the

Korean peninsula Korea ( ko, 한국, or , ) is a peninsular region in East Asia. Since 1945, it has been divided at or near the 38th parallel, with North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea) comprising its northern half and South Korea (Republic ...

and it lives in the

area only.

Notable residents

Notable people from Suwon include: *Former footballer

Park Ji-sung Park Ji-sung (; ; born 30 March 1981) is a South Korean former professional footballer who played as a midfielder. Born in the South Korean capital Seoul, Park is the most successful Asian player in football history, having won 19 trophies in ...

grew up in Suwon. In 2005, a city street was renamed after him. *Actor

Song Kang A song is a musical composition intended to be performed by the human voice. This is often done at distinct and fixed pitches (melodies) using patterns of sound and silence. Songs contain various forms, such as those including the repetiti ...

*Professional tennis player

Chung Hyeon Chung Hyeon (; ; born 19 May 1996) is a South Korean professional tennis player. He is the 2017 Next Gen Finals champion. As an unseeded player, he became the first Korean player to reach a Grand Slam semifinal at the 2018 Australian Open. ...

Super Junior Super Junior (; stylized in all caps), also known as SJ or SuJu, is a South Korean boy band formed by Lee Soo-man, the founder of SM Entertainment in 2005. They are also dubbed by the media as the "King of Hallyu Wave" due to their promine ...

member Shindong *

Shinee Shinee ( ; ko, 샤이니, Syaini; ja, シャイニー, Shainī; stylized as SHINee) is a South Korean boy band formed by SM Entertainment in 2008. The group's musical impact in their native country has earned them numerous accolades and the ...

member Lee Jin-ki (stage name

Onew Lee Jin-ki (; born December 14, 1989), better known by his stage name Onew, is a South Korean singer, songwriter, actor and host. Born in Gwangmyeong, Gyeonggi-do, Onew was discovered at the 2006 SM Academy Casting and signed a contract with ...

) *Pastor

Billy Kim Billy (Jang Hwan) Kim (Hangul: 김장환) (born 1934) is a prominent Christian evangelist and humanitarian. He was the president of the Baptist World Alliance from 2000 until 2005 when he was succeeded by David Coffey. Early life Billy Kim was ...

, former President of the

Baptist World Alliance The Baptist World Alliance (BWA) is the largest international Baptist organization with an estimated 51 million people in 2022 with 246 member bodies in 128 countries and territories. A voluntary association of Baptist churches, the BWA accoun ...

and current President of the Far East Broadcasting Company * 2AM member

Jo Kwon Jo Kwon ( born on August 28, 1989) is a South Korean singer, television host, actor, entertainer and the leader of South Korean boy band 2AM. He has starred in multiple musicals such as ''Jesus Christ Superstar'' playing the role of King Hero ...

*Cellist Han-na Chang *Actress

Hyun Young Hyun Young (born Yoo Hyun-young on September 6, 1976) is a South Korean entertainer. She has worked as a model, TV show host, actress, singer, instructor for Public relations and Personal Financial Planning at colleges, companies. Educated at ...

*Actress

Ha Ji-won Jeon Hae-rim (; born 28 June 1978), better known by her stage name Ha Ji-won () is a South Korean actress. She is best known for the historical dramas '' Damo'' (2003), '' Hwang Jini'' (2006), and ''Empress Ki'' (2013), as well as the melodra ...

*Presenter and columnist

Sam Oh Oh Sang-mi, better known as Sam Oh is a television host, radio broadcaster and a Korean expatriate who has been living in the Philippines for 20 years. She can speak Tagalog and English in addition to her native Korean. She has been the main hos ...

*MMA fighter

Dong Hyun Kim Kim Dong-hyun ( ko, 김동현, 金東炫; born November 17, 1981), anglicized as Dong Hyun Kim, is a retired South Korean mixed martial artist who most notably fought in the UFC's welterweight division. He was signed by the UFC after fightin ...

*Actor Joo Won *

Monsta X Monsta X (; stylized as MONSTA X) is a South Korean boy group formed through the reality survival program ''No.Mercy'' under Starship Entertainment. The group is currently composed of six members: Shownu, Minhyuk, Kihyun, Hyungwon, Joohon ...

member I.M *

Apink Apink ( ko, 에이핑크, ja, エーピンク) is a South Korean girl group formed by IST Entertainment (formerly Play M Entertainment, A Cube Entertainment, and Plan A Entertainment). The group debuted on April 19, 2011, with the extended pla ...

member Yoon Bo-mi *

Twice Twice (; Japanese: トゥワイス, Hepburn: ''To~uwaisu''; commonly stylized as TWICE) is a South Korean girl group formed by JYP Entertainment. The group is composed of nine members: Nayeon, Jeongyeon, Momo, Sana, Jihyo, Mina, Dahyun, ...

member

Yoo Jeong-yeon Yoo Jeong-yeon (; born 1 November 1996), known mononymously as Jeongyeon (), is a South Korean singer. She is a member of Twice, a South Korean girl group formed by JYP Entertainment. Early life Jeongyeon was born as Yoo Kyung-wan on 1 Novemb ...

Block B Block B ( ko, 블락비) is a South Korean boy band managed by KQ Entertainment, and consists of seven members: Taeil, B-Bomb, Jaehyo, U-Kwon, Park Kyung, Zico, and P.O. Block B has received several accolades, including nominations for sev ...

member

U-Kwon Kim Yu-kwon (Hangul: 김유권, born April 9, 1992), better known by the stage name U-Kwon (Hangul: 유권), is a South Korean singer. He is a vocalist and dancer in Block B; he is also a member of the sub-unit Bastarz along with P.O and B- ...

* A.C.E member Donghun *Actor Ryu Jun-yeol * 4Minute member

Jeon Ji-yoon Jeon Ji-yoon (born October 15, 1990), professionally known as Jiyoon or Jenyer, is a South Korean singer, rapper, songwriter and actress known for her work as a former member of South Korean girl group 4Minute. She debuted as a solo artist on N ...

BtoB } BtoB ( ; ; acronym for Born to Beat; often stylized as BTOB) is a South Korean boy band formed in 2012 by Cube Entertainment. The group consists of Seo Eun-kwang, Lee Min-hyuk, Lee Chang-sub, Im Hyun-sik, Peniel Shin and Yook Sung-jae. O ...

member Lee Chang-sub *Actor

Lee Jong-suk Lee Jong-suk (, born 14 September 1989) is a South Korean actor and model. He debuted in 2005 as a runway model, becoming the youngest male model ever to participate in Seoul Fashion Week. Lee's breakthrough role was in ''School 2013'' (2012). ...

* Astro member MJ * Red Velvet member Seulgi – moved from

to Suwon * DIA member Jueun *

Golden Child Golden means made of, or relating to gold. Golden may also refer to: Places United Kingdom *Golden, in the parish of Probus, Cornwall *Golden Cap, Dorset * Golden Square, Soho, London *Golden Valley, a valley on the River Frome in Gloucesters ...

member Lee Jang-jun *

Enhypen Enhypen (; ja, エンハイプン; ''Enhaipun''; stylized as ENHYPEN) is a South Korean boy band formed by Belift Lab, a joint venture between CJ ENM and Hybe Corporation, through the 2020 survival competition show ''I-Land''. The group is co ...

member Sunoo

Twin towns – sister cities

Suwon is

twinned Twinning (making a twin of) may refer to: * In biology and agriculture, producing two offspring (i.e., twins) at a time, or having a tendency to do so; * Twin towns and sister cities, towns and cities involved in town twinning * Twinning inst ...

with: *

Asahikawa is a Cities of Japan, city in Kamikawa Subprefecture, Hokkaido, Japan. It is the capital of the subprefecture, and the second-largest city in Hokkaido, after Sapporo. It has been a Core cities of Japan, core city since April 1, 2000. The city is ...

, Japan (1989) *

Jinan Jinan (), Postal Map Romanization, alternately romanization of Chinese, romanized as Tsinan, is the Capital (political), capital of Shandong province in East China, Eastern China. With a population of 9.2 million, it is the second-largest city i ...

, China (1993) *

Townsville Townsville is a city on the north-eastern coast of Queensland, Australia. With a population of 180,820 as of June 2018, it is the largest settlement in North Queensland; it is unofficially considered its capital. Estimated resident population, 30 ...

, Australia (1997) *

Bandung Bandung ( su, ᮘᮔ᮪ᮓᮥᮀ, Bandung, ; ) is the capital city of the Indonesian province of West Java. It has a population of 2,452,943 within its city limits according to the official estimates as at mid 2021, making it the fourth mos ...

, Indonesia (1997) *

Yalova Yalova is a market-gardening town located in northwestern Turkey on the eastern coast of the Sea of Marmara. The town has a population of 156,838, while the population of the surrounding Yalova Province is 291,001 . A largely modern town, it i ...

, Turkey (1999) *

Cluj-Napoca ; hu, kincses város) , official_name=Cluj-Napoca , native_name= , image_skyline= , subdivision_type1 = County , subdivision_name1 = Cluj County , subdivision_type2 = Status , subdivision_name2 = County seat , settlement_type = City , ...

, Romania (1999) *

Toluca Toluca , officially Toluca de Lerdo , is the state capital of the State of Mexico as well as the seat of the Municipality of Toluca. With a population of 910,608 as of the 2020 census, Toluca is the fifth most populous city in Mexico. The city f ...

, Mexico (1999) * Fez, Morocco (2003) * Hải Dương Province, Vietnam (2004) * Siem Reap Province, Cambodia (2004) *

Nizhny Novgorod Nizhny Novgorod ( ; rus, links=no, Нижний Новгород, a=Ru-Nizhny Novgorod.ogg, p=ˈnʲiʐnʲɪj ˈnovɡərət ), colloquially shortened to Nizhny, from the 13th to the 17th century Novgorod of the Lower Land, formerly known as Gork ...

, Russia (2005) *

Curitiba Curitiba () is the capital and largest city in the state of Paraná in Brazil. The city's population was 1,948,626 , making it the eighth most populous city in Brazil and the largest in Brazil's South Region. The Curitiba Metropolitan area c ...

, Brazil (2006) *

Freiburg im Breisgau Freiburg im Breisgau (; abbreviated as Freiburg i. Br. or Freiburg i. B.; Low Alemannic: ''Friburg im Brisgau''), commonly referred to as Freiburg, is an independent city in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. With a population of about 230,000 (as o ...

, Germany (2015)

Notes

References

Citations

Bibliography

* .

External links

City government website (in Korean)
*
Suwon : Official Seoul City Tourism''Suwon Samsung Bluewings'' official siteOfficial site of Hwaseong fortress
(archived 2013) {{Authority control Cities in Gyeonggi Province

History

Construction of Hwaseong

Korean War

Recent history

Geography

Climate

Administrative divisions

Demographics

Education

Colleges and universities

Primary and secondary schools

Industry

Culture

Recreation

Travel and tourism

Sports

Entertainment

Other amenities

Transport

Media

Military

Religion

Food

Flora and fauna

Notable residents

Twin towns – sister cities

See also

Notes

References

Citations

Bibliography

External links