A city in northern Gyeongsangbuk-do It is the seat of the Gyeongsangbuk-do Office. Japanese colonial era It is the holy place of the independence movement that produced the largest number of independence activists in the country. The old names include Gotaya (Silla Period), Gochang (renamed from Gotaya during King Gyeongdeok of Silla), Yeongga (late Silla to early Goryeo), Gilju (mid Goryeo), and Bokju (late Goryeo).
It is the center of administrative, educational, transportation, and service industries in northern Gyeongsangbuk-do, including Yeongju-si and Bonghwa-gun in the north, Uiseong-gun in the south, Yeongyang-gun and Cheongsong-gun and Yeongdeok-gun in the east, and Yecheon-gun in the west. Depending on the classification method, Sangju-si, Mungyeong-si, and Gunwi-gun, which are not far from Andong, are sometimes included in the northern region.
The area (1,522.10 km)) is very vast, which is the largest among cities (including metropolitan cities, metropolitan cities, and special autonomous cities) in the country, and is the third largest in the country, including counties. The first and second places are Hongcheon-gun and Inje-gun, Gangwon-do, so they are the top areas in Gyeongbuk. It is 2.5 times more than Seoul, about 3 times more than Daejeon or Gwangju, and 1.4 to 1.5 times more than Ulsan [ or Incheon which is the largest area among metropolitan cities.
As it is a place where traditional culture flourished very much, there are still many nostalgia and influence of traditional culture today. During the Joseon Dynasty, it became famous as a central city of Namin in Yeongnam along with Gyeongju. It is also a place where many of the head families of prestigious aristocrats are located from Andongpo, the best among Yeongpo, which is a port in the Yeongnam region, including Jinseong Lee. Confucian culture, Buddhist culture, and folk culture were all prosperous, and the city slogan was also Andong, the capital of Korean spiritual culture, in line with the characteristics of the city. Some Andong people regard this slogan as tacky compared to English slogans in other regions, and some argue that it should be changed to English. However, he has won the National Best National Brand Award by local governments in 2010. And since 2011, more and more local governments have added Korean brands
It is one of the tourist attractions in Korea. Andong is regarded as a treasure trove of cultural and tourism heritage to the extent that it is called a "museum without a roof." Tourism accounts for a large portion of the Andong economy. In 2020, it was selected as a tourism hub city development project, a public offering project by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.
There are Dosanseowon Confucian Academy, Byeongsanseowon Confucian Academy, Bongjeongsa Temple, and Hahoe Village designated as UNESCO World Heritage sites. In addition, it is an area rich in historical background such as Manhyujeong Pavilion, Imcheonggak Pavilion, Gosanjeong Pavilion, Yi Yuksa Literature Museum, Gyeongsangbuk-do Independence Movement Memorial Hall, and the Korea Institute for Korean Studies.
It is an upper reaches of the Nakdonggang River and is a city of the river that crosses the Nakdonggang River in the middle of the city, and Wolyeonggyo Bridge and Seonbi Pilgrimage-gil (Seonsang Pilgrimage-gil), which were built based on this, are also popular places.
In addition, Andong Jjimdak, Andong Liver Mackerel, Andong Soju, Andong Heuljesabap, Andong Guksi, and Andong Sikhye are known nationwide. In addition, foods such as Andong Galbi, Andong Octopus, Jorim Chicken, Mukbap, and Cold Noodles are also famous, and Andong has both attractions and food.