Tourist attractions

Heyri Art Valley

Heyri Art Valley is the largest art village in South Korea, and its Korean culture and many genres of art attract visitors. The area includes residences, workrooms, and galleries for artists, museums, and performance spaces designed by artists. It was planned from 1998, and its name, Heyri, is derived from a traditional farming song of Paju. Architects tried to combine the view of nature with the valley when they made plans. The valley hosts art performances appealing to audiences of all ages. The attractive theme brings people to visit every weekend, and more people visit the valley in spring and autumn because it holds an art festival during these seasons.

Imjingak

Imjingak is a park located on the banks of the Imjin River along the tracks of the former Gyeongui Train Line outside Paju. The park has many statues and monuments regarding the Korean War. There is also a restaurant, an observation deck, a pool in the shape of the Korean peninsula, and even a small amusement park.

Specialties

Jangdan bean

Jangdan beans are one of Paju's famous traditional specialties. For a long time, crops have been important for Korean people's livelihood because their land and environment were suited for agriculture. Therefore, two major crops, rice and beans, have been developed over time. Jangdan bean is one of these crops that has been harvested in Paju. The name Jangdan is derived from the name of a village in Paju, which existed before the Korean War. Even though the village is now gone, people still call the bean the Jangdan bean because the former village was so well known for these beans. Today, Jangdan beans are only commonly seen in Panmunjom, which is located at the border between South Korea and North Korea.

Education

The city has three polytechnic universities, including Doowon Technical University College.

Paju English Village

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Paju English Village is a large area that was constructed to teach children English and let them experience Western culture. Hundreds of foreign teachers are employed in the village. The educational village has various curricula to provide several educational programs called "English Camp". To attend the programs, children's parents have to pay and send their children to the village for several days. The length of the program depends on the type of program. People also visit the village because of its visual and new cultural atmosphere.

Sports

Paju Challengers is an independent baseball team that has been based in the city.

Paju Frontier will compete in K League 2 from 2026 season after last play in 2025 K3 League due to switch from semi-profesional to professional team.

Administrative divisions

Paju is divided as follows:

  • Beobwon-eup ()
  • Paju-eup ()
  • Munsan-eup ()
  • Jori-eup ()
  • Wollong-myeon ()
  • Papyeong-myeon ()
  • Jeokseong-myeon ()
  • Gwangtan-myeon ()
  • Tanhyeon-myeon ()
  • Gunnae-myeon ()
  • Jangdan-myeon ()
  • Jinseo-myeon ()
  • Jindong-myeon ()
  • Gyoha-dong ()
  • Geumchon1(il)-dong ()
  • Geumchon-dong ()
  • Adong-dong ()
  • Yadong-dong ()
  • Geomsan-dong ()
  • Maekgeum-dong ()
  • Geumchon-2(ii)-dong ()
  • Geumchon-dong ()
  • Geumneung-dong ()
  • Unjeong 1(il)-dong ()
  • Gyoha-dong ()
  • Dangha-dong ()
  • Wadong-dong ()
  • Unjeong 2(i)-dong ()
  • Mokdong-dong ()
  • Unjeong 3(Sam)-dong ()
  • Dongpae-dong ()
  • Yadang-dong ()

Military bases

  • Camp Bonifas and Camp Liberty-Bell (home to US/ROKA Joint Security Area)
  • Camp Dodge – closed
  • Camp Edwards – closed
  • Camp Garry Owen – closed
  • Camp Giant – closed
  • Camp Greaves – closed
  • Camp Howze – closed
  • Camp Irwin – closed
  • Camp Pelham – closed
  • Camp Semper Fidelis <small>(home of 1st Provisional DMZ Police Co., 1st Marine Div. 1953–1956)</small>
  • Camp Stanton – closed
  • Multi-Purpose Live Fire Complex (MLFC), also called Rodriguez Range or Rodriguez Live Fire Complex

Military cemetery

The cemetery was established in 1996 to hold the remains of Korean People's Army and Chinese People's Volunteer Army soldiers killed during the Korean War. In March 2014 the Chinese remains were repatriated for reburial in Shenyang, China.

Attractions

  • Gloucester Valley Battle Monument ("Gloster Hill") – war memorial
  • Heyri Art Valley – with 350 artists in fine arts, music, theater, photography, sculpture, crafts, and literature. It aims to promote cultural interchange, education, and exhibit and sell hand-crafted works of art.
  • Jayuro Road of Freedom
  • Panmunjom
  • Korean Demilitarized Zone
  • Paju Book City
  • Tongilro Road of Unification or National Road No. 1
  • Yong Ju Gol – a red-light district
  • Holocaust Museum Korea – the first museum in the country dedicated to the genocide of Jews

Notable people

  • Sim Sang-jung, former leader of the Justice Party (South Korea), member of the National Assembly (South Korea) representing Gyeonggi Goyang A, and 2017 South Korean presidential election
  • Kim Young-moo, poet and scholar
  • Ahn Jung-Hwan, professional footballer and show host
  • Cho Jae-jin, professional footballer
  • Yoon Do-hyun, musician, lead singer of YB
  • Kang Jiyoung, pop singer and actress, former member of South Korean girl group Kara
  • Hwang Kwanghee, member of South Korean boy group ZE:A
  • Choi Ji-woo, South Korean actress
  • Danielle, member of South Korean girl group NewJeans
  • Kim Eun-jung, children's writer
  • Park Myung-keun, South Korean politician and four-time elected member of the National Assembly (South Korea)
  • Paull Shin, American educator and politician
  • It is the location of the 2009 film Paju, starring by Lee Sun-kyun and Seo Woo.
  • Parts of Burning, South Korea's 2018 submission for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film, are set in Paju.
  • The Mnet survival show Produce 101 were filmed at the English Village.
  • The Mnet survival show I-Land were filmed at the CJ E&M Contents World.
  • The 2020 Mnet Asian Music Awards were filmed at the CJ E&M Contents World.

Sister cities

Paju is twinned with the following places:

  • Coquitlam, British Columbia, Canada
  • Cuenca, Castilla–La Mancha, Spain
  • Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia
  • Eskişehir, Turkey
  • Hadano, Kanagawa, Japan
  • Jinzhou, Liaoning, China
  • Mudanjiang, Heilongjiang, China
  • Pasadena, California, United States
  • Stellenbosch, South Africa

See also

  • List of cities in South Korea

References

  • City government website
  • City Council website
  • road from DPRK to Paju