Naju or Naju-si (나주시, written 라주시 in North Korea, 羅州市) is the smallest of five cities in Jeollanam-do. It consists of 1 eup, 12 myeon, and 6 dong, and as of 2004 has a population of 100,054. To the east of the city is the county of Hwasun, to the west are the counties of Muan and Hampyeong, to the south is the county of Yeongam, and to the north is the city of Gwangju.
During the Imjin War of the 16th century Naju was a strategically important city that was once surrounded by a wall, the remants of which are locally popular tourist attractions. Today, Naju is known throughout South Korea for its pears, whose importance is vital to the local economy and whose influence can be seen in the city's logo. Another notable site is the church holding Our Lady of Naju, a statue of the Virgin Mary that reportedly began weeping in 1985. But for a city of 100,000 Naju is rather quiet and lacking in variety, though it is thankfully a half-hour away from the much larger and livelier Gwangju
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The most notable sites in Naju are related to Naju-eup Fortress, a stone wall that enclosed part of the present-day city. Much of the wall is gone today, but the impressive Namgomun and East gates remain. There are also pavillions, stupas, and shrines inside the area formerly protected by the fortress.
Also somewhat interesting is the Our Lady of Naju phenomenon, which dominates any search of "Naju" on the internet. This statue is said to have cried tears and blood for 700 straight days in 1985, and subsequent events have taken place since. In 2002, a depiction of the Crucifixion nearby reportedly shed blood, too. Though there has been no official word from The Vatican, many people make the pilgrammage from all over the world.
Some distance from the city center is Samhanji Theme Park, the filming location for the historical drama Jumong (주몽). Directions to the park are well-marked throughout Naju.
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[edit] Restaurants
As the average Korean, Japanese, and Chinese restaurants are in abundance throughout Korea and are easy for foreigners to find, the following restaurants reflect a sampling of restaurants considered to be either popular or are western-friendly choices and other ethnic foods.
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Here is a list of accommodation from the Naju county site.
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