Cheongdocheon
| Cheongdocheon | |
|---|---|
  Location of mouth | |
| Native name | 청도천 (Korean) |
| Location | |
| Country | South Korea |
| Province | North Gyeongsang Province |
| County | Cheongdo County |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Source | |
| • location | Gakbuk-myeon, Cheongdo |
| • elevation | 277.84 m (911.5 ft)[1] |
| Mouth | Miryang River |
• location | Cheongdo-eup, Cheongdo |
• coordinates | 35°34′N 128°46′E / 35.57°N 128.77°E |
• elevation | 34.93 m (114.6 ft)[1] |
| Length | 38.75 km (24.08 mi) |
| Basin size | 337 km2 (130 sq mi) |
| Basin features | |
| River system | Nakdong River |
The Cheongdocheon (Korean: 청도천; Hanja: 淸道川) is a stream that flows through Cheongdo County in North Gyeongsang Province. It rises on the slopes of Biseulsan in Gakbuk-myeon and flows for 38.2 kilometres (23.7 mi) before joining the Miryang River at Cheongdo-eup.[1]
The Cheongdocheon drains a watershed of 337 km2, and has a flow length (the longest distance from the mouth to the watershed perimeter) of 41 km.[2] A small alluvial plain along the Cheongdocheon is used for farmland.[3]
Under the River Act of South Korea, the Cheongdocheon is classified as a local river which is subject to provincial jurisdiction.[4]
Name
[edit]The stream takes its name from Cheongdo County through which it flows. Other names of the stream include Jacheon (used in the Joseon Dynasty) and Songeupcheon (used locally in Cheongdo-eup).[2]
Confusion can arise from the fact that another stream by the same name flows through Miryang and Changnyeong County, taking its name from Cheongdo-myeon in Miryang.[2]
Tributaries
[edit]Other local rivers flowing into the Cheongdocheon include the Osancheon, Punggakcheon, Bugokcheon, Daegokcheon, and Darocheon.[4]
Among the Cheongdocheon's smaller tributaries is the Seowoncheon ("seowon stream") in Iseo-myeon. The Cheongdo Bullfighting Festival was held on the sandy banks of the Seowoncheon until the Cheongdo Bullfighting Stadium was constructed in 2009.[5]
Fauna
[edit]A study in the 1990s found that the Cheongdocheon was home to 31 species of fish, of which 14 are unique to Korea. The three most common species observed were the dark chub (Nipponocypris temminckii), the pale chub (Zacco platypus), and the slender gudgeon (Squalidus gracilis).[6]
A 15-kilometre (9.3 mi) section of the Cheongdocheon is a popular habitat for migratory birds.[7] About 20 species of migratory birds have been observed wintering in the area, including the mandarin duck.[8]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c 2023년 한국하천일람 [2023 List of Korean Rivers]. Ministry of Land, Transport and Maritime Affairs. 2024-11-30. Retrieved 2025-06-08.
- ^ a b c 한국하천지명사전 [Dictionary of Korean River Names]. Ministry of Land, Transport and Maritime Affairs. 2011. p. 335. ISBN 9788992762021.
- ^ 이중우. 청도군(淸道郡) [Cheongdo County]. Encyclopedia of Korean Culture. Retrieved 2025-06-08.
- ^ a b 천서이 (2013). 청도천 - 디지털청도문화대전 [Cheongdocheon - Digital Encyclopedia of Cheongdo Culture]. Encyclopedia of Korean Local Culture. Retrieved 2025-06-05.
- ^ 박윤제 (2013). 서원리 - 디지털청도문화대전 [Seowon-ri - Digital Encyclopedia of Cheongdo Culture]. Encyclopedia of Korean Local Culture. Retrieved 2025-06-05.
- ^ 남명모(Myung Mo Nam); 강영훈(Yong Hoon Kang); 채병수(Byung Soo Chae); 양홍준(Hong Jun Yang) (June 1998). 청도천의 어류상과 군집구조 [Ichthyofauna of Freshwater Fishes in the Chongdo Stream , the Naktong River]. 한국하천호수학회지 [Journal of Korean Society of River and Lake Studies]. 31 (2).
- ^ 박희천 (2013). 청도천 철새 도래지 - 디지털청도문화대전 [Cheongdocheon Migratory Bird Habitat - Digital Encyclopedia of Cheongdo Culture]. Encyclopedia of Korean Local Culture. Retrieved 2025-06-08.
- ^ 노진규 (2011-02-11). 청도천도 철새도래지…원앙 등 20여종 겨울나기 [Cheongdocheon is a migratory bird habitat too ... 20 species, including mandarin ducks, overwinter here]. Maeil Shinmun. Retrieved 2025-06-08.