Cheongju punches above its weight for history and culture. The city's most famous landmark is the Cheongju Early Printing Museum, built on the site of Heungdeoksa Temple where the Jikji was printed in 1377 — the world's oldest surviving book produced with movable metal type, predating Gutenberg by 78 years. The book itself is in Paris, but the museum tells its full story and lets visitors try traditional block printing.
Up on the mountain to the northeast, Sangdang Fortress offers the best walk in the city — 4 km of ancient walls along the ridge of Uam-san, with sweeping views over the Cheongju basin and a small traditional village tucked inside the ramparts. Near the Cheongju Department Store stands an iron flagpole centuries old — the last remnant of a Buddhist temple long since vanished — and the food vendors nearby are said to serve the best tteokbokki in Korea. The Jungang Market downtown is a traditional covered market worth wandering slowly, stacked with everything from deboned pig faces to live eels. Every other year the city hosts the Cheongju International Craft Biennale, a major showcase of folk crafts and contemporary design from across Asia and beyond.