New Gyeongju

Overview

New Gyeongju is perhaps one of the largest cities remaining on Mars, serving as a basis of power for the Mandate of Heaven whilst providing goods and services for its remaining inhabitants. Located upstream of the Kasei Delta, the city is primarily inhabited by registered citizens of the Mandate of Heaven, although the number of undocumented residents is expected to be within the thousands, with the White Palace looming above it.
Originally founded by the East Asian Union sometime prior to the Collapse, New Gyeongju and its surrounding areas were primarily settled by the Asiatic people, with much of the Tharsis Plateau coming within their purview. Investment from Earth turned the city into a technological and manufacturing powerhouse, albeit the city itself boasted only a moderate population at the time of the Collapse. Still, thanks to the technological ingenuity and determination of the cities citizens, New Gyeongju would manage to remain relatively unscathed during the events of the Collapse, until the city came under the divine guidance of Xia Yong-Jin and the Mandate of Heaven, and the city has served as its capital ever since.

Layout and Notable Places

Located strategically on the Kasei Delta, the city sits between the North Kasei River and the South Kasei River, with the city relying on both heavily. The city is almost completely encapsulated by a large exterior wall, with the only points of entry into the city being the three main gates or the river ports. Although a large city, vehicles are not regularly used within it due to the narrow roads and easily-accessible public transport. Three main roads lead from the gates to the city center, each servicing a tram route that regularly transports passengers across the length of the city.
The city is divided into 31 administrative districts, with the residents of each electing a Councilmen to represent their interests and concerns. The only exception is the magnificent White Palace, which serves as the primary residence for the Divine Emperor himself. Access to the palace is highly restricted, and only the Chairman can enter it at will. Towering over the cityscape, the White Palace can easily be seen miles away. and is New Gyeongju's most striking feature.
Various reputations exist for each district. Districts 1-9 are known for their mixed residential-commercial structure, located in the outer area of the city to service travelers and visitors. District 10 is more commonly referred to as the 'Red Light District' and is the only district where prostitution and hardcore drugs are legally permitted. Districts 11-21 are primarily urban residential, and most residents reside within the cramped tall housing units which line the city's skyline. Districts 22-28 are almost exclusively dedicated to heavy industry, and finally districts 29-31 host the upper echelons of New Gyeongju who prefer to live in separate gated communities.

Demographic and Economy

New Gyeongju is home to an estimated to be between 19,000 - 24,000, although undocumented residents are believed to number in the thousands. A majority of residents are descendants of the Eastern-Asiatic people from Earth, their cultures are notably known for their spirituality and inward-focused mentality. Of course, a variety of people call New Gyeongju their home, and visitors from across Mars regularly travel to the city to do trade, work, or leisure.
As previously noted, New Gyeongju is heavily characterized by its relatively well-kept manufacturing base, which has allowed the city, and by extension, the Mandate of Heaven, to rise to greatness unrivaled almost anywhere else on Mars. New Gyeongju is colloquially referred to as the 'Capital of Cybernetics' due to the prevalence of cybernetic implants. Almost all post-collapse cybernetics were produced in New Gyeongju, and Cyberdoktors are a common sight around the city.
Manufactured products are often traded for resources unable to be acquired within the city, including raw ores and foodstuff to feed the city's growing population. The river port also services a moderately large amount of cargo and people, and the city is unarguably an economic and industrial powerhouse.

Security

New Gyeongju's security responsibilities are split between three distinct institutions. First, the Revolutionary Divine Army is primarily tasked with defending the White Palace whilst providing security for the three main gates and river ports. They rarely bother with combatting crime unless it directly endangers the rule of the Mandate of Heaven, although they have the authority to detain anybody at will.
Law Enforcement and general security duties are handled by two separate organizations, The New Gyeongju Special Police Force (Usually shortened to SpecPol) and the Clocktower Company, which is a private security company currently contracted to fulfill law enforcement duties. Originally, SpecPol was the true law-enforcing institution in the city, but following the District 10 Massacre Chairman Shi Yimu awarded the Clocktower Company a contract to assist in law enforcement across the city for an undisclosed fee. For the entirety of their presence in the city, tensions between Clocktower and SpecPol have been high, with the latter complaining that Clocktower often oversteps its bounds, whilst independent journalists claim that shady dealings led to their introduction in New Gyeongju.

Population: 17,000+
Leader: Mayor Yan Xuefeng
Controller: The Mandate of Heaven
Classification: Capital Megacity