 The battle was fought along the UN front line around the Ch 'ongch 'on River and its tributaries , which is located 50 mi ( 80 km ) south of the Sino @-@ Korean border . The UN front line stretched horizontally from the Korean west coast to the Taebaek Mountains in central Korea , while the Ch 'ongch 'on River crosses into the north of the UN line at the town of Kujang @-@ dong . From west to east , a series of towns , such as Chongju , Yongsan @-@ dong , Ipsok , Kujang @-@ dong , Tokchon , and Yongwon dot the front line , and connecting those towns are a series of road junctions located at Sinanju , Anju , Kunu @-@ ri and Pukchang @-@ ni . A road runs south from Kunu @-@ ri into Sunchon and eventually into Pyongyang , and it would later become the main retreat route for the UN forces stationed at the center of the front line . The hilly terrains on the northern bank of the Ch 'ongch 'on River formed a defensive barrier that allowed the Chinese to hide their presence while dispersing the advancing UN forces . The battle was also fought over one of the coldest Korean winters in 100 years , with temperatures dropped to as low as − 30 ° F ( − 34 ° C ) . 
