Suwon Fortress
Suwon Hwaseong Fortress is a monument of international importance. In 1997, it was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List. In the justification, on UNESCO we can read: „When the Joseon King Jeongjo moved his father’s tomb to Suwon at the end of the 18th century, he surrounded it with strong defensive works, laid out according to the precepts of an influential military architect of the period, who brought together the latest developments in the field from both East and West. The massive walls, extending for nearly 6 km, still survive; they are pierced by four gates and equipped with bastions, artillery towers and other features.”
Despite its undoubted advantages, this place is rarely visited by tourists. Maybe that’s why visiting the fortress brought us so much joy: empty spaces, a lack of people in sight, fantastic architecture, fascinating history, and beautiful views.
A short history of Suwon Fortress
Suwon Fortress was built in 1794–1796 by King Jeongjo of the Joseon dynasty.
1st reason
The first reason Jeongjo built a fortress was the desire to pay homage and honour the memory of his father, Prince Sado, who was sentenced to death by his father, King Yongjo. Prince Sado was emotionally unstable; he had fears, visions, and uncontrolled outbursts of anger. During his fits of madness, he physically abused his loved ones and servants. In one such tide of rage, he beat one of his concubines to death and cut off the heads of several of his servants.
His wife and son were living in constant fear. They asked the ruling king for help. Prince Sado could not, however, be sentenced to death for crimes, because according to the law in force at that time, the same death sentence would have had to be imposed on his wife and son. So, the king ordered Sado to commit suicide. When he refused to do it, he was locked inside a wooden chest and left to die. He passed away after 8 days.
His son King Jeongjo remained faithful to his father’s memory. He built a magnificent tomb on Mount Hwa near Suwon, where a few years later he moved his father’s remains. He built the Hwaseong Suwon fortress next to his father’s tomb.
2nd reason
The second reason for building the fortress was King Jeongjo’s desire to move the capital from Seoul to Suwon. He believed that reforms were needed for the development of the state. He also knew that implementing those reforms had no chance in Seoul, which had been corrupt for years. To make this happen, he sent some of his subjects to Suwon. He asked them to settle there and to work on city development. As an incentive for moving, he offered everyone a 10-year tax exemption. The king dreamed of building a new pioneering city with its independent economy.
3rd reason
Suwon seemed to be a perfect place to establish a new state capital because of its strategic location: between Seoul, the West Sea, and China. Therefore, the third reason was the need to build a defensive fortress to protect the country’s inhabitants from the south.
Fortress construction and architecture
Innovative solutions were used during the construction of the defensive walls. Among other things, “geojunggi”—special levers to help lift and stack large stones—were used here. The fortress walls are 5.7 km long and 4 to 6 meters high, depending on the terrain. The fortress has gone down in history because of its unique construction involving stones and bricks.
Unfortunately, during its 200-year history, the fortress walls collapsed or were seriously damaged a few times, mainly as a result of the Japanese occupation and the Korean War. In 1975, it was decided to rebuild the defensive walls. Undoubtedly, King Jeongjo contributed to this, who, during the creation of the Hwaseong Suwon Fortress, ordered that all activities and works related to the construction of the object be documented. When it was decided to rebuild the fortress, the collected historical materials were sufficient to reproduce it in almost identical form and shape.
Suwon Fortress today
Walking along the defensive walls, you can see 45 original buildings, including all four main gates (East, West, North, and South), a water gate, command posts, platforms, and observation towers.
There are also “secret passages” that can be used to leave the fortress, signal towers, “Beacon Towers,” cannon forts, watchtowers, and pavilions for meditation.
To explore the entire fortress along its walls, you should plan to spend at least 2 hours. There are several places along the way where you can stop to rest or go outside the fortress through one of the secret gates and find yourself in a Secret Garden.
It is worth going through, but the most interesting part, with the most beautiful vantage point, is on the top of Paldalsan Mountain, on the slope on which a fortress was built.
Among other things, Hyowon Bell is called the “hidden gem of the Paldalsan Mountain.” King Jeongjo erected this bell in honour of his father.
Hwaseong Haenggung temporary palace
Haenggung, or temporary palace, has never been permanently inhabited by any king. King Jeongjo rested in it when he left Seoul to visit his father’s tomb or during war expeditions. When the king was not in the palace, he was used by employees of his administration. When the palace construction was completed, there were altogether 576 rooms. There were rooms not only for the royal family but also for the servants and the army. The palace held numerous celebrations, royal birthdays and parties. Successive successors of the royal throne also came here eagerly to rest.
Both Haenggung Palace and the defensive fortress are important because of their extraordinary architecture and their special political and military significance. They symbolise the royal policy to strengthen the power of innovative King Jeongjo.
Visiting the temporary palace will take 30-45 minutes. There are a few buildings here, but they were all recently renovated. The whole area looks like a movie set, which was created in 2004 to meet the needs of the movie Daejanggeum. On weekends and holidays, you can rent costumes from the movie set and wear them inside the palace area.
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Suwon Haenggung Palace, main characters from the Daejanggeum movie
Everything here is beautiful, new, colourful, with beautiful architecture, lots of interesting details, and a great, almost empty place. An additional attraction is small exhibitions. They present life during the kingdom: royal kitchen, auditorium, guest rooms, traditional costumes, and army.
I highly recommend visiting Haenggung Palace – it will not be a waste of time.
Suwon – what else is worth seeing, and how to spend your free time
King Jeongjo statue
The king’s monument is on a hill behind the Hwaseong Haenggung Palace. You can reach the road that starts at the end of the car park on the right side of the palace entrance. On this road, you should go up the hill until the intersection with the main road. At the end of the road, turn right. Getting to the monument will take about 15 -20 minutes, but it’s worth it.
Deaseungwon Temple
This small temple is famous for a golden Buddha statue. This monument is visible from many places in Suwon because it is located on the slope of Mount Paldalsan.
Korean Market
The Global Luxury Suwon South Gate “Nammun” Market is a special commercial tourist zone. This traditional Korean market is over 220 years old and was built by order of King Jeongjo.
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In front of the Suwon Market entrance is a statue of King Jeongjo pouring wine. The king who founded the market.
Several smaller market halls are in the designated area around the southern gate of Suwon. The most famous are the Yeongdong, Jidong, and Paldal markets. Residents mainly visit markets. There are many small local restaurants where you can eat deliciously and cheaply. Although no one speaks English here and there is no menu in the restaurants, you can always order the same dish as another guest has 😊
Suwon Jeil Church
Suwon Church is worth visiting due to its observatory (Sunset Observatory), located on the temple’s roof. This is a hidden attraction of the city. You can go to the top of the roof and view the Suwon Fortress and the entire city. The observatory point is at a height of 138 meters. You must ask for the church office’s roof key to get to the top of the roof.
The holy tree
In the area of Hwaseong stands a beautiful natural monument—the Zelkova Tree. This tree is over 600 years old and stood there before a temporary palace was built. It is considered a holy tree.
Suwon Fortress Directions and Practical Information
Trip to Suwon: A journey from the centre of Seoul (min. 1.5 hours each way) and sightseeing will take a minimum of half a day. Going there in the morning is worth it, so you can stay there for the rest of the day if you like.
How to get from Seoul?
- From Seoul Station, take the train to Suwon Station. The travel time is approximately 30 minutes.
- From the city centre by Metro Line 1 to Suwon Station, travel time is about 1 hour.
- From Gangnam (Gangnam Station Nara Building Ap) express bus No. 3000. Travel time is 1h and 20 min. Directions to Suwon Station.
Hwaseong Suwon Fortress can be reached from several sides. Preferably at Suwon station, go to the exit on the right side of the station. Outside, turn left and walk near the large Novotel hotel. There is a bus stop in front of it.
- Take a bus 11 or 13, approximately. 5 stops to gate No. 4 (5 stops).
- You can also start sightseeing from the palace (Gate No. 7), bus 7, 7-2, 60, 66 or 66-4 (AK Plaza stop), 10 stops
Tickets:
- Visiting the fortress: 1000 WON (0,9 $)
- Visiting the palace: 1500 WON (1,3$)
- You can also buy a combined ticket, which includes the above attractions, Suwon Museum and Hwaseong Fortress Museum, for 3500 WON ($3$).
When we were visiting Suwon (during Lotus Festival week), all entrances were free of charge.
Visiting hours:
- The palace is open daily from 9:00 to 17:00 outside the season and from 9:00 to 18:00 from March to October.
- Suwon Fortress is open 24/7.
More details:
- The official map of the entire area can be found here: hwaseongfortress_eng.pdf
- Official fortress site (also available in English): swcf.or.kr
Royal Parade of King Jeongjo
King Jeongjo visited his father’s tomb every year (over 60 times). Since the tomb was moved to its final destination, there have been 13 solemn processions. The march of the royal court from Seoul to the tomb near the fortress of Suwon lasted 8 days. The immediate family, servants, and the army attended it.
The first march took place on the 60th birthday of the king’s mother. This moment was described in detail by royal historians and illustrated by the best cartoonists. 1975 the Royal Record Book of long-distance processions (“Won Haeng Eul Myo Jeong Ri Eui Gwe”) was created. It contains all the details of the procession in writing and illustrations. Today, this work can be seen not only in the city archive. It is also painted on ceramic tiles along the Chekngyechecheon stream. The wall painting of Banchado of King Jeongjo, illustrating the march of the royal procession, is told on more than 5100 ceramic tiles. This image is the most significant work of this type in the world.
It is also interesting that during these solemn processions, the king used his time to talk and hear the problems of his subjects. Historians say that no other king has ever heard of or solved the problems of as many of his faithful as King Joseon did. The archives contain over 3,550 decrees created during these expeditions and approved by the king.
Royal Parade reconstruction
In 2019, another reconstruction of the parade (fourth in a row) took place in Seoul to commemorate King Joseon’s annual journeys to his father’s tomb. The parade took place on October 6, 2018, and lasted 2 days. To this end, Seoul, Suwon and Hwaseong met again to recreate the famous royal procession. A temporary bridge called Baedari was created in Seoul across the Han River in Noryangjin. The same building techniques that people used in the Joseon dynasty were used at that time. The bridge has connected the roads and allowed the parade to go towards Hwaseong and Suwon. Over 4,800 people dressed in historical costumes took part in the reconstruction of the parade. The entire route was 59 km long.
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