Hwaseong Fortress

Hwaseong Fortress in Suwon was built by King Jeongjo of Joseon between 1794 and 1796, and its walls still wrap around the old centre of the city for 5.74 km. Gates, watchtowers and artillery posts follow one another along the ramparts, so a walk on top of the wall is a loop round a planned 18th-century town. UNESCO listed it as a World Heritage Site in 1997.

History: a new city built for a father

King Jeongjo moved the tomb of his father, Crown Prince Sado, who had died after being locked in a rice chest on his own father's orders, to Suwon and built a new town and fortress beside it. Many historians also see it as an attempt to create a new centre of power away from court factions. In 1789 Jeongjo moved the town of Suwon to the foot of Paldalsan hill, encouraged people to settle there and exempted them from taxes for ten years. Building began in 1794 and was finished two and a half years later, in 1796.

The design is credited to the scholar Jeong Yak-yong of the practical-learning (Silhak) school. He studied Korean and Chinese fortification methods, used brick, and devised a pulley crane known as the geojunggi and sturdy carts that cut construction costs. Every stage was recorded in the construction report Hwaseong Seongyeok Uigwe, with drawings, illustrations of machines, quantities of materials and even workers' wages.

Combining the features of a lowland town wall and a mountain fortress, Hwaseong is seen as a summary of Korean fortification techniques. Parts of it were destroyed in the Korean War, but this record made a faithful reconstruction possible. That is why a largely rebuilt fortress could become a World Heritage Site, and repairs still follow the Uigwe today.

What to see

• Janganmun: most Korean walled towns treat the south gate as the main one, but here it is the north gate, the first to greet a king arriving from Seoul. It is the largest city gate in Korea, and its name, after the Chinese capital Chang'an, expresses the hope that Suwon would prosper like the Tang capital. A two-storey pavilion, five bays wide, sits on a granite base pierced by an arched gateway. Note the brick outer wall (ongseong) and the two raised guard platforms on either side.
• Paldalmun: the south gate, whose name means "open in all eight directions". The walls on either side have gone, and the gate now stands among busy streets.
• Hwahongmun and Banghwasuryujeong: the northern sluice gate where the Suwoncheon stream enters the fortress, and the pavilion above Yongyeon pond beside it, the fortress's best-loved view. Planned as a command post, the pavilion's setting made it a place for banquets instead.
• Seojangdae: the command post on top of Paldalsan hill, overlooking the whole fortress and city.
• Gongsimdon and Bongdon: the observation towers and the beacon tower, good examples of how Hwaseong combined Eastern and Western ideas of fortification.
• Hwaseong Haenggung: the temporary palace where Jeongjo stayed on his visits, in the centre of the walled town. Enter through Sinpungnu gate and cross a sequence of courtyards via Jwaingmun and Jungyangmun to reach the inner halls. Hwaryeongjeon next door is covered by the same ticket.
• The walls: the parapets are built of stone and brick and stand about 1.2 metres high. Work on Hwahongmun began in February 1794, and its pavilion was completed the following January.

Good to know

• The Uigwe runs to ten volumes, and an abridged French version was published as early as 1898.
• Seobuk Gongsimdon, the observation tower beside the west gate Hwaseomun, has brick walls on three sides and three internal levels from which soldiers could fire guns.
• When the walls were rebuilt, modern roads that had cut through them had to stay, so in a few places the rampart walk continues as a bridge.
• The fortress was designated a Historic Site in 1963.
• The fortress includes almost every element of Korean fortification: gate bastions, main and secret gates, wall projections, guard platforms, gun towers and a beacon station.

Tripto tips

• Tickets and hours: the walls are open at all times, all year, and free. Hwaseong Haenggung opens 09:00–18:00 (last entry an hour before closing) and costs KRW 2,000 for adults, KRW 1,500 for youths and soldiers, KRW 1,000 for children. A combined ticket for the palace and Suwon's two history museums costs KRW 4,000.
• Free days and night opening: the palace is free on the last Wednesday of each month, and visitors in hanbok can get a reduction. In 2026 it opens at night (18:00–21:30, last entry 21:00) on Fridays to Sundays and holidays from 1 May to 1 November.
• Time needed: 2–3 hours for the full wall circuit at an easy pace, half a day with the palace. The Seojangdae section on Paldalsan is uphill, so wear comfortable shoes.
• Getting there: from Suwon Station (Seoul Metro Line 1, Suin–Bundang Line and KTX), take a bus or taxi to Paldalmun or Hwaseong Haenggung.
• When to go: sunset at Banghwasuryujeong, when the walls are lit, is lovely. The Suwon Hwaseong Cultural Festival in autumn can change palace opening times, so check ahead.