Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism / Korean Culture and Information Service

A night view of Suwon Hwaseong Fortress in Suwon, Gyeonggi-do Province, a UNESCO World Heritage site / Courtesy of Korea Tourism Organization (Live Studio)

One of the best day-trip destinations lies 30 minutes south of Seoul Station by KTX, one hour by Line 1. It goes to Suwon, a small (by East Asian standards) city of about 1 million people in Gyeonggi-do Province.

Suwon Hwaseong Fortress’s 18^th-century city walls encircle the old center and were largely reconstructed in the mid-1970s. The southwestern section of the fortress runs up and down the modest 145.5-meter Paldalsan Mountain and is studded with historic sites that also afford breathtaking vistas of the surrounding city.

The Suwon Cultural Foundation websites linked here and elsewhere provide detailed information in Korean, English, Chinese and Japanese, but a quick glance at any tourist information in Suwon will tell you the fortress was built in the 1790s by King Jeongjo of the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910) to honor Crown Prince Sado, his ill-fated father. The fortress won UNESCO World Heritage status in 1997.

But while its history is fascinating, tied up in dynastic politics that still resonate with Koreans to this day, it says nothing about the joys of wandering around this historically and topographically rich area and seeing how well it blends into the urban fabric of Suwon, the modern-day capital of Gyeonggi-do.

The four main gates of the fortress still function as the primary entry points with pedestrian as well as vehicle traffic flowing through or around them, creating a timeless visual effect as cars speed past these picturesque fortifications.

The gates of Hwaseomun, Janganmun and Changnyongmun are all connected by adjoining city walls that are preserved well. Right by Changnyongmun, one can find open fields offering a variety of attractions, including traditional archery, and even a hot-air balloon ride to give visitors a bird’s eye view of the area. Janganmun is actually the largest gate of its kind in Korea, topped with a two-story wooden pavilion. Meanwhile, Paldalmun, the south gate which is almost as large, stands in the middle of a big traffic circle at the center of a lively market district.

Suwoncheon Creek runs under Hwahongmun Gate, a part of Suwon Hwaseong Fortress / Courtesy of Korea Tourism Organization (Kim Ji-ho)

The walled city is split down the middle by the creek Suwoncheon that flows under the fortress’s two water gates – the picturesque Hwahongmun with its seven arches to the north and the more recently reconstructed Namsumun Gate to the south.

Inside the walls, one can find Haenggung, a reconstruction of the palace that King Jeongjo used when visiting his father’s tomb. The compound features 22 buildings, excluding servants’ quarters, and sits at the base of Paldalsan. To ascend the small mountain, one can either walk or make the journey much easier by catching a ride on the Hwaseong Trolley, a large cartoon-like limousine that pulls three open-air passenger cars. It shuttles visitors around key spots at a far faster clip than the two to three hours it would take to walk around the entire fortress. As of August 9, the rates were 4,000 won for adults, 1,500 won for children.

From the top of the hill, the splendor of the fortress can be appreciated in full.

The highest points of the fortress are at Seonodae and Seojangdae (West Crossbow Platform and West Command Post). Both give a panoramic view of the surrounding area. Nearby, it’s worth slipping outside the fortress through Seoammun (West Secret Gate), to enter the forest growing out of a boulder-laden hillside just beyond the wall.

With all its history and all its architectural features, Suwon Hwaseong Fortress is a remarkable site worthy of a visit. Additionally, as the city is known as for its galbi, there is no shortage of nearby restaurants to cap off a day of extensive hiking and historical exploration with mouth-watering marinated ribs grilled over hot coals.

If you reach Suwon before 10 a.m., you could also fit in a few more historic sites before sunset. From Byeongjeom Station (two stops from Suwon Station on Line 1), it is easy to catch a bus or taxi to Yungneung and Geolleung, the royal tombs for Crown Prince Sado and King Jeongjo which are also on the UNESCO World heritage List. These twin burial mounds sit in an extensive, trail-laden Korean red pine forest that is adjacent to Yongjusa, a 9^th century Buddhist temple that King Jeongjo had rebuilt so monks could regularly pray for the repose of his father’s soul – a service that Yongjusa’s monks renewed following Korea’s independence from Japanese colonial rule. 

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