- Type
- Fortress
- Built
- 1794 · 18th century
- Location
- Gyeonggi, South Korea
- Heritage
- UNESCO World Heritage List
- Coordinates
- 37.2807°, 127.0102°
History
The fortress was built in 1794–1796 on the orders of King Jeongjo of the Joseon dynasty, who had moved the tomb of his father, Crown Prince Sado, put to death by his own father, to the Suwon area. The scholar Jeong Yak-yong drew up the design, combining traditional Korean architecture with new methods and machines, including cranes for lifting stone. The construction was recorded in detail in an official chronicle complete with plans and drawings. When the walls and gates were badly damaged in the Korean War, that chronicle made a faithful reconstruction possible in the 1970s. Hwaseong was added to the UNESCO list in 1997.
What to see
You can walk the full circuit of the walls, several kilometres long, passing the monumental Paldalmun and Janganmun gates, watchtowers, bastions and archery posts. Particularly picturesque are the Hwahongmun stone floodgate with its arched openings and the Banghwasuryujeong pavilion above a pond. In the centre of town the Haenggung palace, where the king stayed on his visits, has been reconstructed, and the old command post crowns Paldalsan hill.
Wikipedia article Official website Wikidata Q482423
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