Mesmerizing,
Sophisticated Hwaseong Fortress

A display of cutting-edge engineering of the Joseon Dynasty

Hwaseong Fortress, listed among UNESCO's World Cultural Heritage Sites, showcases a charming architectural heritage and the scientific construction engineering technology of the Joseon Dynasty.
It is more intriguing to discover the background of the construction, ordered by King Jeongjo, one of the dynasty's greatest reform-minded kings, and the engineering methods employed by Chung Yak-yong, one of the authorities of the pragmatic "Shilhak"style of engineering employed in the Confucian-dominated society.
King Jeongjo ordered the construction of Suwon City, 40 km south of Seoul, for two underlying reasons: first, to move the tomb of his father, Prince Sado Seja, a tragic casualty of political strife, and secondly, to fortify his hegemony and reign by constructing a new city from which to rule.
Hwaseong Fortress was constructed under the advice of Yu Hyeong-won (1622~1673) and Jeong Yak-yong (1762~1836), and it is evaluated that its walls were built very scientifically, using Seokjae (stones) and Jeondol (bricks).
The holes, through which friendly forces can defended themselves from arrows and long spears, were also used to fire guns. Jeong invented Geojunggi, which uses a hwalcha (lever) to lift up heavy stones, greatly reducing the construction time. The construction of the fortress began in 1794 and was completed in 1796, a surprisingly short period.
The fortress wall was a whopping 5.7 km long -- the repaired wall now measures 5.4 km and its height is between 4.9 m and 6.2 m. It contains a little more than 50 other structures, including some military facilities you will not find at other fortresses.
The fortress went through many turbulent times and suffered great damage. During the Korean War, many of the facilities were so severely damaged that they were just left in ruins. The fortress restoration initiative began in 1975 and finished in 1979. But the section of wall from Paldalmun to Dongnamgakru, a length of 491 meters, has still not been renovated. The fortress was designated as Historical Monument No.
3 in January 1963 and in December 1997 it was listed as a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Site.
Paldalmun Gate
Paldalmun Gate is the southern gate of Hwaseong Fortress, designated National Treasure No. 402. A crescent shaped 'ongseong'(defensive secondary wall built to prevent the main gate from being broken down with logs) is built outside of the main entrance. On the right wall of the gate is a nameplate listing the names of the people involved in the construction of the gate. The Paldalmun Gate is unique in that it is separate from the rest of the gates and is located in the middle of the busy city. The reason for this is because commerce took root around the gates before its reconstruction, making it impossible to build in that area.
Hwaseomun Gate
Hwaseomun Gate is the western gate of Hwaseong Fortress, designated National Treasure No. 403. Over the stone-built Mujigae (rainbow) Door is a single-level tower gate. The Hwaseomun Gate's ongseong is different from the one at Paldalmun Gate because one side of the crescent is open.
Janganmun Gate
It is the north gate of Hwaseong Fortress as well as its main gate. 'Jangan'means capital, and it carries the meaning of being a secondary capital. Janganmun is considered the main gate because this is the direction that the king would come from when arriving from Hanyang, the capital city. It is interesting to note that this gate is larger that the Sungryemun Gate in Seoul (also known as Namdaemun).
Changnyongmun Gate
Changnyeongmun Gate, the eastern gate of the fortress, is similar in shape and size to Hwaseomun Gate. The central item of interest on this gate is the nameplate attached to the left of the gate. The names carved into the polished granite are still clear to this day while the nameplates at the other three main gates have faded.
Hwahongmun Gate
The Suwon Stream cuts across Hwaseong Fortress from the North to the South. Water gates were installed on the north and south walls to allow the river to flow through. Hwahongmun Gate is the north water gate of the fortress, containing seven different-sized arches through which the water flows. The central opening is larger than the ones towards the outside, making it easier to control the flow.
Seojangdae
A 'jangdae'is a raised structure used for military training. Hwaseong Fortress has two, one each on the east and west sides. The western Seojangdae is located at the summit of Mt. Paldalsan, the highest point within the Hwaseong Fortress'walls. The location gave the soldiers a great view of the overall happenings in the fortress while undergoing training. It is sometimes called the Hwaseong Jangdae.
Yeojang
A 'yeojang'is a shallow one-meter wall built on top of the fortress wall to protect anyone on the wall from the enemy. It made the wall appear taller from the outside and harder for the enemy to see the activities going on within the walls. Small walls in the yeojang made it possible to attack the enemy while under the protection of the wall.
Yeonmudae
Once used to train soldiers, the surrounding area is open, which made it possible to see far out in all directions. Visitors can try 'gukgung'archery at the Yeonmujeong, located next to the Yeonmudae.
Poru
A 'poru'is a tower with holes in its walls, enabling the defenders to attack the enemy from within it. There are wooden towers from which to shoot guns and stone towers from which to fire cannons.
Ammun Gate
Used as a secret passageway, Ammun Gate was built in the wall, hidden from view of the enemy. It was used to secretly transport weapons, food, other items and people.
Bongdong
During the Joseon era, a fire or smoke signal was used to convey urgent information. Bongdong is an area where these signals originated. There were five torches: one lit under normal conditions, two at the appearance of the enemy, three when the enemy approached the border, four when the enemy breached the border, and five when the enemy attacked. It is located on the summit of Mt. Paldalsan, next to the Seojangdae training facility.
Gongsimdon
Gongsimdon is a three-story stone and brick structure built on top of the fortress wall. There was a hole in the wall, which allowed sentries to keep an eye on events going on outside the walls and also from which to shoot guns. This is a structure unique to Hwaseong Fortress -- no other fortress or castle wall has anything like it. nw

Hwaseong Fortress, on UNESCO's World Cultural Heritage Sites, contains many gates and historical sties, including Hwaseomun Gate (shown above), which is the western gate of Hwaseong Fortress, designated National Treasure No. 403.

Hwaseong Haenggung, a cluster of the sprawling traditional Korean tile-roofed houses

Suwon is famous for offeringSuwon Galbi (ribs).