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Hwaseong Fortress is an impressive structure from the latter part of the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910) and the official fortress of Suwon-si, Gyeonggi-do. The fortress, constructed from 1794 to 1796, was built as a display of King Jeongjo’s filial piety towards his father and to build a new pioneer city with its own economic power.

The fortress wall stretches for a total of 5.52km and has a great variety of military facilities that are hard to find anywhere else. Four gates face each of the cardinal directions—Janganmun (north), Paldalmun (south), Changnyongmun (east), and Hwaseomun (west)—and the seven-arch style Sumun gates straddle the point where the nearby stream reaches the palace. Above the Sumun gates is a pavilion called Hwahongmun.

Hwaseong Fortress was constructed under the guidance of Yu Hyeong-Won (1622-1673) and Jeong Yak-Yong (1762-1836), and is believed to have been constructed very scientifically. The fortress wall was built using Seokjae and Jeondol (bricks) and the holes between the bricks are just big enough to fire guns, arrows, or long spears through in case of an attack.

During construction of the fortress Jeong Yak-Yong invented ‘Geojunggi,’ which uses a ‘hwalcha’ (lever) to lift up heavy stones, greatly reducing construction time.

The fortress was designated as Historic Site No. 3 in January 1963, and in December 1997, it was designated a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Site. A variety of performances and events are held at the fortress every day and Suwon Hwaseong Cultural Festival takes place here in autumn.

Hwahongmun Gate refers to the northern gate of Hwaseong Fortress among the two main gates installed to control the flow of Suwoncheon Stream that cuts through the fortress. Hwahongmun Gate consists of seven arched watergates, each watergate constructed in a varying size. The watergate at the center is larger than others to control the water flow effectively.

Janganmun Gate is the main gate of Hwaseong Fortress at the northern wall. Jangan means capital, implying that Hwaseong Fortress is the secondary capital. Janganmun Gate served as the main gate because the king would pass from this gate when arriving from Hanyang, the capital city, now modern-day Seoul. It is interesting to note that this gate is larger than Sungryemun Gate in Seoul.

Other Optional Tour : If you don't want tour of Suwon Hwaseong, other option tour is visit to Namhansanseong Provincial Park. Surrounds Namhansanseong Fortress, one of four forts built to protect Hanyang (the former name of Seoul). Gaeseong, Suwon, Ganghwa and Gwangju are located in the north, south, west, and east direction respectively. Namhansanseong Fortress is located to the east in Gwangju. The park is situated on Namhansan Mountain, 24km southeast from Seoul and 6km northeast from Seongnam. The length of trails is a total of approximately 12.4 km

The fortress is alternately recorded as being the royal fortress of King Onjo of the Baekje Kingdom, whose father was King Dongmyeong during Goguryeo period or a fortress built in 673 during the reign of King Munmu (the 13th year) of Silla period during the heat of the Silla and Tang War. The old site was rebuilt several times, with its current style of construction being built in 1621 during King Gwanghae’s reign.

Namhansanseong’s circumference is approximately 12km, stacking small natural stones over big stones. The fortress includes Sueocheong (Namhansan Mountain Fortress Defense Command), Gwana (government office), storage, and a haenggung (temporary palace), as well as 80 wells and 45 springs. Also, administration was moved from Gwangju-eup to inside of the fortress, clearly showing the importance of Namhansanseong Fortress in that period. 12,700 people participated in a field exercise carried out for the first time after building the fortress by command of King Injo (17th year, 1639). These days, only a few buildings remain inside of the fortress including East and South Gate, Seojangdae, Hyeonjeolsa Temple, Yeonmu Hall, Janggyeongsa Temple, Jisudang, Yeongwoljeong, and Chimgwaejeong. Among these remaining buildings, four gates, Sueojangdae, and some parts of the fortress in the middle of West Gate still maintain their original forms. Namhansanseong Fortress is designated as Historical Site No. 57 and a provincial park.
This is filled with a lot of traditional restaurants, cafe. you can look around here and will have lunch in this traditional restaurant .

At the end of the tour, eating a delicious meal at Baeksuk Street is a must. Located at the entrance of Namhansanseong Provincial Park near the haenggung, many restaurants in Baeksuk Street offer baeksuk (whole chicken soup with rice), dak doritang (spicy chicken stew), and hunje ori (smoked duck). Side orders like dotorimuk (acorn jelly salad) and gamja jeon (potato pancakes) go perfectly with the meal.

After tour of Namhansanseong, next will visit to
Seonjeongneung is comprised of Seolleung Royal Tomb and Jeongneung Royal Tomb ( Closed : Mondays) . Located in downtown Seoul, this place offers tranquil and pleasant promenades for couples and office workers. Seonjeongneung houses the burial mounds of King Seongjong (1469-1494), his wife Queen Jeonghyeon, and King Jungjong (1506-1544) of the Joseon dynasty (1392-1910).

Seonjeongneung has a lush forest, and benches on the promenade provide an ideal place to relax. There are numerous small hills with clusters of trees that create a border between the mystery and serenity of the royal tombs and the hustle and bustle of downtown Seoul.