Hwaseong Fortress - a splendid battlement with a sorrowful history

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A magnificent stronghold was built by an emperor at the end of the 18th century to house his beloved fathers remains.

When Emperor Joengjo of the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910) moved his father's tomb to Suwon city at the end of the 18th century, he surrounded it with strong defensive works designed by an influential military architect of the period. He erected massive walls that extended for nearly 6km, bastions and artillery towers, all to protect and honor his fathers remains.

Hwaseong Fortress is an outstanding example of early modern military architecture. Embracing the busy downtown area of the present Suwon city (the capital of Gyeonggi province, some 30km south of Seoul), it embodies Jeongjo's devotion to his father and his ideals for a modern administrative and commercial center with stalwart defense.

Hwaseong Fortress is of magnificent size. It spreads out over a widely changing landscape, from high mountain ridges overlooking a crowded urban center to a flatland park to a bustling marketplace surrounded by a densely populated neighborhood. The fortress looks remarkably different from most other ancient town walls and military fortifications scattered across the country. It is notable not only for its diverse functions but also for its visual originality and technical innovation involved in its design and construction.

Visitors are permitted to stroll along the fortress, and one may imagine the hopes and ambitions of the emperor as he built this magnificent fortification to create a robust city and to shield and shelter his city's inhabitants from invaders. For those who are inclined to historical romance, his tragic childhood experience and his noble affection for his parents adds a remorseful color to the excursion along the stronghold, punctuated with crenels and merlons and highlighted by lofty watch towers and secret gates leading down to dark labyrinths.