Hwaseong Fortress

UNESCO fortress walls circling old Suwon.

Why go

Hwaseong is a grand Joseon-era fortress wall that rings the old centre of Suwon, a UNESCO World Heritage site of gates, watchtowers and floodgates.

You can walk the full circuit of the walls for ever-changing views over the city.

Completed in 1796 under King Jeongjo, Hwaseong wraps about 5.7 km of wall around old Suwon and blended Eastern and Western military design of its era — reasons it joined the UNESCO list in 1997. The Hwaseong Haenggung palace inside hosts changing-of-the-guard and martial-arts shows.

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Good to know

• Walk a section of the wall between the grand gates.
• A trolley and archery experiences run inside the fortress.
• It is a short train ride south of Seoul.
• Walk a stretch between the Janganmun and Paldalmun gates, ride the dragon trolley, or try archery at the fortress — it's a short train or bus ride south of Seoul to Suwon.

Nearby

Official info

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