Suwon City, reborn as a city of cutting-edge technology
 
Southern part of Gyeonggi Province, a new energy engine of growth
 
Suwon City, the best place of the Gyeonggi Province, was built by King Jeongjo of the Joseon Dynasty as an expression of his sincere filial piety towards his deceased father (Crown Prince Jangheon, better known as Crown Prince Sado), who was buried here, and to realize his grand plan for innovation. Hwaseong Fortress in Suwon, the last fortress built during the Joseon Dynasty, is registered on UNESCO’s World Cultural Heritage List. Now, it has been transformed into a city marled by dynamic business activities. Many huge businesses, domestic and international, including Samsung Electronics, operate production and research facilities in Suwon.

◇ A candle light procession passing through Paldalmun Gate in Suwon on Buddha’s Birthday. ⓒ Each city and gun

Suwon City, a planned city built by King Jeongjo

The 5.7km-long walls of Hwaseong Fortress (Historic Site No.3), whose western part perches on Paldalsan Mountain in the middle of Suwon City, extend into the flat lands in the east. Forty-five of the original fifty-one installations remain. The gates and towers of the fortress display the grandeur of Asian architecture and the refined practicality of Western architecture. Experts say that it is the most scientifically-designed defensive fortress in the country.

Seojangdae, the Command Post located on the summit of Paldalsan Mountain, is a two-story tower measuring 3 kan (façade) by 3 kan (sides). If you walk northward from Seojangdae Commanding Post along the castle wall, you will come to Hwaseomun Gate (Treasure No. 403) and North-West Gongsimdon (fortification tower) (Treasure No. 1710). At Seojangdae Commanding Post, you can overlook Hwaseong Temporary Palace (a royal villa) immediately below and Janganmun Gate and Paldalmun Gate in the distance. There is a car park for visitors.
(*1 kan is a unit of measurement referring to the distance between two columns. It usually comes to between 210cm and 300cm.)

If you walk from Hwaseomun Gate along the castle wall, you will pass Jangan Park and reach Janganmun, the north gate (height of gate tower: 13.1m) of the fortress. Janganmun stands directly facing Hwaseomun. Its tower was destroyed during the Korean War and restored in 1976.

Hwahongmun, the north gate of the fortress, is located within 5 minutes’ walk from Hwaseomun, another tower-shaped gate. Banghwasuryujeong Pavilion (Treasure No. 1709), which is located between Hwahongmun and Bugammun Gates, served as a watchtower in peace time and as a command post during battle.

Banghwasuryujeong Pavilion, originally built as a defense facility on Geobuk Bawi (Turtle-shaped Rock), harmonizes well with its beautiful surroundings. And a pond named Yongyeon located below. The lights from the facilities installed at the pavilion create a fantastic contrast with the moonlight. Local residents regard it as the city’s No.1 nightscape.◇ A view of Changryongmun, the East Gate of Hwaseong Fortress, and its colorful murals. The gate was destroyed during the Korea War and restored in 1976. ⓒ Each city and gun

The entire fortress is a work of art.

If you walk some way past Hwahongmun Gate, Yeonmudae, a wide open space where troops exercised their military skills, including archery, will appear right in front of you. King Jeongjo also engaged in archery practice here. Now, visitors can try their hand at Korean archery here. Visitors can also move here to Paldalsan Mountain on a sedan-chair shaped bus called Hwaseong Tain. Parts of Changryongmun, the nearby East Gate of Hwaseong Fortress, were destroyed during the Korean War and restored in 1976. The castle wall ends at Dongnamgakru Pavilion, and the road leads to Jidong Market, s traditional Korean market. The sections between Dongnamgakru Pavillion and Paldalmun Gate were also destroyed during the Korean War and later restored. If you come out of the market, you will find yourself in front of Paldalmun (Treasure No. 402), the South Gate of the fortress. Like Janganmun, this gate is a two-story tower surrounded by reinforced defense positions.

Hwaseong Temporary Palace (a royal villa), where you can feel King Jeongjo’s sincere filial piety toward his deceased father

Hwaseong Temporary Palace (a royal villa) is a must-see attraction in Suwon. It served as the Hwaseong Governor’s office from about 1790, but when King Jeongjo paid his first visit to his father’s tomb in 1795, it was refurbished and expanded to serve as a temporary royal palace measuring 576 kan, i.e., the largest royal villa in the Joseon Dynasty.
(*1 kan is a unit of measurement refers to the distance between two columns. It usually comes to between 210cm and 300cm.)

During the colonial period, Japanese colonists gradually demolished Hwaseong Temporary Palace as part of an attempt to make Korea part of Japan. Bongsudang Pavillion and Bukgunyeong (a norther military camp) were replaced by the Jahye Clinic (later the Gyeonggi-do Medical Center Suwon Hospital) and a police station. Naknamheon House was not demolished but was instead used as the Suwon Gun Office. It still stands within the boundary of Sinpung Elementary School. In 1996, the bicentenary of the construction of Hwaseong Fortress, restoration work on the major buildings of Suwon Haenggung was started, and the restored portions of the temporary royal palace were finally opened to the public in 2003.

Suwon Galbi (grilled beef ribs), a tempting dish for foreign visitors

It’s said that you can’t say you’ve had delicious Korean food until you taste Suwon Galbi (grilled beef ribs). Even foreigners are fascinated by the taste of this uniquely Korean food. Suwon Galbi is the originator of grilled beef ribs, and became one of the representative dishes of Suwon in the 1950s. Its unique flavor derives from charcoal-grilling and natural seasoning. Suwon’s first galbi restaurant, Mijeonok, opened in 1940 in present-day Yeondong Market outside Hwaseong Fortress, and was later re-named Hwachunok. Galbi lovers from all around the country visit the restaurant to taste its specialty food.

At first, Hwachunok’s specialty was haejangguk (hangover soup) but it started selling seasoned beef ribs (galbi) in 1956. The restaurant served its ribs according to the way they were seasoned and grilled in the royal palace and the homes of noble families. Ribs (7cm or longer) with the meat intact were seasoned with red pepper, Welsh onion, garlic, ground pepper, pear, sesame oil, salt, and so on and then grilled on charcoal. Suwon Galbi became famous when word got around that Mr. Jang Taek-sang, the then chief of the Seoul Police Agency, loved it so much that he paid visits to Suwon on a horse to eat it regularly in the early 1950s. In 1979, Hwachunok was replaced by a department store. At present, there are more than 100 galbi restaurants in Suwon.