Korea is popular for its old palace. One of the most popular palace is Hwaseong Fortress (화성), the UNESCO World Heritage site located in Suwon. The fortress was built in between 1794-1796 by King Jeongjo of the Joseon Dynasty to honor and house the remains of his father Prince Sado. The site contains 4 gates as well as 5.74 km (3.57 miles) of wall. The most famous gate is the South Gate 팔달문 which is surrounded by a large market as well as a number of other businesses. The fortress has ongoing reconstruction since the 1970’s. This place is a great place to visit if you enjoy history. For those who do not have interest on history, you can enjoy a great view and impressive traditional architecture of this place.
"Do you wanna build a snowman? Or....moomin?" (moomin = Korean popular animation character)
Hwaseomun (West Gate) Hwaseomun is Hwaseong's West Gate (designated Treasure #403). A half-moon shaped wall was built in front of the gate to give further protection. This prevented armies from attacking the gate straight on. The road tunnel on the south side of the gate is a modern addition to facilitate vehicle traffic.
> How to get there? From Seoul Station or Yeongdeungpo Station - get off at Suwon Station (Suwon Subway Line 1)Exit No.10 - walk to Yeokjeon Market Bus Stop (~2 mins) - At Yeokjeon Market Bus Stop (03-023) Take bus No. 35 and get off after 6 stops (~13 mins) - Gett off at Hwaseong Haenggung Palace• Suwon Seongji Bus Stop (03-050) Walk to Suwon Hwaseong Fortress (~4 mins) *it costs around 3,000won Tap here for map
> Hours: Mar~Oct: 09:00-18:00, Nov~Feb: 09:00~17:00
> Cost 1) Admission: Suwon Hwaseong Fortress: KRW 1,000 / Hwaseong Haenggung Palace: KRW 1,500 (*Adult admission) 2) Integrated Ticket: KRW 3,500 (Suwon Hwaseong Fortress + Hwaseong Haenggung Palace + Suwon Museum + Suwon Hwaseong Museum) *Integrated tickets are unavailable on Mondays as museums are closed on Mondays. 3) Other Information + Hwaseong Train KRW 1,500 (One-way) 4) Korean Archery KRW 2,000 (10 arrows), 09:30~17:30; every 30 mins
> Contact Suwon Tourist Information Center +82-31-228-4672~4 Hwaseong Haenggung Tourist Information Center +82-31-228-4480