Hwaseong

Dongi-Poru
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Hwaseong was built between 1794 and 1796 by King Jeongjo to house the tomb of his father, Crown Prince Jangheon. (The story of his father is amazing, and you should check it out on line, or in the Moon Guide. In short the Prince’s father, the King was going mad and had him sealed in a box and he died). He decided to build the fortress at the foot of Mt. Hwa, and he built Yongjusa Temple nearby. It is a great example of construction from the period.

The best way to see the fort is to walk the walls. It will take the better part of a day, and there’s a lot of walking. If you’re not up for it there are several different short routs that will take you past most of the major sights. Your first stop should be Hwaseong office where you can get a map and take a short museum tour with a great history of both the fort and the palace.

The best way to see the fort is to walk the walls.

Seojangdae
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From there head south to the main gate. Don’t be surprised to find the south gate is just that, a gate, without a wall attached. Be careful, there’s lots of traffic. From there go east and follow the wall north to Bongdong. It’s a jut in the wall with five large cones. The cones were used for communications. Further up the wall is the smaller west gate, Changnyongmun, the catapult stand Dongbuknodae, and a lookout, Dongbuk Gongsimdon, fashioned after one in Yodong Province, China.

The next stop is a lookout with one of the best views in the area. There is a rest stop here, take advantage of it while you can.

Near the bottom of the hill, over the river, is a very typical building from the period, and just west is the north gate. Between the North Gate and the West Gate are several lookout points similar to the ones near the top.

From the West Gate turn east into the fort toward the church. Across the street is Hwaryeongjeog.