Suwon Hwaseong Fortress

Lance Vanlewen · CC BY-SA 4.0

Nearly six kilometres of stone wall built by King Jeongjo out of filial duty — and a wish to move the capital.

In the late 18th century King Jeongjo moved his wronged father's tomb to Suwon and built a new kind of fortress around it. Hwaseong was unlike the old walls: the engineer Jeong Yak-yong used homemade pulleys and cranes, combined stone with fired brick, and borrowed technique from both Europe and China. Walking the full circuit takes about two hours, past four great gates, watchtowers, artillery bastions and a seven-arch bridge over a stream. The strange part is that this fortress never had to withstand a siege.

Visitor information

When is the best time to visit Suwon Hwaseong Fortress?

April–May and September–November

How much does it cost to visit Suwon Hwaseong Fortress?

1,000 KRW (4-site combined ticket 3,500 KRW); walking the wall itself is free

How long do you need at Suwon Hwaseong Fortress?

3 hours

What are the opening hours of Suwon Hwaseong Fortress?

09:00–18:00

Did you know

Inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1997.
Built in only two and a half years (1794–1796), remarkably fast for its scale.
The wall runs about 5.7 km with 48 defensive structures.
The construction record 'Hwaseong Seongyeok Uigwe' survives intact, making restoration unusually accurate.

Travel tips

Take Line 1 to Suwon station, then a bus to Paldalmun gate.
Walk anticlockwise from Paldalmun to climb first and descend later.
A tourist trolley circles the fortress if you'd rather not walk.

Source: https://www.swcf.or.kr/

Updated: 2026-08-04