A 3-Hour Walk Through King Jeongjo’s New City: The Gates, Water Gates, and Palace of Suwon Hwaseong

Why King Jeongjo Built a New Suwon Below Paldalsan Mountain from 1794 to 1796

Suwon Hwaseong Fortress is a walled city that King Jeongjo created as a base for paying respects to his father, Crown Prince Sado, after moving his tomb to Hyeollyungwon, as well as for operating a new city. Construction began in January 1794 and was completed in September 1796, and the fortress walls are 5.743 km long. At the time, the seat of Suwon County was moved from below Hwasan Mountain to below Paldalsan Mountain, and the place name “Hwaseong” began to be used during this process.

The fortress was not simply a defensive facility. King Jeongjo envisioned a planned city equipped with a temporary palace, markets and roads, and military facilities. Hwaseong Haenggung was also the site of the 60th-birthday celebration of Lady Hyegyeong Hong in 1795. Sections damaged during the Japanese colonial period and the Korean War were restored after 1975, using the Records of the Construction of Hwaseong Fortress, which contains details of the construction process, materials, and drawings, as the restoration standard. Suwon Hwaseong Fortress was designated Historic Site No. 3 in 1963 and inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1997.

Free Fortress Access and Paid Haenggung Palace Visits Starting at 825 Jeongjo-ro

The fortress itself is an open-access heritage site that can be visited year-round from January through December, free of charge. You can also walk along sections of the fortress at night, but lighting, weather, and pedestrian safety may vary by section. After sunset, areas with clear routes, such as the Hwaseong Haenggung Palace plaza, Janganmun Gate, and Hwahongmun Gate, are preferable to the Paldalsan Mountain ridge or stairway sections.

Hwaseong Haenggung at 825 Jeongjo-ro, Paldal-gu, Suwon-si, Gyeonggi-do, is a separate ticketed facility. Visiting hours are 09:00–18:00, with last admission at 17:00, and it is open year-round. Individual admission costs 2,000 won for adults, 1,500 won for youths and military personnel, and 1,000 won for children. Visitors wearing hanbok and visitors on the last Wednesday of each month, designated as “Culture Day,” receive free admission. The Hwaseong Haenggung ticket office can be reached at 031-5191-4677, and the Suwon Cultural Foundation’s main number is 031-290-3600.

• Suwon Hwaseong Fortress: Open year-round, free admission
• Hwaseong Haenggung: 09:00–18:00, last admission at 17:00, open year-round
• Individual admission to Hwaseong Haenggung: Adults 2,000 won / Youths and military personnel 1,500 won / Children 1,000 won
• Combined ticket for Hwaseong Haenggung, Suwon Hwaseong Museum, and Suwon Museum: Adults 4,000 won

Choosing a Bus from Suwon Station Exits 4, 7, or 9 to the Hwaseong Haenggung Stop

When traveling from Suwon Station on Subway Line 1 or the Suin–Bundang Line to Hwaseong Haenggung, transferring to a bus is the most practical option. From the stop in front of the Novotel at Exit 4, take buses 11 or 13, get off at “Hwaseong Haenggung, Suwon Seongji,” and walk for about five minutes. From the AK Plaza stop across from Exit 7, take bus 60 or 7-2, get off at the “Hwaseong Haenggung” stop, and walk for about five minutes.

At the Maesan Market stop near Exit 9, take bus 11, 13, 46, 50-2, or 50-5, and get off at the “Paldal-gu Office, Hwaseong Haenggung, Suwon Seongji” stop. From Seoul, you can take bus 3000 from Gangnam Station, get off at the Paldalmun stop, and walk for about five minutes. From Jamsil Station, take bus 1007, get off at the “Hwaseong Haenggung, Yeomiji” stop, and walk for about five minutes. The Suwon Station Tourist Information Center is located at 924 Deogyeong-daero, near Exit 4. It operates from 09:00 to 18:00 and provides interpretation in English, Chinese, and Japanese.

One-Hour Northeast Route Linking Janganmun, Hwahongmun, and Banghwasuryujeong

For a short visit, choose the official one-hour route from Dongjangdae, also known as Yeonmudae, to Banghwasuryujeong and Janganmun. This route connects the fortress’s military facilities, waterside scenery, and north gate in one walk. Yeonmudae is also the departure point for traditional archery experiences and the Hwaseong Trolley. Individual Hwaseong Trolley fares are 6,000 won for adults, 3,500 won for youths and military personnel, and 2,000 won for children.

Hwahongmun and Banghwasuryujeong are located along the Suwoncheon waterway. Janganmun is at 910 Jeongjo-ro, Paldal-gu, Suwon-si, Gyeonggi-do, and the nearby Hwahongmun Public Parking Lot has 497 spaces. The first 60 minutes are free, after which the fee is 300 won per 10 minutes, with a daily maximum of 7,000 won. For visitors seeking a short route with few slopes, this northeastern route is less demanding than the Seojangdae section crossing Paldalsan Mountain.

From Seojangdae to Hwaseomun: The Northwestern Watchtower Seen After Tackling Paldalsan Mountain’s Slope

To see the fortress’s three-dimensional terrain, choose the one-hour route linking Seojangdae, Hwaseomun, and Janganmun. However, Seojangdae is located on Paldalsan Mountain, so the route includes stairs and uphill sections. Visitors with strollers, wheelchairs, or companions with limited mobility may find it better to explore the interior of Hwaseong Haenggung and the areas around Janganmun and Hwahongmun in separate sections rather than attempting the entire fortress circuit.

Hwaseomun and the Northwestern Watchtower are good places to understand the defensive structures projecting outward from the walls. Suwon Hwaseong Fortress introduced facilities rarely seen in earlier county fortresses, including hollow watchtowers, artillery bastions, and defensive platforms. These were the result of combining traditional Joseon fortress-building techniques with military technology of the time. For visitors wishing to see the entire fortress, the official three-hour route—Hwaseong Haenggung → Seojangdae → Hwaseomun → Janganmun → Banghwasuryujeong → Changnyongmun → Bongdon → Namsumun—reduces the need to retrace the route.

212-Space Hwaseong Haenggung Parking Lot vs. Large-Vehicle Parking at Yeonmudae

Hwaseong Haenggung Parking Lot is located at 18 Haenggung-ro, Paldal-gu, Suwon-si, and operates 24 hours with card payment only. It has 195 regular spaces, 10 compact-car spaces, 5 accessible spaces, and 2 electric-vehicle charging spaces, for a total of 212 spaces. For small vehicles, the fee is 900 won for the first 30 minutes, 400 won for every additional 10 minutes, and 14,000 won for a full-day parking pass. For inquiries, call 031-290-3635.

Large vehicles cannot park at Hwaseong Haenggung Parking Lot. Vans with 15 or more seats and group buses must use Yeonmudae Parking Lot at 3-17 Maehyang-dong, Paldal-gu, Suwon-si. This lot has 97 regular spaces, 17 large-vehicle spaces, 6 accessible spaces, and 2 electric-vehicle charging spaces, for a total of 122 spaces. Yeonmudae Parking Lot also operates 24 hours with card payment only. For small vehicles, the fee is 900 won for the first 30 minutes, 400 won per additional 10 minutes, and 14,000 won per day.

• Hwaseong Haenggung Parking Lot: 212 spaces in total; large vehicles not permitted
• Yeonmudae Parking Lot: 122 spaces in total, including 17 large-vehicle spaces
• Both parking lots: Open 24 hours; card payment only

Guided Tours from 10:00 to 15:30 and Preparation for Wheelchair and Stroller Use

If you would like to add historical commentary to your visit, you can use the Suwon Cultural Foundation’s cultural tourism interpretation service. On-site applications are available for groups of at least four people, while online applications require at least 20 people. Tour times are 10:00, 11:00, 13:30, 14:30, and 15:30. Online reservations close seven days before the visit, and same-day applications may be difficult on days with many group reservations. The Hwaseong Haenggung information center is inside Sinpungnu Gate and operates from 10:00 to 17:00. The phone number is 031-5191-4480.

Hwaseong Haenggung offers three wheelchairs and two strollers free of charge. Accessible parking spaces number three at Hwaseong Haenggung and six at Yeonmudae. If you need foreign-language assistance, the Suwon Station Tourist Information Center provides interpretation in English, Chinese, and Japanese. The Korea Tourism Organization’s audio guide app “Oodi” also includes content on Suwon Hwaseong Fortress and Hwaseong Haenggung. Since the walking paths atop the walls have many slopes and stairs, visitors using mobility aids should plan primarily around the interior of the palace and the areas around Janganmun and Hwahongmun for greater safety.