Built in the late 1700’s, Hwaseong Fortress in Suwon is one of the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Sites. Similar to the East Gate Wall in Seoul, it’s a place that beautifully combines traditional with modern. And with it sitting only about 45 minutes from Camp Humphreys, it’s a must-see if you’re living in or visiting the area.
A Brief History of Hwaseong Fortress in Suwon
The fortress was built during the Joseon Dynasty by King Jeongjo. With a mountain at its center, the fortress walls stretch nearly 6 kilometers and stand up to seven meters tall in some places. These enormous walls were built as defensive measures to protect what King Jeongjo hoped would become the new capital of Korea. His wish was to move the capital from Seoul to Suwon and offered incentives to get citizens to move there. The fortress was also once home to the remains of King Jeongjo’s father, Prince Sado – who had been killed by his own father after failing to follow a command to die by suicide. And I thought my family had problems.
Although the fortress that you see now in Suwon is a modern reconstruction of the old fortress – as much of it was destroyed during the Japanese Imperial Rule and again during the Korean War – it was rebuilt using detailed blueprints that were left behind which showed each element of the original fortress. And so even though the fortress isn’t made using the original stones and materials, it still made the list of UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Sites because of its authenticity and because of its unique design which supported military, political, and commercial functions – as opposed to fortresses built in other areas of East Asia which were typically meant to serve only one purpose.
And if the history alone isn’t enough to get you to visit this place, then a walk around the fortress and a ride on the tethered balloon high above might be enough to entice you!
Walking Hwaseong Fortress
I’m a sucker for beautiful places – as well as a sucker to history – and the rest of my family just loves being outside. Walking along the incredible walls at Hwaseong Fortress was the perfect family activity that had all of us in a great mood. Mix that with ice cream from a 7Eleven and it was even more perfect – which I didn’t think would even be possible!
The kids loved exploring all of the little inlets through our walk across the wall – as well as looking out through the windows into the city beyond it. They raced along the path – which was wide enough for us to feel confident letting even our three-year-old walk on her own, despite the steep drop-off on one side of the path – and counted the amount of stairs we climbed (although by the time I’m writing this, nobody could quite remember how many stairs there were). H enjoyed hanging out on Brandon’s back and barking at every dog she saw.
Flying Suwon
Our whole purpose in visiting Hwaseong Fortress was to take a ride in the tethered balloon run by Flying Suwon. The hope was to experience the balloon ride at night so we could get a view of the entire fortress all lit up. However, when we arrived, the balloon didn’t seem to be operating – despite it being scheduled to open at 12:30pm and us arriving at 3pm. Were we disappointed? Absolutely. But we made the best of it and decided to make a whole hike out of the day. The weather was perfect. The air quality was great. And we were excited and ready for an adventure.
Then, as we were walking along the wall a few hours later, we saw a BEAUTIFUL sight: the balloon was in the air and running! It took us by surprise – and I’m unsure why it wasn’t running earlier. It’s possible because it was a Thursday things were just slow, so they didn’t have someone there at all times. Unsure whether or not we would make it to the balloon before they closed (at that time we were unsure when the last flight was) we high-tailed it toward the balloon, enjoying the fortress lighting up little by little as we went.
By the time we got to Flying Suwon (at about 8:30pm) it was completely dark outside – which was good since that was kind of the whole point. We went to the ticket machine, purchased our tickets with cash won, and by 9:00pm we were boarding the balloon! E was feeling pretty anxious and required some empathy and talking-down, but once we started moving upward, he calmed right down and actually seemed to enjoy himself. There really was nothing quite like floating 150 meters above the ground, with the whole city lit up. Although my camera doesn’t fully do it justice: the views from the air were INCREDIBLE.
Our walk around Hwaseong Fortress – as well as our tethered balloon ride – will be something that I’m sure we will all remember for a very long time (with the exception of M and H who are both too young to care about much at all). The balloon ride is definitely on the pricier side (especially when you’re paying for as man people as we did), but it was something that has been on our bucket list since our move to the Peninsula – and it was 100% worth the cost!
Tell me, have you been to Hwaseong Fortress in Suwon?
’til next time…
Ash
How to visit Hwaseong Fortress and Flying Suwon
Directions: There are two paid parking lots that I know of near the fortress. The first is the parking lot for Flying Suwon which can be found by pasting 경기도 수원시 팔달구 경수대로 697 into Naver. This lot is VERY small and fills up quick (it was full even on a Thursday when we went). The second lot (which is where we parked) is the Hwahongmun Public Parking Lot – a large gravel lot located just a short walk from Janganmun Gate (one of the four gates of Hwaseong Fortress) and can be found by pasting 경기 수원시 장안구 팔달로 280 into Naver. In addition, there were plenty of places to street park for free within walking distance of the fortress.
Cost: The fortress is free to visit, with the exception of parking. We parked at a paved lot (which I provided a Naver Pin for above) which cost only ₩3,500 for the full SIX hours that we spent at the fortress. In addition to parking, if you wish to ride the balloon with *Flying Suwon, the pricing is as follows:
|| Adults – ₩20,000
Middle and High School Students – ₩18,000
Elementary School Students – ₩17,000
25 Months-Kindergarten Students – ₩14,000
24 Months or Younger – FREE ||
*Tickets can be purchased in person at the ticket machine near the balloon. While tickets can also be purchased online, I found the process to be confusing and recommend purchasing in person instead.
Hours: According to Flying Suwon’s website, they operate balloon rides on weekdays from 12:30-21:30 (with the last flight at 21:00) and on weekends and holidays from 11:30-22:00 (with the last flight at 21:30). I cannot guarantee that these are always the times, but they are correct to the best of my knowledge at the time I’m making this post.
Amenities: There were multiple restrooms near and around the fortress – including restrooms at both parking lots mentioned above. There are also many cafés and other restaurants around the fortress. Because our kids aren’t SUPER adventurous with food, we opted to walk about a mile to a Lotteria for dinner – because burgers, chicken nuggets, and fries are ALWAYS a win with our kids – but there were other options that were closer.
Accessibility: There are so many walking paths and trails near the fortress that would be accessible for wheelchairs and strollers. The fortress walls, however, are not accessible in this way. If you’re planning to bring a stroller or you need to bring a wheelchair, be prepared to view the fortress from a distance.
What to bring: Bring sunscreen, especially if you’re planning on walking the wall. Most of the area is unshaded. In addition, dress appropriately if you plan to go up in the balloon. It was mid-70’s when we went up and we were comfortable in our shorts and T-shirts. But if it had been any cooler we would have wanted jackets. My suggestion? Pack sweaters (even if it’s warm out) so you have them in case you need them!
