A day in Suwon fortress #SCF

Hwaseong is the wall surrounding the center of Suwon, the provincial capital of Gyeongi-do, South Korea. This fortress was built from 1794 to 1796 by King Jeongio of the Joseon to house and honor the remains of his father Prince Sado,   who had been murdered by being locked alive inside a rice chest by his own father King Yeongio after failing to obey the command to commit suicide. Located 30 kilometers (19 mi) south of Seoul and enclosing much of central Suwon, the Fortress includes King Jeongjo's palace Haenggung. The site was designated as a World Heritage site by the UNESCO in 1997. The Suwoncheon, the main stream in Suwon, flows through the center of the fortress.

It was a hot day to walk in the hwaseong fortress area exploring the beautiful and traditional sites of Suwon. At the entrance of the fortress we had the experience of traditional Korean archery. It was an amazing experience knowing that 220 years ago the soldiers used to practice it over here. It’s difficult to hit the target however a little help from the expert can help you pull right at the target. I hit 04 times right near the target in my 20 shots and thus won a prize that was announced for the winner by Suwon culture foundation. 

Hwaseong Fortress is an impressive structure from the latter part of the Joseon Dynasty. The fortress wall stretches for a total of 5.52km and has a great variety of military facilities that’s hard to find anywhere else. Four gates face each of the cardinal directions—Janganmun (north), Paldalmun (south), Changnyongmun (east), and Hwaseomun (west)—and the seven-arch style Sumun gates straddle the point where the nearby stream reaches the palace. Above the Sumun gates is a pavilion called Hwahongmun. he Suwon Hwaseong Fortress went through many turbulent times and damage, and in the battle of June 25th, many of the facilities became so damaged that they were deemed irreparable. Even though the fortress restoration initiative (1975-1979) restored many of the sites to their former glory, Paldalmun to Dongnamgakru (an area 491 meters in length) has still not been renovated. 

There are two ways you can enjoy the visit the hwaseong fortress either by walk or by the train. In my last visit I had fun with train while this time we travel by walk which was an incredible experience. The greenery with cool breeze around is always heart touching. Location of Hwahongmun was such an adorable that one must need to spend sometime under the shade of traditional rooms. Experience with the traditional small drum dance was another awesome moment of the day which can be enjoyed at the center for intangible cultural assets. The dance teachers are perfect in their profession. We learn Arrirang dance which the dance teacher said was the easiest one. However that was a fun which is multiplied by the reception of small drum as a gift from the center for intangible cultural assets.

We had a delicious dinner comprised of Qalbi with a lot of side dishes and specially arranged Pizza for the vegetarians. Thanks to the  Suwon cultural foundation (#scf ) for the awesome trip.