Suwon Hwaseong Fortress

Hwaseong Fortress was built by Joseon’s 22rd king Jeongjo, who built a fortress around a township he built in order to house his father Sadoseja’s newly moved grave site. The fortress walls, 4-6m in height, stretch over a distance of 5.74km to encompass an area of 130㏊. Originally the walls featured four entrances and 48 facilities, of which seven were destroyed in war and floods, with only 41 remaining at present. Construction began in January of 1794 and concluded in September 1796. Hwaseong Fortress was officially registered as a world heritage site by UNESCO in 1997, heralded as an exemplary demonstration of Asian fortress architecture for its scientific and practical design.