Suwon Hwaseong Fortress

Paldalmun, which is designated as Treasure No. 402, is the south gate of the Hwaseong Fortress. The name means “open roads in every direction.” The stone rainbow-style gate was wide enough for a king's visits accompanied by horses and sedan chairs, and above the gate a second-story structure was built. A low fence was erected around the upper story of the castle gate, a semi-circular castle called Ongseong was built outside the gate, and jeokdae, a gate guard platform, was constructed to repel enemies.

Namsumun is a floodgate on the Suwoncheon Stream, located where the Suwoncheon reunites with the fortress wall after flowing south from Hwahongmun Gate. It consists of 9arched gates that can control the water-level in the lower reaches of Suwoncheon with a military barracks at the top of the gate where soldiers can stay or attack enemies outside of the fortress.

Chiseong is a simple bastion that protrudes outside to attack against the enemy approaching the fortress. There are eight such bastions in Hwaseong Fortress.

Bongdon can be seen from the front of the Hwaseong Haenggung (temporary palace). It was made because the king can watch the signal right at the palace. By placing a guard at this Bongdon, emergencies were informed through lights and smokes. The first one in the south among the five lights was used in peacetime.

Dong-i Chi, the second eastern turret, like the other nine turrets around Hwaseong, allowed soldiers to look out in many directions along the exterior of the wall. Unlike the other two eastern turrets, the outer corners of this structure are rounded, the others forming sharp right angles.

Dong-GunTower, the eastern GunTower, lies between the two eastern turrets. Construction of the post was completed on July 16, 1796. As with other GunTowers in Hwaseong, the interior is of multiple levels to allow various angles for firearms and other weapons.

Dongil-SentryPost, the first eastern sentry post, was completed on July 10, 1796. Like the second eastern sentry post, it extends further from the wall than most posts.

Dongbuk Nodae was a facility to use large bows and is located in the northeast of the Hwaseong Fortress. A large bow called Soenoe was developed and used to shoot multiple arrows using gunpowder.

Dongbuk Gongsimdon is located in the northeast of the Hwaseong Fortress. It is a 6.8m-tall, three-story oval observation tower, another architectural wonder of Hwaseong Fortress. A stairway spirals up the interior wall of the tower from the bottom to the top platform. It is also called Soragak (turban-shell shape) because stones were piled up in round shape, enabling people to go up. Soldiers were able to observe enemy movements and to fire weapons.

Jangdae is a command post, and Hwaseong Fortress has two jangdaes: Seojangdae and Dongjangdae. Built between July 15 and August 25, 1795 (the 19th year of King Jeongjo’s reign), Dongjangdae was also called Yeonmudae, “a training ground for the martial arts.” It is a good spot, with its low-lying, open lands, to watch over the interior of the fortress from the east.

Dongbuk Poru is located in the northeast of the Hwaseong Fortress on slightly elevated terrain. It was used to cover Banghwasuryujeong to Dongjangdae in wartime and as a resting area in peacetime.

Secret gates are a secret passage for wartime and located in the curb, deeply indented places or hidden place with woods. Bukammun is located in the deeply indented place on the north of Banhwasuryujeong. Hidden from outer part of the castle, it has the most appropriate location. It also has a beautiful pattern.

The north gate, which is located below the Banghwasuryujeong, is called Hwahongmun, which means “beautiful rainbow-colored gate.” It was constructed over a river by broadening Suwoncheon, which flows through the Hwaseong Fortress, and set up a bridge with seven holes. Above this gate, a multi-story building was erected. Hwahongmun played a role of a bridge, connecting villages from the either side of the river. A bower on the river was used as a resting area for the people and facilities were equipped with canons to protect the Fortress.

This firearms bastion protrudes 3m from the fortress wall. Bukdong Poru is used to shoot canons located in the northeast of the Fortress. The shape of 凸 was attached to the castle wall similar to Chiseong and its height was about that of poru. Its structure is similar to gongdon in that the inside of the three-storied architecture is empty.

Jeokdae is a facility established to the right and left of the fortress gate to defend against enemies approaching the gate and ongseong. It is located to the east of Janganmun.

Jeokdae is a facility established to the right and left of the fortress gate to defend against enemies approaching the gate and ongseong. It is located to the west of Janganmun.

This wooden structure was built on a bastion of the fortress wall and finished on February 20, 1795, in the 19th year of King Jeongjo’s reign. Located between Hwaseomun (West Gate) and Janganmun (North Gate), it is one of five sentry posts at Hwaseong Fortress used as vantage points from which to spot and fire upon an approaching enemy.

Hwaseomun is the west gate of the Hwaseong Fortress and is a connecting path to the Namyangman and the west coast. It is designated as Treasure No. 403. Hwaseomun is similar to Changnyongmun in terms of its arch and stone steps.

Gangnu is a pavilion-like structure positioned on a relatively high part of the fortress, where troops were able to rest and keep watch on the surrounding areas. During emergency situations, it also served as a command post. One of four such pavilions at the fortress, Seobukgangnu was built as a command post at a point opposite Mt. Sukji for troops deployed near Hwaseomun.

Seo-il Chi, meaning West Turret 1, is a small bulge in the wall to allow soldiers to fire upon anyone attempting to scale Hwaseong from the outside.

Nodae is a raised platform set up on a fortress to enable the fortress’s defenders to fire multiple volleys of arrows at enemy troops. Hwaseong Fortress has two such crossbow platforms: this one and the one in the Northeastern section. Seonodae, located on the summit of Mt. Paldal, is an octagonal brick structure that commands a view of all directions.

Hwaseong Fortress has five secret gates for the passage of people, cattle, and military supplies. Seoammun, which is a well-hidden passage made with the use of geographical features, was built in June 18, 1796 (the 20th year of King Jeongjo’s reign).

Seoporu, one of the five cannon forts at Hwaseong Fortress, is located between Seobukgangnu and Seojangdae. It was built on May 30, 1796, in the 20th year of King Jeongjo’s reign, as a three-tiered structure on the bastion to enable the fortress’s defenders to fire cannon directly at enemy forces.

Hwaseong has five secret gates for the passage of people, cattle, and military supplies. Seoammun (Western Secret Gate) is a well-hidden passage and also an entrance to Yongdo, a passageway along the outer perimeter of the fortress. Only this gate has a  sentry box among the fortress’s five secret gates. Sentries there signaled to other troops for an approaching enemy by waving a flag or firing a gun. Its arched structure (hong-ye) was built in August 6, 1796 (the 20th year of King Jeongjo’s reign). A posa is a sentry post from which, in cases of emergencies such as enemy attack, warning signals through waving a flag or firing a cannon were sent.      

Poru, a sentry tower, is a partly projecting facility of 8.8m that enables defenders to attack enemies from above, below and either side using firearms and cannons hidden inside. It is located in the southern slope of Mt. Paldalsan.

Two turrets are situated midway along the south-west spur from the South-West Secret Gate to the South-West Pavilion. On the right when coming from the Secret Gate, the South-West Turret 1 (Seonamilchi 서남일치) extends to the West and overlooks the city of Suwon towards Seoho. It is also called South-West Spur's Western Turret.