Hwaseong Fortress

Ahhh... pictures finally!!  I'm sorry to have taken so long, but my camera is not the best. (I'm hoping to get a new one, as I finally got paid yesterday~ feels so great to be semi-grown up!) Anyways, these pictures are of Hwaseong Fortress which is a five minute walk from my apartment.  I'll give you the textbook version of what it is and its history because I really cannot remember the names of each gate and their dates. 

King Jeongjo, the 22nd king of the Joseon Dynasty, ordered the construction of Hwaseong in 1794 and it was completed in 1796. These dates are important, as they show Hwaseong as "the last and most modern of the great Joseon Dynasty fortresses."  The total length of the fortress is 5.7 km, so roughly 3.5 miles.  You can walk most of the way, but near Paldal-mun there is a short break. Why? Something about the reconstruction efforts in the 1970s and there being too much (roads, buildings and etc.) to destroy just for a small section of the huge fortress.

Its construction is amazing, as it's all made out of stone and wood placed evenly on very uneven ground. Though most of the fortress fell to ruin in the 19th and 20th centuries and therefore is not original, it is still a marvelous sight to behold. In 1997 Hwaseong was accredited the honor of becoming a UNESCO site because of its accented Korean heritage design and meaning. (The Suwonese LOVE to tell you this! They're so cute when their proud :p) And honestly, they should be proud. Even a foreigner with little concept of Korean history and culture can see and feel the deep roots of the Korean people within the high walls and beautifully decorated gates of Hwaseong. I have taken many walks along the fortress since I have arrived~already a month ago! Each time I visit I feel closer to a people I'm not sure I can ever fully know or understand. Their ways are somewhat backwards for me, their names too! So I can always feel a barrier when talking with my Korean teachers. Yet, when I walk along Hwaseong, I sometimes get a glimpse of understanding their pride, their tradition and their culture. I like that feeling of a connectedness, even if it's vague. So for now, as this is the only place I know of thus far that gives me any peace or understanding, I can undoubtedly say that this is my favorite place in all of Suwon. It really is a 'gateway' to Korean heritage.

Hwahongmun, the northern bridge command post in Spring.

This is Seojangdae. It was built in 1794 as the West command post. It is located on the top of Mt. Paldalsan and is the highest part of Hwaseong Fortress. The best view of Suwon and Hwaseong is from here.

This is of the North section of Hwaseong and is nearest to me. I like this picture because you can see how the fortress weaves over and through the land. You can also see the built in defense of the fortress: its slanted walls, small openings for archers and evenly placed command posts that can guard as much of the fortress as possible.  You can also see the two different pathways for visitors. One on the actual fortress so you can walk in the footsteps of historical Korea, and one below so you can admire the greatness of Korea's heritage. 

This is Janganmun, the north gate, a.k.a. my entrance into the Hwaseong area. It was damaged in the Korean War, but has since been restored. The slants on each side are actually stairs, HUGE stairs. Each step is almost a foot high! And as you can see, they're steep too. Kind of scary going down!

This is Hwahongmun, also known as Buksumun. It is my favorite section, and I think you can see why. It's beautiful! To the left there is a small lake with an island in its middle (below pic). To the right there is a seven arched bridge command post that is simply stunning (first picture above). I like this picture because you can see how all of these things are compiled into one marvelous piece of nature and man. 

Not the best of pictures, but you can understand how beautiful this simple area is, especially at sunset! I'd say I sat here for two hours just taking it all in. Truly beautiful.