On the day of hiking along the Suwon Hwaseong Fortress from Paldalmun to Seojangdae Command Post (the section from the South Gate to the West Gate), I took a lunch break by walking down the stairs back to the Palace which is the center of the Fortress. That’s where the shops and restaurants are. Fried chicken is one of the famous food in Suwon. Not going to the fried chicken street at the point, getting a chicken noodle is a good option. Well, it’s still fried chicken.
Locating just half an hour away from Seoul, Suwon Hwaseong Fortress offers a unique cultural experience in South Korea. Constructed from 1794 to 1896, Suwon Hwaseong Fortress was designed by a leading scholar with careful planning, incorporating the best examples from Europe and East Asia. The fortress wall stretches 5.7 km long with 4 gates, a main stream in Suwon flowing through the center, firearm bastions, artillery towers, flood gates, observation towers, and command posts. Today, there is a main road going through the north and south gate and the stream is still running. The fortress was designated as Historical Monument in 1963 and a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1997.
