Castle · Suwon, South Korea
Hwaseong Fortress
Hwaseong Fortress or Suwon Hwaseong (Korean: 수원 화성) is a Korean fortress surrounding the centre of Suwon, the provincial capital of Gyeonggi Province, South Korea.
Photo: Lance Vanlewen via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0. Cropped and resized for display.
Landmark facts
| Location | Suwon, South Korea |
|---|---|
| Type | Castle |
| Coordinates | 37.2722° N, 127.0083° E |
Every fact above is taken from the sources listed below; anything no source states is left blank rather than guessed.
What Hwaseong Fortress is known for
Hwaseong Fortress or Suwon Hwaseong (Korean: 수원 화성) is a Korean fortress surrounding the centre of Suwon, the provincial capital of Gyeonggi Province, South Korea.
About Hwaseong Fortress
Hwaseong Fortress or Suwon Hwaseong (Korean: 수원 화성) is a Korean fortress surrounding the centre of Suwon, the provincial capital of Gyeonggi Province, South Korea. It was built from 1794 to 1796 by King Jeongjo of Joseon to house and honor the remains of his biological father, Crown Prince Sado. Sado had been executed by being locked in a rice chest by his father, King Yeongjo.
History
Hwaseong Fortress was built over a two-and-a-half-year period, from 1794 to 1796 according to the designs of the architect Chŏng Yagyong, who would later become a renowned leader of the Silhak movement. Silhak, which means practical learning, encouraged the use of science and industry, and Chŏng incorporated fortress designs from Korea and China along with contemporary science into his plans. The use of brick as a building material for the fortress and employment of efficient pulleys and cranes were also due to the influence of Silhak.
Planning a visit? Visit the official Hwaseong Fortress website — the official site has the current visiting information.
How to get there
| Nearest town | Suwon |
|---|---|
| Nearest airport | Suwon Airport (SWU) |
| Distance from the airport | 0.9 miles (straight line) |
Nearest major airport by straight-line distance from the landmark’s coordinates; road distance will be longer.
Airports near this landmark
The airports a visitor would actually fly into, nearest first — each link opens its profile on our sister site AirportProfiles.
- Seoul Gimpo International Airport (GMP) · Seoul, South Korea · 23.1 miles away
- Incheon International Airport (ICN) · Seoul, South Korea · 33.5 miles away
- Cheongju International Airport (CJJ) · Cheongju, South Korea · 47.1 miles away
Landmarks nearby
The closest landmarks in this library, by straight-line distance.
More landmarks in South Korea
More castles
Frequently asked questions
What is Hwaseong Fortress?
Hwaseong Fortress or Suwon Hwaseong (Korean: 수원 화성) is a Korean fortress surrounding the centre of Suwon, the provincial capital of Gyeonggi Province, South Korea.
Where is Hwaseong Fortress located?
Hwaseong Fortress is in Suwon, South Korea. Its coordinates are 37.2722° N, 127.0083° E.
How do I get to Hwaseong Fortress?
The nearest town is Suwon, and the nearest airport is Suwon Airport (SWU), about 0.9 miles away (straight line).
What is the history of Hwaseong Fortress?
Hwaseong Fortress was built over a two-and-a-half-year period, from 1794 to 1796 according to the designs of the architect Chŏng Yagyong, who would later become a renowned leader of the Silhak movement. Silhak, which means practical learning, encouraged the use of science and industry, and Chŏng incorporated fortress designs from Korea and China along with contemporary science into his plans.
Sources
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hwaseong_Fortress — Wikipedia article — overview, history and core facts (CC BY-SA).
- https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q482423 — Wikidata — built year, architect, height/size, visitors, official website (CC0).
- http://english.swcf.or.kr/?p=31 — Official website of the landmark / managing body.
- https://github.com/jbrooksuk/JSON-Airports — Nearest major airport computed from landmark and airport coordinates (haversine); airport list: jbrooksuk/JSON-Airports.
Page last updated 13 November 2026.