Hwaseong Fortress is a late 18th-century fortification that wraps 5.7 kilometres around the centre of Suwon. King Jeongjo ordered it built in 1794 to honour his father, and the scholar Jeong Yak-yong designed it using both Korean and Western engineering principles. The result was the most technically advanced fortress in Korea at the time, combining stone and fired brick, with defenses designed to withstand gunfire as well as traditional weapons.
The wall has four main gates — Janganmun to the north, Paldalmun to the south, Changnyongmun to the east, and Hwaseomun to the west — along with guard towers, observation posts, and a floodgate. Most of the structure has been restored after damage during the Korean War, though the section between Paldalmun and the southeast tower could not be rebuilt because the city had already grown over it.
Walking the full circuit takes about two hours. The stretch along the hillside above Hwahongmun (the north water gate) offers the best views. Hwaseong was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1997.