| Hwaseong
Fortress (1794-96, reconstructed pavilions)
other
sites in Suwon |
Suwon, Korea |
Click on an image to enlarge
Hwaseong Fortress was built during the reign of King Cheongjo from the years 1794-96. It was intended not just as a fortification, but as a memorial to his father, Prince Sado, who had been forced to commit suicide by his father, King Yangjo. Sado's death had been particularly cruel. After showing signs of sadistic mental illness, Sado had been ordered to strangle himself so that a brother could succeed to the throne. However, Sado's servants were so loyal that they cut down the noose each time Sado attempted his father's wishes. Finally out of anger, Sado's father (the King) ordered him into a large rice chest, which was then bound and shut for nine days until Sado died of thirst. During this period, King Cheongjo's mother Queen Hyegong had to endure the muffled voice of Sado pleading for his life inside the sealed chest.
As son of a dishonored parent, King Cheongjo hoped to consolidate his rule and strengthen the kingdom by building a number of fortresses. The town of Suwon used to stand at the base of Mt. Hwasan, eight kilometers south of the city, but Cheongjo had it moved to the present location so that Hwaseong could be constructed in honor of his father. Inside the fortress walls, Sado's coffin was reinterred and given a proper burial. He was posthumously honored with the title of King Changjo.
The architects of the fortress were a committee which included Chung Yak-yong (1762-1836), who drew up the principle plans. Former minister Chae Je-gong presided over the project while Cho Sim-tae, the magistrate of Hwaseong Prefecture, supervised the actual work.
The fortress is fairly advanced for the time age. During its construction, cranes were used for the first time to hoist stones, and construction methods were also standardized.
The entire circumference of the fortress is 5.744 kilometers. Along the wall are four gates facing in the cardinal directions. There are also five secret gates, two floodgates, four gateguard platforms, three observation towers, one beacon tower, five sentry towers, two command posts, four angle towers, five firearms bastions, two multiple-arrow-launcher platforms, and other facilities. Justifiably proud of his work, King Cheongjo had a country palace built at the foot of Mt. Paldalsan within the walls, where he could rest on his way back from visiting the royal graveyard at Hyonnyungwon.
The fortress was restored from 1975-79. A small part of the southern section around the south gate has been leveled in order to allow traffic to the interior, which is now filled with apartment housing.
Below: Map of Hwaseong fortress. Click
on an arrow for a view.
Bibliography
All images copyright 2001 Tim Ciccone