Suwon’s crown jewel.
Spring in Korea has been absolutely gorgeous. Every morning on my way to work I’ve been marveling at flower after flower. It started with the delicate cherry blossoms and magnolias. Then, it was on to the vibrant azaleas. Coming up next is daisies. I saw quite a few waiting to bloom during my run today. Unfortunately, I’ve been warned that spring is nearly over and the summer heat is on the way. All good things must end, I guess!
A few weeks ago, Mike and I headed over to Hwaseong Fortress on a pleasant spring afternoon. I wanted to visit Suwon’s crown jewel tourist attraction while the cherry blossoms were still sticking around. The fortress was built between 1794 – 1796 and is now a UNESCO World Heritage site.
We started our exploration near Paldalmun Gate and headed up the steep fortress wall. Our intent was to buy tickets for the dragon train. Of course, being such a popular attraction, tickets were sold out until later in the afternoon. We were kind of expecting that so it wasn’t too much of a disappointment. We decided to just explore as much as possible before our departure time.
There are about a million things to do and see at the fortress. You can walk/hike the walls, enjoy views over the city, ring the Bell of Filial Piety, try your hand at archery, visit the palace, or take in a cultural performance. I’m probably leaving something out.
We enjoyed the views, walked along the walls, rang the bell, watched a beautiful traditional dance, and then finally hopped on the dragon train. The dragon train takes you around the exterior of the fortress and offers some hard to hear commentary in Korean and English. It was cheap (just a few dollars each) and worth the wait.
I’m sure we’ll be visiting the fortress again. There’s plenty more to see and do.
xo, jill
Gorgeous!