Lesson 6 National Pride

Hwaseong Fortress was eventually built to protect

The Story Behind Hwaseong Fortress
Suwon and its residents. King Jeongjo paid frequent
Have you ever visited Cheonggyecheon in Seoul and
visits to the fortress to honor his father, showing
seen the large painting on a wall that shows a grand
how deeply he loved and missed him. One of these
procession? This painting is called Banchado, and it
visits was to celebrate the sixtieth birth year of his
depicts King Jeongjo leading a royal procession to
parents and it was this visit which was illustrated in
Hwaseong Fortress in Suwon. Created by Kim
Banchado.
Hongdo and well-known artists of the time, the

original painting was done on 63 pages and vividly

Jeongjo’s love for the people
depicts 1,779 characters and 779 horses on a
Not only did he love his father, but King Jeongjo
magnificent scale. But why was King Jeongjo's
also had a big heart for his people. The way
procession made into a painting? Why did the king
Hwaseong Fortress was designed showed that he
march to Suwon? What made him build and visit
really cared for those living in the area. The original
Hwaseong Fortress? How was it built? Here, we'll
design of the fortress was a round-shaped wall.
learn about the origin and history of the fortress. However, if the fortress had been built as planned,

many residents would have ended up living outside

The origin of Hwaseong Fortress the fortress walls. The king learned about the

The origin of Hwaseong Fortress goes back to the situation and delivered an order, saying: "Even if you

have to fold and unfold the fortress walls three

late Joseon period. This was a time of political
times, build the fortress large enough to let all the
instability because various factions fought for power.
existing residents live inside the walls." He did not
In the middle of this political conflict, Sadoseja, King
want any of the residents to be unprotected. This is
Jeongjo's father, was killed when Jeongjo was only
why the fortress is shaped like a leaf.
11 years old. It came as a huge shock to young

Jeongjo. Due to his deep affection for his father,

King Jeongjo decided to move his father's tomb from

Yangju to Mt. Hwa because it was considered to be

an ideal place to build tombs at that time. Residents

who had been living around the area had to move

out, so the king commanded that a new city be built

for them, which was Suwon.

There is another story about King Jeongjo's love for Jeong Yakyong also came up with new ways to make

his people. At that time, people usually worked on construction easier for the workers. For example, he

public service projects without getting paid. However, invented a new machine called Geojunggi. It was
King Jeongjo instructed the government to pay those
used to lift and pile up heavy stones with the least
who worked on this project. Also, when the weather
amount of energy. This tool greatly reduced
became too hot while the fortress was being
construction time. Without it, the construction of the
constructed, the king stopped the construction and
fortress would have taken much longer.
supplied workers with Cheokseodan, a pill to beat

the heat. There is even a document that shows his

Hwaseong Fortress represents the peak of
compassion for his people.
18th-century Korean architecture. It is characterized

"As the weather is extremely hot, I cannot taste food by careful planning and the application of the latest

very well, and I am uncomfortable in bed thinking scientific advances. Its construction started from King

about the workers suffering in this weather. Since my Jeongjo's decision to move his father's tomb, and it

sympathy cannot moisten their lungs nor cool their has now become a cultural heritage site that attracts

bodies, I am now ordering a special prescription of visitors from all over the world. We have to be
Cheokseodan and sending the pills to the project
aware of its historical significance and make efforts
site. Give them to the workers and let them take the
to preserve its architecture and cultural history. It is
pills with clean water.”
now our responsibility to protect this UNESCO World

Heritage Site so that our descendants can treasure

A new fortress built with modern science
and enjoy it.
The construction of Hwaseong Fortress began in

1794 and was completed in 1796, after 33 months of

Every year in Suwon, a magnificent cultural event
work. Its primary architect, Jeong Yakyong, employed
takes place to celebrate King Jeongjo's visit to
the latest building techniques of the time. The
Hwaseong Fortress as depicted in Banchado. Why
fortress wall, which extends for nearly 6 km, was very
don't you visit the fortress and feel King Jeongjo's
advanced in that bricks were used in its construction.
love for his father and the people that he led?
Brick walls have the advantage of withstanding heavy

blows and are not easily destroyed, so the fortress

was made of both bricks and stones. Moreover, holes

between the bricks were just big enough to fire guns

and arrows through in case of an attack.