Half a day in Suwon

Some people say "the Republic of Korea is nearly as good as the Republic of Seoul." It's because, generally, a lot of things are put together and concentrated in Seoul and it makes other cities seem slightly dull by comparison. As a Korean, I agree with this to some extent, but even so, I don't think there's any good reason not to travel outside Seoul.

Out of the many other cities you can visit, I want to suggest Suwon as a city where history, cultures, and fried chickens co-exist. Suwon is the most populated city in Gyeonggi-do(one of the Korean provinces, which surrounds Seoul) and has a long history. Living up to those facts, Suwon houses the Gyeonggi provincial government, and "Suwon Hwaseong", one of the greatest historical assets in Korea, which is designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Suwon is approximately 1 hour and a half away from Seoul. If you are willing to travel outside Seoul, Suwon is a good option, given its proximity to the capital.

1. 수원화성 (Suwon Hwaseong Fortress)

Suwon Hwaseong Fortress was built by the order of King Jeongjo, during the Joseon Dynasty. King Jeongjo wanted to move his father's grave to Suwon and build, apparently, a brand-new capital city there. In accordance with his wish, the construction of Suwon Hwaseong Fortress was embarked on with cutting edge skills of those days. As a result, centuries later, it would have the honour of being designated as one of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

Hwaseomun Gate(화서문), which you see above, is the west gate of the fortress. The tall part in the middle of the photo was used as a watchtower. Soldiers on duty, apparently, observed the outside and shot arrows through the square holes. I couldn't get inside, sadly, but I hope you will be able to get in after the coronavirus situation subsides.

It was interesting to see the cannons installed on the fortress wall, unusually existing in harmony with the modern buildings.

You may enjoy walking along the fortress walls. It feels quite interesting to see modern buildings around while walking along the walls. There are plenty of cute cafes near the fortress so you would like having a tea break, all the while enjoying the atmosphere.

If you keep walking along the fortress walls, you will get to reach Seojangdae(서장대) at some point. It's located on the peak of Mt. Paldal(팔달산) so you have to go all the way up to the peak of the mountain, but it's worth doing a little bit of climbing. You can overlook views of Suwon, enjoying the breeze that cools you off after a bit of labour.

2. 화성행궁 (Hwaseong Haenggung Palce)

While walking around the fortress, you will eventually reach Hwaseong Haenggug Palace(화성행궁). Whereas Seoul has many palaces of the Joseon Dynasty, starting with Gyeongbokgung Palace(경복궁), Suwon also has one.

It was built on the order of King Jeongjo and used as one of the royal villas. Of all of the royal villas, Hwaseong Haenggug Palace is the biggest. Sadly, however, quite a lot of parts of the palace were lost during the Japanese Colonial Era, in accordance with the Japanese erasure policies against Joseon. Even so, a considerable portion of it has been restored through some work since 1996.

The office, which the kings of Joseon used

The mannequins, re-enacting the King Jeongjo's morning greeting to his mother.

Korean traditional lanterns, Cheongsachorong

Rating

4.0 / 5.0

Admission Fee

Adult - 1,500 won

Serviceperson/Adolescent - 1,000 won

Child aged 12 and under - 700 won

3. 수원 통닭거리 (Suwon Fried Chicken Street)

Suwon is famous for fried chicken and galbi(갈비, ribs). For that reason, you would likely encounter many restaurants for fried-chicken and galbi, and here I will begin to talk about Suwon's fried chicken.

Suwon Tongdak Geori(수원 통닭거리, Suwon Fried Chicken Street) is located In the vicinity of Paldalmun Gate(팔달문). Approximately eleven restaurants, specialising in fried chicken, are run in the street. Back in the 1970s, one of the restaurants, Maehyang Tongdak(매향통닭), was launched by a middle-aged woman, who had chicken coops right beside her and who cooked fried-chicken right then and there. It led to the creation of the current Suwon Fried Chicken Streets on which ten other restaurants are run. Other than Maehyang Tongdak, Yongseong Tongdak(용성통닭) and Jinmi Tondak(진미통닭) are also famous.

Tongdak(통닭) means a whole fried chicken. Back in the days, in Korea, the chicken was entirely fried in a seething cauldron. If you want to try the genuine Korean-style fried chicken, 가마솥 통닭(Gamasot Tongdak) is right for you.

The rough map of Suwon Fried Chicken Street. I still don't understand why the chicken is holding the drumstick, flashing a thumbs-up. It looks like a "chicken-eat-chicken" XD.

진미통닭(right, Jinmi Tongdak) is one of the most famous restaurants, but it was closed when I visited.

행궁통닭, the one I visited instead of 진미통닭.

Fried chicken. It was good but slightly heavy at the last minute

Rating

4.2 / 5.0

Prices

Fried Chicken(후라이드 치킨) - 16,000 won

Spiced Chicken(양념 치킨) - 17,000 won

Suwon Wanggalbi Tongdak(수원 왕갈비 통닭) - 19,000 won

Hanggung Yetnal Tongdak(행궁 옛날 통닭) - fluctuant

4. 효원공원 월화원 (Hyowon Gongwon Wolhwawon)

Hyowon Gongwon Wolhwawon is a Chinese-style garden built in Hyowon Gongwon Park. Suwon established a sisterhood relationship with the Chinese city, Canton as a sign of friendship between them. Both cities, respectively, built a garden in their own style in the other's cit; for example, Suwon built a Korean-style garden in Canton while Canton built Wolhwawon in Suwon.

The garden is not so big you may take a look around it all within thirty minutes. However, the vibes it gives off were quite nice and exotic but were slightly marred by the presence of many visitors at the time. It was interesting to see a Chinese traditional garden in Suwon. There is no entrance fee. That alone is a good reason to visit.