Suwon si. Suwon City (Republic of Korea)

Suwon is the administrative center and largest city in Gyeonggi Province, South Korea. The city was founded in the 18th century during the reign of King Jeongjo, who became the 22nd king of the Joseon Dynasty. Suwon is a city that perfectly combines ancient Korean traditions with modernity, as evidenced by the colorful areas of the city.

The main attraction of Suwon is the ancient Hwaseong Fortress, built in the 18th century and perfectly preserved its original appearance. The fortress was built by King Jeongjo to honor the memory of his father and as a symbol of the new city. Hwaseong stands out from other traditional buildings in Korea because both Eastern and Western architectural styles were used in the construction of the fortress. In 1997, UNESCO included the Suwon Fortress on the list of World Heritage Sites.

Tourists can see the most important attractions of the city and the surrounding area by taking the popular Suwon Stadium - Yongmudae excursion route. The tour starts from the Suwon Stadium, which is another landmark of the city, as it is the home arena of the Korean football club Suwon Samsung Bluewings and the South Korean national team. In addition to the football field, the stadium has a swimming pool, golf courses and a small sculpture park.

Next, the bus route passes through the Seozhangde site, located on Phaldangsan Mountain, above Suwon. Here is the “Hyeon” bell, which, according to ancient traditions, was rung to honor and respect ancestors, therefore, translated into Russian, “hyonon” means “gratitude and respect to parents.”

The next stop is Hwasomun Gate, the western entrance to Hwaseong Fortress. The gate is a regular round-shaped entrance, above which there is a tower intended for guards. Hwasomun is a monumental monument that has become a national cultural heritage of Korea. The Suwon River flows through the territory of the Hwaseong fortress from south to north, for which the Hwahongmun sluice gates were built on both sides of the fortress wall. If you go through the south gate of Hwaheonmun, you can enter the Panhwasuryuzhon Pavilion, a magnificent structure made in the traditional architectural style of the Joseon era.

You should definitely visit Hwaseong Haengung Palace, which the king used for refuge during bloody wars. The palace also hosted many important celebrations, such as the king's birthday or celebrations of victories in battles. Every Sunday, before entering the palace, tourists can see the royal procession and the ritual of changing the guard.

Hwaseong Fortress, Paldalmun market, party areas near the station, club Ingidong and drunken Yongtong, as well as a small educational program on the rules of conduct in a Korean club. Suwon is a miniature version of Korea and a great option for a day out of Seoul.

Today, South Korea is divided into 9 territorial provinces and the metropolis - the city of Seoul. Like the Moscow region, the province of Gyeonggi (Gyeonggi-do) frames the capital. About 13 million people live here, the headquarters of many Korean companies, factories and warehouses are located. In other words, this is a huge residential area for Seoul, which, however, is so large that it also has a capital, attractions, stadiums and football teams, concert venues, and universities.

The stream along the market is great for summer walks

The capital of Gyeonggi Province is Suwon. And this is my hometown in Korea. Less stressful than Seoul, Suwon really is a very convenient place to live. Firstly, there is quite a lot of greenery here, which turns out to be critically important in the summer when it is possible, and is simply very beautiful in other seasons. Secondly, the entire social infrastructure here works just perfectly: swimming pools, hospitals, schools, government agencies function like clockwork.

I would not say that Suwon is a must see if you are in Korea for 1-2 days. But if you are interested in a longer stay and want to see what Korea is like besides Seoul, of course, come and visit us.

The city varies slightly from the city of Korea. The country is small (300 by 300 km, who forgot), the mutual influence is colossal. Basically, one province can be distinguished from another by its natural landscape and gastronomic specialties. However, there is something to see in Suwon. And, in principle, you can even spend the night here so as not to return to Seoul late at night.

To get to Suwon, I recommend that tourists take the blue subway line number 1. Travel from the center of Seoul down the map to Suwon Station. Be carefull. At Guro Station the line may split, so make sure your train is heading towards Suwon.

Next, exit the metro. You are at the central station. Look for city buses towards Hwaseong Fortress (35, 11, 13, 46, 7-2, 66, 66-4). Ask the driver: “Huasong?” Use gestures and facial expressions :). The bus will take 15-20 minutes. In principle, you can take a walk. Drive just past the entrance to the palace, which will be on your left.

Hwaseong Fortress as seen from the bus to find out where to get off

Hwaseong is the summer residence of the kings of the Joseon Dynasty. The apartments are nice, less luxurious than in Seoul. The buildings are like a labyrinth with many nooks and crannies. If you like to send postcards, you can buy them in advance and have them stamped inside the palace with its outline.

Winter morning Hwaseong

If you like costume shows in national costumes, then here, on the square in front of the palace, they are regularly held. Check the schedule depending on the time of year and day of the week.

Entry to the palace costs a couple of dollars and won't break your budget.

After viewing the local exhibition, exit the palace, go around it on the left side and move up the hill. A rise of about 100 meters will warm you up slightly. Bring some water with you or buy it on the way to the top. Of course, you can also ride an electric train in the shape of a dragon, but this is for cheaters and those with children. An ordinary tourist can get there on his own. From the top, move to the right along the fortress wall. There are nice loopholes, watchtowers, and cozy Asian gazebos here. The hill offers the best view of modern Suwon. And I would even say that for the whole of Korea. She is exactly as she is here.

The entire route along the fortress wall will take you 60-90 minutes. Go all the way to the end. The dead end will be the entrance to the local market. And this attraction, in my opinion, may turn out to be even more interesting than the church itself. Unlike Seoul, this market does not have many tourists, no one will speak English, and the products will be tailored to the needs of locals, not visitors. Herbs, roots, nuts, fruits and vegetables, sea creatures and meat, rice dough and pies, tofu by weight and raped chicken (when you see it, you will immediately understand what I was talking about) - await you at the food section. Any clothes with greetings to Cherkizon or Aprashka are on the clothing part. Traditionally, in Korea, prices in markets are cheaper than in stores. So I recommend that you wander around here and maybe even buy, for example, ginseng as souvenirs.

Paldalmun Market

Further on in Suwon there are several more destinations for adventure seekers. With children and decent families, I advise you to go to the Korean Folk Village, about which there is a separate post. This is a good place for a walk, it’s not tiring, and you can eat. For children there are attractions, museum galleries that interest them, animals, space to run around (we checked it several times).

If you are already pretty tired of the cultural program, explore the local party areas.

Near Suwon Station the nightlife is the dirtiest and most unbridled. To “catch” all this, you need to appear here after 21.00. Then, if you go further to the left and deeper from the metro exits number 7 and 8, you may even come across Amsterdam red light-style shop windows with preening nymphs. Here you should be more careful with all your junk. The place is lush.

Ingidong is a fun and casual area near Suwon City Hall MRT Station. Take a taxi or metro here. Long streets with very authentic restaurants, bars and young people are guaranteed. Here you can eat live octopus or squid with soju, fry a Korean grill, and then follow the sound and find yourself in the most authentic Korean club, where you can dance to local pop music until you drop. I will write a separate article about the style of behavior in Korean clubs. But for now I’ll say that: 1. you may not be allowed in because you are a foreigner 2. most likely they won’t search you 3. they don’t take drugs here 4. you shouldn’t try to pick up someone else’s woman or someone else’s man, you can get completely screwed 5. if At the entrance you will be offered a table, where you will need to buy alcohol at an inflated price - this is the entrance fee (beer will cost 6-12 $). I highly recommend visiting a Korean club if you love exotic, adventure and dancing. Shows are often held here. Their level may be different, but the tourist will still be curious.

Yongtong is a calmer, but also quite cheerful area. Here the party is more about food and alcohol than about dancing. The audience is a little older, although there are many students. If you don't want to stay in Suwon overnight, then go here, hang out, and around 23.00 rush to take buses M5107 (to Seoul Station), 5100 (to Gangnam), 1112 (to Jamsil).

Evening in the Yongtong area. Be sure to check bars and restaurants on different floors

If you nevertheless went on a spree and spent the night in one of the many motels that stand right between the bars, then go in the morning to hang out on my favorite oyster and nearby island Jebudo, which can be reached by a regular city bus.

I also remind you that it is in Suwon that the headquarters of Samsung is located, as well as its technology museum called. Visiting the museum is free, but requires prior registration. Separate post about this at the link.

The city of Suwon is located on the territory of the state (country) The Republic of Korea, which in turn is located on the territory of the continent Asia.

Population of the city of Suwon.

The population of the city of Suwon is 1,178,500 people.

Year of foundation of Suwon.

Founding year of Suwon: 1949.

What time zone is Suwon located in?

Suwon City is located in the administrative time zone: UTC+9. Thus, you can determine the time difference in the city of Suwon, relative to the time zone in your city.

Suwon area phone code

The telephone code of the city of Suwon: +82 31. In order to call the city of Suwon from a mobile phone, you need to dial the code: +82 31 and then the subscriber’s number directly.

Official website of the city of Suwon.

Website of the city of Suwon, official website of the city of Suwon, or as it is also called “Official website of the administration of the city of Suwon”: http://www.suwon.ne.kr/.

Flag of the city of Suwon.

The flag of Suwon City is the official symbol of the city and is presented on the page as an image.

Coat of arms of the city of Suwon.

The description of the city of Suwon presents the coat of arms of the city of Suwon, which is the distinctive sign of the city.

City Suwon (Suwon,수원시 ) is located very close to Seoul. In fact, this is already a suburb of the Korean capital; you can even get there by Seoul train (Suwon station). However, Suwon is the capital of Gyeonggi-do Province. And in Suwon it’s worth a look at the perfectly preserved fortress Hwaseong (Hwaseong,화성 ) and the Wolhwawon Royal Gardens (in Hyowon Park). These attractions are included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Hwaseong Fortress(which means " blooming castle") was built at the end of the 18th century. It was built by King Jeongjo in memory of his father, who was tortured by his insane grandfather (his grandfather, suffering from paranoid suspicion, put Jeongjo’s father in a box, where he suffocated). Jeongjo planned to move the capital of Korea from Seoul to Suwon, but did not have time to carry out his plan due to his sudden death. Subsequently, the Hwaseong fortress took part in battles with the Japanese, suffered damage, but was completely restored.

Hwaseong is a very picturesque fortress. It is surrounded by gardens and fits perfectly into nature. From the point of view of fortification, it is also unusual, since it does not look like ordinary eastern castles, and in its architecture it is much closer to European fortresses.

The fortress has 6 gates, the largest of which is Paldalmun. To the left of Paldalmun stands the gate watchtower Seonamammun. The western gate is called Hwaseomun, next to which is the tall Gongsimdon Tower. And next to the Dongammun gate on the fortress wall there are five signal pipes, from which, if necessary, smoke began to pour out, warning all the defenders of the fortress about the approaching danger. A beautiful panoramic view opens from the top of the Seojangdae command post, and catapults were once installed on the even higher Nodae Tower. You can walk along the walls of the fortress for a nominal fee.

The main palace of Hwaseong Fortress is considered to be Haenggung, where King Jeongjo once lived. This building was rebuilt not so long ago. As a result of many wars in Korea, almost nothing remained of the palace. But the central pavilion Uhwagwan has been preserved in its original form, where colorful guard changes take place (on Sunday at 14:00, only in the warm season) and exhibition fights of martial artists at 11:00 and 15:00 (except Mondays). Also on the territory of Hwaseong you can do archery and ride a tourist tram (₩1500).

Hwaseong Fortress is very large, comparable in size to the Moscow Kremlin. You can walk around the walls of Hwaseong in no faster than two-plus hours of walking at a leisurely pace. It is also worth remembering that some of the fortress buildings are located on the top of a high hill (from its top you can see almost the entire Suwon), so a tourist tram can be very useful.

In Suwon you can also visit the transport museum created by the owner of Samsung. This museum displays a large collection of cars and motorcycles from all times and from all over the world. Collections of vintage and sports cars are especially pleasing to the eye.