Hwaseong Fortress

Japanese: 華城 - かじょう

It was registered as a World Heritage Site (cultural heritage) in Korea in 1997. It is a fortress ruin from the Joseon Dynasty that remains in Suwon City (Gyeonggi Province), south of the capital Seoul. It is designated as the third historic site in Korea. At the end of the 18th century, the 22nd king of Korea, Jeongjo, moved the grave of his father (Prince Jang Hyeon), who died an untimely death, from Yangju to this place, and built a walled city as a new royal capital, spending two years and ten months and about 380,000 laborers. Western castle building techniques were introduced via China for the construction, and the walls and fortifications were built using a combination of stone and brick. Four tower gates (Changryongmun Gate in the east, Hwaseomun Gate in the west, Paldalmun Gate in the south, and Chang'anmun Gate in the north) were built on the east, west, and north of the wall, which is over 5 km long, and Hwahongmun Gate, a floating tower with seven water gates under a stone bridge, was built to the east of Chang'anmun Gate. Paldalsan, the highest point of this walled city, is Seojangdae, which overlooks the city. The plan to move the capital to this place never came to fruition after King Jeongjo's death. ◇The English name is Hwaseong Fortress. Hwaseong is pronounced Hwaseong in Korean.

Source: Kodansha World Heritage Sites Detailed Explanation Information

Japanese:

1997年に登録された韓国の世界遺産（文化遺産）。首都ソウルの南方にある水原市（京畿道）に残っている、李氏朝鮮時代の城塞遺跡である。韓国の史跡第3号に指定されている。18世紀末に第22代の朝鮮王正祖が、非業の死をとげた父（荘献世子）の墓を楊州からここに移し、新たな王都とすべく2年10ヵ月の歳月と約38万人の労働力を投入して、城壁で囲まれた都市を築いた。その建設には中国を経由して西洋の築城技術が導入され、石材とレンガを併用した城壁や城塞が築かれた。全長5kmを超える城壁の東西南北の四方に4つの楼門（東の蒼龍門、西の華西門、南の八達門、北の長安門）を設け、長安門の東には、石橋の下に7つの水門がある水上楼閣華虹門を建設した。この城塞都市の最も高い場所である八達山には、市内を望むことができる西将台がある。ここへの遷都は、正祖の死去により結局実現しなかった。◇英名はHwaseong Fortress。華城は韓国語でファソンと発音する。

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