Suwon Hwaseong a planned city for a new age

Suwon Hwaseong stands magnificent and grand while it is looking over the downtown.
The city is naturally and smoothly stretched outside the castle.
Suwon Hwaseong does not stand as a defensive castle only. It is also referred to the whole area of the city, which is more advanced than any other planned modern city around the world.
300 years ago, just a vast expanse of waste land stood east of Mt. Paldal. That time, King Jeongjo the 22nd ruler of the Joseon Dynasty believed that the area was quite fit for a new planned city, which should be constructed as he dreamed.
King Jeongjo decided to construct a new city on the site where the people should live together in peace and harmony and assured safety from enemies.

King Jeongjo set up the tomb (called Yung-neung) for his biological father or Crown Prince Sado at the foot of Mt. Hwasan, from where he moved a village called Suwon to this current site below Mt. Paldal. And the village grew to be a commercial city which had roads running in all directions in the south and was connected with Hanyang which was the largest city in the Joseon Dynasty.
Unlike any other cities surrounded by mountains and defended from enemies, commercial city Suwon was situated at the center of crossroads running vertically through Paldal Gate and Jangan Gate and horizontally through Haseo Gate and Changryong Gate and being connected with surrounding villages and towns. It was constructed according to the determination of King Jeongjo, who called a southern gate Paldal Gate and a northern gate Jangan Gate with a view to making Suwon an active large city stretching in all directions.
Furthermore, he changed the name of the city into Hwaseong and had an impregnable castle safe from any enemies constructed under the management of Yak-yong Jeong who was the most favored vassal of King Jeongjo.

Yak-yong Jeong designed a very defensive and beautiful castle after having considered all the strengths of Eastern and Western castles. Based on the design, gradual adjustments were made according to the local conditions so that a new 5.7km-long castle called Hwaseong might be established.
In addition, King Jeongjo established Manseokgeo which was a reservoir for agriculture and turned a wilderness into farms, for the purpose of making Hwaseong a self-sufficient and affluent city.