Hwaseong Haenggung Palace

Character

In May 1989, local historian Lee Seung-eon found a colored image of Hwaseong Haenggung as a new hospital building was being planned on the palace site. A citizen restoration committee formed that year. The last reconstructed buildings opened in April 2024, ending a 35-year restoration

In 1795, Jeongjo brought his mother, Lady Hyegyeong, to Suwon for her 60th-birthday celebrations. The program included the banquet at Bongsudang, special examinations at Naknamheon and food distribution to local residents at Sinpungnu. The journey and ceremonies survive in written protocols and painted records

The experience

Beyond Sinpungnu, a sequence of courtyards leads through the palace. Bongsudang, the central ceremonial building used for Lady Hyegyeong’s banquet, sits deeper inside; Naknamheon belongs to the administrative and public-event side of the complex. The palace served both royal visits and everyday local government

Uhwagwan functioned as official guest accommodation, while Byeolju supported food preparation for major palace events

Sinpungnu was renamed in 1795, and Jeongjo used the gate during a rice-distribution event for Suwon residents. Mirohanjeong in the rear garden takes its name from the king’s plan to retire to Suwon after handing the throne to his son — a plan ended by Jeongjo’s death in 1800

History

Hwaseong Haenggung was established in 1789 after Jeongjo moved his father Crown Prince Sado’s tomb and relocated Suwon’s administrative center to the foot of Paldalsan. When the king was absent, the complex functioned as the local government office. Jeongjo stayed here repeatedly while visiting the tomb

The palace expanded during the construction of Suwon Hwaseong from 1794 to 1796 and reached roughly 600 kan, making it the largest Joseon haenggung. Its political, military and administrative functions belonged to the same planned city as the surrounding fortress

Demolition began in 1905 when Uhwagwan gave way to a school. Parts of the complex were converted to medical and administrative uses, and a provincial hospital later occupied much of the site. Restoration work gathered momentum after the 1989 preservation campaign; excavation and reconstruction followed through the 1990s and early 2000s. The final phase restored Uhwagwan and Byeolju, buildings lost for 119 years

Before you go

The palace and fortress are related but physically different visits. Haenggung occupies level ground below Paldalsan, while the fortress walls climb around the old city; combining them adds substantial walking and elevation beyond the palace courtyards alone