Suwon celebrates its past while looking ahead
This year is the 220th anniversary of the completion of the Suwon Hwaseong fortress. In commemoration, Suwon has designated 2016 as the “Visit Suwon Hwaseong Year.” The fortress has attracted millions of tourists from Korea and abroad since becoming a Unesco World Heritage site in 1997. [SUWON CITY GOVERNMENT]
The first day consisted of a conference highlighting the history and culture of the fortress. Through the story of its fortification, visitors could gain a better understanding of King Jeongjo’s reasons for spearheading its construction. During the conference, Prof. Dool Kim Yong-ok of Hanshin University gave the keynote speech “The Future of Hwaseong, King Jeongjo and Human City Suwon.”
After the talk, experts discussed modern interpretations of King Jeongjo’s philosophy, as well as Hwaseong’s historical and cultural value and how to share it with the world. The presentations included “Strategies to Globalize King Jeongjo’s Philosophy” by Prof. Park Hyun-mo of the Yeoju Institute of Technology, “The King Jeongjo Era: Cultural Internationality” by archive researcher Park Cheol-sang,“Hwaseong’s International Status and Asia’s Fortress Network” by Prof. Choi Jae-hun of Konkuk University and “Deepening Hwaseong’s Universal
Values and Preservation Management” by Cho Doo-won, a senior researcher at the Namhansanseong World Heritage Center.
A forum on globalizing Suwon’s tourism industry took place on Jan. 21.
Industry leaders gathered to discuss how to vitalize tourism in the city. The goal was to identify problem areas and find solutions on an industry level. Kim Jong-min, a former minister of culture and tourism, spoke about the current status and future of Korea’s tourism industry.
Among the solutions presented were encouraging longer stays, further involving traditional markets, promoting local food and developing the local meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions, or MICE, industry.
Suwon plans to invite around 100 representatives in the travel business to a briefing on new tourist attractions and businesses prepared for 2016.
On the last day, an opening ceremony and celebratory performances were held to announce Suwon’s designation as a Special Tourist Zone. Approximately 5,000 people — including the chairman and members of the National Assembly, the governor of Gyeonggi, foreign envoys, multicultural families and the general public — were present.
During the ceremony, Suwon Mayor Yum Tae-young explained the meaning and purpose of the Visit Suwon Hwaseong Year and encouraged those present to actively participate. Poet Ko Un recited a congratulatory poem in praise of the Suwon Hwaseong fortress. Artists such as Animation Crew, B.A.P, Koyote and Insooni also performed during the evening’s festivities.
Suwon aims to draw 10 million local and foreign tourists this year through various events. In April, it plans to hold the KBS Open Music
Concert at the Hwaseong Temporary Palace square. From May 5-8, the city will host Gyeonggi-do Suwon-si Air Warfare, the only domestic aerial warfare demonstration. Later that month, it will host the Asia Model Festival 2016. In June, Suwon hopes to increase
its number of Chinese and Japanese tourists by organizing the K-POP Super Concert at the Suwon World Cup Stadium. Other events in the
making include the Suwon Hwaseong International Music Festival in August and the 53rd Suwon Hwaseong Cultural Festival in October. For the first time, visitors will be able to see a reenactment of King Jeongjo’s Royal Parade to his father’s tomb for two days in the areas between Changdeok Palace and Hwaseong Temporary Palace.
One problem Suwon faces is that its tourists mainly consist of one-day travelers. Due to its proximity to Seoul, most visitors spend the day at Suwon only to return to the capital to sleep. The city believes that encouraging tourists to stay overnight will benefit the local economy.
Suwon sees the Visit Suwon Hwaseong Year as an opportunity to build its night tourism. The city is confident that the fortress’s major facilities and lighting have the potential to make day tourists extend their stay until the next morning. As a result, it is currently developing a program that adds events and performances to its list of nighttime attractions.
At night, Suwon Hwaseong fortress’s brightly lit Paldal Gate is far more prominent than the surrounding shopping district. Around 60 searchlights installed around the gate light up the multicolored traditional paintwork on its stones, pillars, crossbeams and rafters.
The fortress has four gates that face each of the cardinal directions: Jangan Gate (north), Paldal Gate (south), Changnyong Gate (east), and Hwaseo Gate (west). From the front, the roof of each gate looks like a symmetrical trapezoid that curves upward at the edges. Neither too steep nor too flat, this graceful curve is a characteristic of traditional Korean architecture.
While the Suwon Hwaseong fortress embodies tradition, the 2014 Korean Landscape Award-winning Gwanggyo Lake Park represents modern beauty. Once a reservoir, it was turned into a park in 2013. At night, the bridges and walkway that run through the park light up, allowing visitors to enjoy a blend of modern architecture and nature. The park is regarded as a fresh addition to Suwon’s night attractions.
To the north of Paldal Gate leading up to Suwon Stream are nine traditional markets. Each of these markets is known for something ifferent:
Paldalmun Market is famous for fashion, Youngdong Market for hanbok (Korean traditional clothing), Jidong Market for Korean-style sausage and Motgol Market for banchan (side dishes).
After consecrating the Suwon Hwaseong fortress, King Jeongjo lent seed money to locals knowledgeable in trade and encouraged them to start businesses in the area. He aimed to vitalize the region’s economy by funding the establishment of a marketplace. Some of the merchants at Paldalmun and Motgol Market today may very well be descendants of those Joseon tradespeople.
There are more than traditional markets near the fortress, however. A walk down Suwon Stream from Hwahong Gate brings you to the Suwon Chicken Alley. Affectionately dubbed “Chicken Intersection,” it is an alley lined with chicken restaurants with decades of history. The chickens are fried whole in an iron pot and served crisp, and the area is famous for its generous portions and affordable prices.
Called the Insadong of Suwon, Gongbang Street at the Hwaseong Temporary Palace square is another rising attraction. The street is lined
with galleries, cafes and studios run by artists. There, visitors can both purchase handicrafts and try their hand at making them. On weekends, the street hosts events such as flea markets.
The cultural attractions tied to the Suwon Hwaseong fortress are a key element in maintaining the city’s nighttime visitors, providing them
with plenty to eat, buy and experience.
Suwon is also considering adding performances to the nightly illumination of the fortress. Its plans are to make existing performances such as the 24 Martial Arts Trial Performance, Midnight Concert and Saturday Regular Performances available year-round after dark. These are currently held at certain times, ranging from twice during the day to exclusively during the summer.
Other measures are also being considered, such as operating the Hwaseong Trolley at night and increasing the frequency of guided tours along the palace walls. Called the Moonlight Tour, the program starts at 8 p.m. and includes a train ride and 30-minute performance. It is only available on clear nights from June to October, which means demand among tourists is high.
Extending the opening hours of the Seoul Museum of Art and Suwon Hwaseong Museum is also under consideration. Despite being located in the middle of the tour route, the two museums close at 6 p.m., making them unavailable to nighttime visitors.
For more information in Korean about the Visit Suwon Hwaseong Year, go to 2016.suwon.go.kr.
BY PARK HYEMI [park.hyemi@joongang.co.kr]
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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