Forming a ring about the glittery metropolis of Seoul, Gyeonggi-do offers fantastic day-trips for anyone based in the city as well as plenty of reasons for an extended visit in this northwestern province. Gourmands will delight in the wealth of culinary treats, ranging from seafood caught in the West Islands to the famed Icheon rice to the east. Hikers can disappear for hours or days in the mountains exploring winding trails and verdant forest so thick that, at times, it’s hard to imagine the city just hours away. You can travel back in time by visiting the Korean Folk Village or the many fortresses and ruins that Gyeonggi-do holds.
Highlights
1 Take in the sights, smells and tastes of local produce
2 Go back in time at Korean Folk Village
3 Spend a day soaring to great heights at Everland
4 Watch North Korea watch you on a DMZ tour
5 Spot a Red-crownded crane or other rare wildlife
Seat of Power
Gyeonggi-do’s central location to the Korean Peninsula, which includes both North and South Korea, has always been a place of historical significance. Yet it was not until power shifted from the southern provinces of North and South Gyeongsang that Gyeonggi-do assumed its current place of authority.
Fortresses, many made of wood and rebuilt time and again over the centuries, and stone walls echo of ages past when nobles and their armies carved up this mountainous peninsula as if with a jigsaw. In some ways, that is still going on. One trip to the Demilitarized Zone is more than enough of a reminder that, at least on paper, the two halves of the Korean peninsula are still in conflict. Major cities have sprung up in the shadow of Seoul: Suwon and Incheon, along with Seoul, form a triumvirate of urban power that’s practically unequaled—the heart of modern South Korea.
Natural World
But travelers don’t have to venture far to find that the scenery turns rural quickly beyond the urban centers. Turn a corner to find lush rice fields or thick forests, or a mountain range that seems to reach up and touch the sky. Wander along riversides, hike in national forests or visit temple sites that are hundreds, even thousands, of years old. Head west and discover that island hop by island hop, each isle is renowned for something different and special.
Korean Folk Village, Suwon
©KTO
Wandering the narrow alleyways of the Ji-dong food market, it is easy to forget that you are in the middle of a city with a population of more than a million people. Rebuilt in the late 18C by King Jeongjo to honor the tomb of his martyred father, the city owes its fame to its magnificent fortress, which today is one of the country’s top tourist destinations. Although the city is well known for its football team, its strawberries and its celebrated marinated beef dishes (galbi), for Koreans, it is most famous as the home of the Samsung Group.
= Population: 10,464,051
T Michelin Map: Regional.
i Info: Tourist office at the railway station (left exit). t(031)-228-4672. http://eng.suwon.ne.kr/. Open Mar–Oct 9am–6pm, Nov–Feb 9am–5pm. Also kiosks between Paldalmun and the market as well as at the railway station.
Ñ Location: Suwon is 18.6mi/30km to the south of Seoul. Hwaeseong is 1.2mi/2km northeast of the railway station. The business, hotel and office district are 1.2mi/2km to the southeast.
/ Kids: The impressive Hwaseong, activities at the Korean Folk Village and Everland amusement park.
> Timing: If you just want to see Hwaseong, a day trip from Seoul will be long enough. To explore the area fully, we suggest spending the night. The city is particularly lively in October when it plays host to the Hwaseong Cultural Festival.
õ Parking: The car park at the entrance to Hwaseong Haenggung is the most practical option.
w Don’t Miss: The walk along Hwaseong’s fortress wall, a meal with galbi (beef) in one of the city’s restaurants.
The majority of visitors come to Suwon not only to see, but also to walk along, Hwaseong’s fortress wall that surrounded the original city. This UNESCO World Heritage site best lends itself to being explored early in the morning, when residents are out jogging and performing their early morning stretching exercises, or in the evening, when romantic couples are strolling along arm in arm.
The walk follows the wall, winding in and out and dipping up and down as it follows the contours of the land, beside immaculately pruned trees, impeccable lawns and flags flapping in the wind. Behind the wall, small houses with roofs of gleaming tiles and terraces colonized by rows of kimchi pots still cluster together around Hwaseong Haenggung, the palace and its many courtyards, just as when they were first built centuries ago.
Outside the wall, the large city of Suwon stretches off into the distance with imposing high-rise buildings. Other landmarks on the walk are the wings of the soccer stadium’s main stand and the church towers (including the huge Jae-il church), whose exact period and style are impossible to pin down, yet which demonstrate how different Korean cities are from their Western counterparts.
TSee Gyeonggi-Do Regional map.
t(031)-228-4410. http://ehs.suwon.ne.kr/. >Open daily 24hr. ₩1,000. Entrances at various points on the path along the total 3.5mi/5.7km length. Buy tickets at Seojangdae and Janganmun (>open 9am–6pm). A leaflet in English details the different construction stages.
BY TRAIN/SUBWAY – The rail and subway station is 1.2mi/2km southeast of Paldalmun (fortress gate). Get there on bus no. 11 or by taxi. Suwon is on line 1 of the Seoul subway (1hr, ₩1,500) and has frequent departures for Seoul. The trains are faster (30min) but depart less frequently.
BY BUS – Numerous buses link Suwon train station with Incheon (1hr30min, ₩12,000) and Gimpo (1hr, ₩6,000) airports. Departures for Korea’s major cities leave from the bus station (0.9mi/1.5km S of the station, bus no. 5).
One of the most beautiful military constructions in Asia, the fortress was completed in 1796 when King Jeongjo (1776–1800), 22nd ruler of the Joseon dynasty, decided to move the tomb of his father Sado Seja from Yangju to the Suwon region. Jeongjo crowned his father king posthumously. As a result, in addition to its commercial and political roles, Hwaseong is seen as a tribute by a son to his ancestor, an important act of virtue in Eastern philosophy.
Despite its obvious high-rise, high-tech modernity, Suwon could never be a threat to Seoul’s status as “top city.” But as a historical monument, the fortress is quite breathtaking, in spite of its functional role as a military construction. Solid enough to withstand arrows and firearms alike, its defensive role ultimately became a secondary one. The sophisticated building techniques, the combined use of brick and stone and the imposing size of the gates are all remarkable for the period, as is the speed with which the work was completed (within three years) and the level of preservation of the whole structure. Thanks to the existence of precise records, we know that much of the fortress was renovated and largely rebuilt in the 1970s to repair damage incurred during the Korean War. This accounts for its almost new appearance in places, which may detract slightly from the whole effect for Westerner travelers, who tend to look for the patina of age.
Hwaseong Fortress
©Chris Stowers/Apa Publications
Four gates and several command posts are situated at various points along the wall; 41 of the original 50 structures are still visible today. Paldalmun, the southern gate near to the market, and Janganmun, the northern gate, mark the ends of an axis running parallel to the Suwon River (Suwoncheon) that divides the city in two. At a height of 64ft/19.5m, Paldalmun houses a water reservoir that was designed to put out any fires set by attacking forces. Leave Paldalmun (follow the arrows) in a clockwise direction, and climb the steps up the side of the hill called Paldalsan (469.2ft/143m). The route passes various defensive structures, including Namporu, a brick stronghold designed to withstand cannon fire; Seonam Ammun, with a secret door allowing people and goods to come and go during periods of conflict; and finally Seonodae, an octagonal tower from which archers could protect the western side of the city. Don’t forget to ring the 12-ton Hyowon bell three times (₩1,000) for good luck.
wIf you have the time, take a quick detour to the new part of the city outside the wall to view the wall from below and see just how intimidating it would have looked to potential attackers.
From the highest point, Seojangdae, the viewa is superb. Joggers like to stop here to stretch their muscles while looking out over the city with its wide variety of architectural styles. It is a perfect location for a lookout, with an excellent view of the city and a suitable point from which to signal across to other strategic points—signal flags would have been raised here. Passing Hwaseomun, the western gate with a double roof perched over a solid wall pierced by an arch, the route begins to descend gently toward Jangamun. Note the area immediately in front of the gate, enclosed by crescent-shaped walls, which served as a protective buffer zone.
At the point where the wall meets the river is the north water gate Hwahongmun, installed to allow the river to flow through the wall (its southern counterpart has disappeared). It consists of seven arches crowned with an elegant pavilion. Farther on, Banghwasuryujeong, a beautiful and ornate pavilion made of brick, stone and wood, is reflected in the picturesque Dragon pond.
Next, at the northern tip of the fortress, is the busy area (boutiques, parking, cafés, tourist offices) around Yeonmudae (Dongjangdae), which was originally a military training area. Arms training is still practiced here, although in a more peaceful fashion. Tourists are invited to try out their archery skills at the foot of the wall (>open 9:30am–5:30pm Mar–Oct, 9:30am–4:30pm Nov–Feb, ₩2,000). Don’t expect to be able to beat the schoolchildren who may gather around to watch; archery has earned Korea a number of Olympic medals. The arrows are fired in the direction of Dongbuk Gongsimdon, an unusual oval-shaped brick tower on a stone base. Finally, heading down toward the south and the market (Tsee below), the walk passes Bongdon, the signaling tower, which is easily identifiable by its five brick chimneys. The flames (at night) or smoke (during the day) from the chimney made it possible to send signals as far as Yong-in, to the southeast. One lit chimney signaled danger, two a “hostile enemy,” while three, four, and five indicated how far the enemy had progressed.
The Hwaseong Trolley (Hwaseong tourist train) drawn by a locomotive with a dragon’s head takes tourists from Paldalsan (behind Hwaseong Haenggung) to Yeonmudae (>open 10.00am–5:30pm, ₩1,500).
Hwaseong Haenggunga 
(Hwaseong Palace)
> Open Tue–Sun 9:30am–5pm. ₩1,000.
Heralded by a large square, this building is one of just a few historical buildings still standing in Suwon, aside from the fortress wall and its pavilions and gates.
Severely damaged during the Japanese occupation, this former palace—also used as a government headquarters—has recently been renovated. Completed in 1796 by King Jeongjo in memory of his deceased father, the palace contained a total of 576 rooms. Hwaseong Haenggung, meaning “temporary palace,” was a place for Jeongjo to stay when he was away from his palace in Seoul.
A tour of the building takes in large and small courtyards and a number of different rooms, ranging from simple alcoves to royal chambers. Green and ochre are the dominant colors here. There are displays of uniforms, offerings, and musical instruments shaped like animals (bang hyang, ulla). During the weekends between March and November (> 10am–5pm), the palace comes to life with various activities, including changing of the guard (> Sun 2–3pm) and a variety of entertaining demonstrations in which visitors can take part, such as the Tago (beating-the-drum) ceremony and firing an arquebus (muzzle-loaded firearm). There is also an opportunity to have a photo taken with King Jeongjo (actually the actor portraying the king in the guarding ceremony).
For more information on the palace, its history and its reconstruction, visit the interesting Suwon Hwaseong Promotional Hall (in the modern building to the south, t(031)-228-4410, >open 9am–6pm, no charge, signs in English).
From the top of the fortress wall, Suwon’s skyline and the varied parts of the city are clearly visible. Within the area encircled by the wall, where the streets still follow their original layout, Suwon looks like a large provincial village, whereas around the station and farther east, in the administrative and commercial district frequented by a young consumer-driven generation, it “wears” its million inhabitants well.
Following the wall in a clockwise direction, you reach the edge of the Suwon River, where both banks are now occupied by Paldalmun Marketa. Like all Korean markets, Paldalmun is full of different smells, tastes and colors. Ji-dong, the food market, sells seasonal produce such as the famous Suwon strawberries that appear in late spring. The smells of boiling and frying dishes mingle in the air, and cross-legged ajumma sell all kinds of roots and herbs. Enjoy a meal in the thick of the market at one of the cafés found behind the windows of butcher’s shops. If you’re not sure what to do, just watch what other people are ordering and point to the dish that you would like. Across the bridge are piles of bowls and miles of fabric for sale. You may even surprise a bride-to-be hesitating over a beautifully colored hanbok (traditional costume).
Hwaseong Palace
©KTO
Just over a mile/2km farther east is the World Cup Stadium (TSee Gyeonggi-Do Regional map. 228 Uman 1-don, t(031)-031-259), which looks as though it is ready to take to the skies.
The fruit of Franco-Korean cooperation, the stadium was built to accommodate the 2002 Soccer World Cup matches, and the South Koreans are tremendously proud of it. Capable of seating more than 42,000 people, fans still watch soccer games here, although smaller numbers now gather to view the matches played by local team Suwon Bluewings (www.fcbluewings.com), one of the better teams in Asia.
Ñ Travel about 12mi/20km E of Suwon to Korean Folk Village. Leave Suwon following Rte 42 toward Yong-in. Free bus service is available between Suwon Tourist Office (in the railway station) and the Folk Village. Departs every hour between 10:30am and 2:30pm, last return departs 5pm (journey 30min). Bus no. 37 takes the same route (1hr, ₩1,000) but departs every 20min.
Performance at the Korean Folk Village
©KTO
TSee Gyeonggi-Do Regional map.
107 Bora-dong, Giheung-gu, Yong-in. t(031)-288-0000. www.koreanfolk.co.kr. >Open daily summer 9am–6:30pm (Sat–Sun and public holidays 7pm), winter 9am–5pm (Sat–Sun and public holidays 5:30pm). Adults ₩15,000, combined ticket including museums ₩18,000. Tickets may be bought from the Suwon Tourist Office.
The first sight of the car park, with buses lined up in neat rows according to color, may put some people off as some type of the fairground-style attraction. The Korean Folk Village may seem more like an amusement park than a re-creation of Korean village life, but for visitors seeking to gain an impression of what rural Korea looked like in times gone by, it serves its purpose. The village is often overrun by hordes of students with huge picnics having a good (and noisy) time.
Surrounded by wooded hills that offer splendid foliage displays in the fall and situated around a lake, the “village” is made up of just over 250 buildings from the late Joseon period (14–19C), which have been reconstructed here and positioned according to their function or region of origin. At first glance, the general construction of thatched roofs, cob walls, multiple courtyards and low protective walls seems common to all the buildings, but closer inspection reveals numerous differences in the shape of the buildings and their layout. For example, the thatch on the roofs of buildings from Jeju Island are secured with ropes to withstand the elements, while wooden tiles protect the houses from Ulleung-do. The houses from the south consist of two parallel buildings. The social hierarchy is clearly mirrored in Korea’s architecture: nobles and rulers slept and officiated protected by the stone walls of huge mansions, topped by roofs of gleaming tiles, such as the provincial governor’s house (used for filming period dramas), where an enormous drum was employed to summon the people.
Tour the gardens, and wander from courtyard to courtyard, glancing in at the reconstructed interiors and imagining the daily life of the peasants and nobles, or the pupils at the Confucian school. The wooden totem poles carved with strange, grinning male and female figures are known as jangseungs and supposedly drive away evil spirits, a tradition dating from the 10C.
There are numerous demonstrations, including reconstructions of ceremonies (weddings with offerings, shamanism) and demonstrations of local traditions (dances, music, New Year). Craft demonstrations and workshops include producing mulberry paper and straw sandals, and there’s also a forge, a woodcutter and a herbalist. Silk weaving and the preparation of bean paste or soy sauce are also demonstrated, and children gasp in awe at the exploits of tightrope walkers and acrobats on horseback (see the timetable for shows at the entrance).
At the far end, beyond a sort of pseudo craft bazaar, there are various open-air kitchens offering a variety of specialties and regional dishes: soups (seolleongtang), acorn jelly (dotorimuk), grilled fish, rice cakes (injeolmi), green onion pancakes (pajeon) and more. You can taste the dishes while watching them being prepared. Alongside a family amusement park and the World Folk Museum, which is a little lackluster, there is also a small Korean Folk Museum.
Korea has a number of folk villages, in Jeju-do in particular. The most authentic are: Hahoe and Yangdong.
TSee Gyeonggi-Do Regional map.
From Seoul, é Gangnam, line 2, exit 10, then bus no. 5002. From Suwon or Yong-in, bus no. 66. From Yong-in bus terminal, take bus no. 5002 or 5800. t(031)-320-5000 or 822-759-1940. www.everland.com. >Open daily from 9:30am–10pm (Sun and public holidays 9am).
This is the ideal place to entertain children, but parents not wanting to spend their entire vacation in an amusement park should be aware that this is the fourth largest theme park in the world, and it would be quite easy to spend several days here. There are five themed areas with thrill rides and mammoth roller coasters (₩29,000–38,000 per day depending on age): Global Fair, American Adventure, Magic Land, European Adventure and Zootopia, which includes a safari with animals roaming freely. Caribbean Bay (₩30,000–65,000 depending on the season) is a separate, huge water park, and, on a less frenetic note, Hoam Art Museum (t (031)-320-1801, www.hoammuseum.org, > open daily Tue–Sun 10am–6pm, ₩4,000) offers visitors gardens to walk through and a collection of Korean art and craftwork to view.
ADDRESSES
. Hotel Central 
– 1-2 Gyo-dong. t(031)-246-0011. 40rm. ₩75,000. A stone’s throw from Paldalmun on a street with little traffic but teeming with small businesses. The rooms are a little outdated but good.
. Suwon Hwaseong Sarangchae Youth Hostel 
– 14 Namchang-dong, Paldal-gu. t (031)-254-5555. www.sarangchae.org/. 31rm. Korean or Western rooms, doubles from ₩30,000. An extremely welcoming and well-situated youth hostel (next to Haenggung). There are private bathrooms in all rooms except the dormitories.
^ Hotel Ibis 
– 1132–12 Ingye-dong. t(031)-252-110. www.ibishotel.com õ. 240rm. ₩170,000. Amid the malls of the new part of the city, this charcoal-colored modern building contains reassuringly comfortable rooms. There is a direct bus to Incheon.
_ Hotel Castle 
– 144-4 Uman-dong. t(031)-211-6666. www.hcastle.co.kr. õ. 81rm. ₩250,000. Not in a particularly good location but very comfortable. There are direct limousine bus links to Gimpo and Incheon.
_ Hotel Ramada 
– 940 Ingye-dong. t(031)-230-0001. www.ramadaplazasuwon.com. õ. 150rm. ₩250,000. 0.9mi/1.5km east of Paldalmun. A 5-star hotel inside a huge glass tower, with comfortable rooms, a gym and a restaurant.
The pedestrian street opposite the station is lined with restaurants serving the city’s specialty, galbi (beef). Even more popular are the market cafés.
. Compad’or 
– 797-2 Jeongjo-ro. Open 8am–6pm. Close to Paldalmun, offering delicious sweet and savory dishes. Eat in or take away.
^ Yeonpo Galbi 
– 25-4 Buksu-dong. t(031)-255-1337. Open noon–10pm. Behind the green facade of this restaurant near Hwahongmun lies a large dining room with an open kitchen. Don’t miss the famous galbitang. The lunch menus are less expensive but just as delicious.
^ Buguk Garden 
– 572-4 Jeongja-dong, Jangan-gu. t(031)-271-3996. Open 11am–10pm. To the northeast of the city (short taxi ride), a restaurant famous for its galbi (₩30,000), beef marinated for 24 hours in ginseng, best served with wild mushroom liquor.
TOURS
Take a city bus tour with Suwon City Tours: departing Tue–Sun, 10am and 2pm from the station tourist office. ₩11,000. Duration 2hr30min. Info t(031)-256-83000 or www.suwoncitytour.co.kr.
€ EVENTS AND FESTIVALS
Hwaseong Cultural Festival (October) – Processions, parades, craft demonstrations and a culinary festival all bring the fortress area to life. Information: http://eng.suwon.ne.kr/.