Paldalmun Gate (Treasure
No. 402) is the south gate of
Hwaseong Fortress, taking its
name from the mountain to its
west, Mt. Paldalsan.
As an 11-year-old boy, Great
King Jeongjo succeeded his
grandfather, King Yeongjo,
becoming the 22nd monarch
of Joseon.
Born out of Adversity
A hero does not live for himself, but sacrifices himself for others. When
he is the ruler, we call him a “great king” and strive to emulate his lessons.
Throughout Korean history,
there are four monarchs who have come to
be called great kings: Great King Munmu, the 30th ruler of Silla, who
achieved the unification of Korea; Great King Gwanggaeto, the 19th
ruler of Goguryeo, who recovered the Liaodong Peninsula and expanded
the kingdom’s territory; Great King Sejong, the 4th ruler of Joseon, who
invented the Korean alphabet, Hangeul; and the 22nd monarch of Joseon
(1392–1910), Great King Jeongjo (r. 1776–1800), who can be regarded as a
mentor for enlightened governance for the contemporary generation.
Named Yi San (adult name Hyeongun; pen name Hongjae), King Jeongjo was
born to Crown Prince Sado and Lady Hyegyeong. As a child, he witnessed his
father’s tragic death—an unjust death, locked inside a rice chest—and realized
that chronic conflicts between different political factions were what put his
father to death. This is why he made life-long endeavors to mind his words and
acts. Striving to sharpen judgment through indirect experience from reading
the classics, King Jeongjo protected himself from political turbulence. He took
every caution in dealing with people and never stopped making efforts to be
agile both mentally and physically.
Construction of Hwaseong Fortress
Succeeding his grandfather to the throne, King Jeongjo posthumously promoted
Crown Prince Sado to Crown Prince Jangheon and moved his tomb to Mt.
Hwasan in Suwon, which was considered the most propitious site at the time
according to geomantic principles. The king also ordered the construction of
Hwaseong Fortress in Suwon, which was inscribed on the World Heritage List
in 1997.
King Jeongjo had several reasons in mind when he embarked
on the construction of Hwaseong Fortress. He wished to
put an end to political partisanship and to usher in an era of
political innovation by building a new seat of power in the
fortress. Easy access to the transferred site of his father’s tomb,
Yungneung, was also one of the reasons. But what propelled the
king the most was his desire to strengthen royal power. Capital
politics had been dominated by the political faction
backed by
powerful merchants; therefore, the king wished to build a new
commercial stronghold in Hwaseong, a traffic hub which could
be easily accessed from any direction. After granting
the administrative district of Hwaseong the same high
status as the capital and dispatching the royal guard
Jangyongyeong, King Jeongjo started the construction
of Hwaseong Fortress in 1794. He entrusted the
design of the fortress to Jeong Yak-yong, a scholar
from the school of silhak, or practical learning. Jeong
reviewed advantages and disadvantages of the existing
fortifications both in Korea and in China and referred
to a comprehensive list of books and documents, coming up with novel, unconventional
construction strategies. He suggested every detail needed including building methods,
varieties and forms of facilities, and siting of fortress structures, in order to ensure
the best possible capacity for both defense and attack. The general supervisor for the
construction was Chae Je-gong; the field manager Jo Sim-tae.
Principles of Construction
King Jeongjo set down his primary principles to guide the construction of Hwaseong
Fortress: first, be slow; second, be modest; and third, be strong. He emphasized that
fortress should not be built in haste and not be made splendid, and must be based
on a solid foundation. The king also cared about the welfare of workers who were
mobilized for the construction. People were scrupulously paid wages for their labor,
and it is recorded that those who worked only half a day also received money. Laborers
were ordered to take days off when it was too hot or too cold. To encourage them, the
king used to give them gifts of alcohol and snacks. He also gave away fans and hats for
protection against heat and sun and invigorating medicines on hot summer days. These
measures were an innovative practice at that time, when people mobilized for state
construction were callously treated and never dreamed of paid labor.
Hwaseong Fortress (Historic
Site No. 3) has Mt. Paldalsan
to the west and a gentle hill to
the east. Construction of the
fortress started in 1794 and
was completed two years later
in 1796 during the reign of
Great King Jeongjo.
What is notable is that laborers were granted not only rights but also given duties and
responsibilities. For each construction area, information on who did what and who was
responsible for supervision was marked on stone, so that the person in charge faced due
punishment for problems with the construction.
Western technology and knowledge were benchmarked for the construction of
Hwaseong Fortress; equipment for lifting and transferring heavy materials was invented,
helping reduce the days needed for construction. The most important material, stone,
was quarried from the adjacent mountain Sukjisan; roof tiles and bricks were produced
in a kiln built near the construction site; and timber mostly came from Anmyeondo
Island on the western coast of the Korean Peninsula and some from Gangwon-do
Province in the north.
Hwaseomun Gate (Treasure
No. 403) is the west gate
of Hwaseong Fortress with
a semicircular defensive
outwork.
The City for People
The name
Hwaseong was given by King Jeongjo after
viewing the site from an overlook on Mt. Paldalsan in
January 1794, the 18th year of his reign. Construction
of Hwaseong Fortress began in February that year and
was completed in September 1796. The fortification is
5.74 kilometers long and 5–6 meters high. Combining
to form a single defensive structure, various facilities
of the fortress came in diverse forms with various
functions.
Driven by his passion to establish a secure and safe
city, King Jeongjo took another innovative measure: an attempt to establish a selfsufficient
city. State-run paddy fields called
dunjeon were created in the vicinity of the
fortress to supply rice to those residing in the fortress. To provide water to irrigate
the fields, reservoirs were built to the west and to the south of the fortress, named
Chukmanje and Mannyeonje.
It is recorded that a reservoir was made to the east of
the fortress as well, but its site has not been confirmed. This may explain why Korea’s
Rural Development Administration had been long based in Suwon until recently.
King Jeongjo was known to directly take care of ordinary people’s concerns: people
lined the street where the king passed on his visits to his father’s tomb in order to
speak to him about their personal concerns, and the king listened and addressed
them.
In 1801
Hwaseong seongyeok uigwe (
Royal Protocol on the Construction of Hwaseong
Fortress) was compiled. Encompassing details on the construction plan, methods,
and equipment, personal details on laborers, salary calculation methods, budget, the
sources and uses of materials, and methods of processing materials. These records
serve as a milestone in architectural history and have intrinsic historical value.
Recognition was given by UNESCO when the royal protocols of Joseon including
the volume on the construction of Hwaseong were registered in the Memory of
the World in July 2007. The fortress itself was inscribed on UNESCO’s World
Heritage List in December 1997 and
has been under national management
as Historic Site No. 3. Paldalmun Gate
and Hwaseomun Gate, the south and
west entrances of to the fortress, are also
designated National Treasure No. 402
and National Treasure No. 403.
