Experience the best of Suwon

Suwon lies about thirty kilometres south of Seoul and is the capital of Gyeonggi Province. Its great landmark is Hwaseong Fortress, a ring of stone walls, gates, towers and bastions built in the 1790s by King Jeongjo, listed by UNESCO and about 5.7 kilometres around. Inside the walls, the Haenggung, a temporary royal palace, stands near the middle of the old town.

The south gate, Paldalmun, and the north gate, Janganmun, are the largest, and the walls climb a low hill, so a circuit gives long views over the city. Outside the fortress, Suwon is a busy modern centre of shops, markets and universities. The Korean Folk Village in neighbouring Yongin is a short drive away, and the subway runs north to central Seoul.

Suwon's signature dish is galbi, marinated beef ribs grilled over charcoal in big portions, and tongdak, a whole fried chicken, is another local order. The lanes beside the market sell dumplings and rice cakes. Cherry blossom along the walls in April and autumn leaves in October are the favourite seasons.