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Hi! I'm Yoo-joo. I'm from Seoul, Korea. I write this letter because I want to introduce a place to you. Korea has many places of historic interest. For example, Changdeokgung Palace, Seokguram temper, various Dolmen Sites , Jongmyo where memorial services are performed for deceased kings, Hwaseong fortress and so on. They are all beautiful and characteristic of the heart and culture of Korea. Also they are all very old. Even Dolmen Sites were built in Korea's prehistory. So I am worried about which heritage to recommend to you. Finally, I decided to introduce Hwaseong to you.
It is the beautiful fortress, of Hwaseong is located on Mt. Paldalsan and the nearby hills in Suwon. Built under the plan of King Jeongjo of the Joseon Kingdom. He wanted to move the court from Seoul to Suwon, to be closer to the tomb of his father, Prince Jangheon. The fortress is famous for having used modern equipment and machinery invented by such renowned scientists as Jeong Yakyong. The construction of this fortress, Hwaseong, took two years from 1794, the 18th year of King Jeongjo's reign.
This fortress, designed to surround the entire town center, is complete with a temporary palace called Hwaseong Haenggung; and shrines such as Jungposa, Naeposa and Sajikdan. It also have four main gates; Changnyongmun in the east, Hwaseomun in the west, Janganmun in the north, and Paldalmun in the south. The original fortress has been heavily damaged for the last 200 years; particularly during the Korean War it was damaged further. It was restored about a three-year project begun in 1975. This fortress is unique in the history of fortress construction in Asia in that its aesthetic beauty is wonderfully mixed with modern technology.
Are you interested in Hwaseong? I think sure you are. Then do you know who designed this fortress? Hwaseong Fortress was constructed over two and a half years from 1794 to 1796, according to a design by Jeong Yak-yong. A young intellectual who would later lead the school of silhak, Jeong was then working for the royal library, Gyujanggak, established by Jeongjo to encourage academic research. In designing the fortress and planning its construction, Jeong broadly employed the scientific knowledge of his fellow silhak, thinkers. Based on a study of ancient fortresses of Korea, China and Japan, he worked out a marvelous plan for a military stronghold taking full advantage of the topography of the area and making up for the deficiencies of earlier facilities.
That's the end of my introduction of Hwaseong. I like Hwaseong very much. When I went there, I am impressed by the sight of it. Beautiful, delicate, magnificent but simple and very scientific.....
I'd like to visit there once more. I'm sure you'll visit Korea. When you come to Korea I'll go with you and explain some of its cultural heart for you. I will look forward to your visiting.
Good bye, see you soon.
-from Yoo-joo-
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