'Three Attraction Areas' Thematic Development for Hwaseong Fortress

A proposal has emerged suggesting that to establish the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Hwaseong Fortress as a world-class tourist destination, Suwon should develop Hwaseong Fortress with themed 'three attraction areas'—namely sightseeing, dining, and lodging (accommodations).

Recently, Kim Won-seop, Auditor in charge at Gyeonggi Province, submitted this proposal through the 'Five-Minute Policy Suggestion' section of Gyeonggi Province's policy portal.

Kim explained, "It is unfortunate that despite Hwaseong Fortress's proximity to Seoul, overseas tourists mainly stay in Seoul and view Gyeonggi Province merely as a place to pass through. Through discovering these 'three attraction areas,' I came up with this proposal to develop it into a destination for extended stays and create a tourist attraction comparable to Seoul's Insa-dong Street."

First, for the sightseeing theme, he proposed creating an 'Art Street' linked to Hwaseong Fortress. Specifically, this would involve creating pine forests in sectioned lawn areas inside the fortress walls and leasing aged buildings around Art Street to be converted into shopping malls and gallery spaces.

Additionally, for the dining theme, he proposed popularizing royal Joseon cuisine such as 'Byeolbansang' (special royal dining table) and 'Eumbans' (royal banquet tables), and for the lodging theme, he proposed developing a traditional Korean hanok village around Hwaseong Haengung Palace and implementing overnight experience programs within Haengung Palace itself.