A pageant of color and sound
Palace guards doing their thing at Hwaseong Haenggung in Suwon. 🏯 You can tell that stealth and camouflage are not what they’re after. 😆
This palace is inside the massive walls of Hwaseong Fortress, and it served as a temporary residence for King Jeongjo (the 22nd ruler of the Joseon Dynasty) when he was in Suwon. When it was built in the 1700s, this was a separate city from Seoul, though now the metropolitan area has spread to encompass both.
The palace and fortress were built on a much more massive scale than you might expect for a temporary residence. The defensive walls are nearly 6 km long, and because they’re largely intact, you can walk along the top for a long way, with views in many directions. 🚶♀️👀
Why so grand? At one point, the king intended to move the Korean capital from Seoul to Suwon, though that never happened. Later he planned to retire here, though that didn’t happen either. So it made an extravagant place to stay for occasional visits!
Today this is a World Heritage Site. There’s no longer a king living here, but they keep traditions alive with regular ceremonies like this. 🎺🥁🎶🎵
Where – Hwaseong Haenggung, Suwon, South Korea 🇰🇷
GPS – 37.08649, 127.05564
PHOTO CREDITS: Deanna Keahey
Questions? Comments?
Have you seen the changing of the guards or other such events here or elsewhere? I love the fact that they keep performing ceremonies like this. Nowadays it’s just for the tourists, but much better IMO than letting the past fade away entirely. What do you think? Let us know in the Reply section at the bottom. Thanks!
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Hi! I’m Deanna, creator of Uphill Zen. I’m currently yondering around somewhere, often with my Toyota motorhome, Zennie. What makes my heart sing is travel, adventure, and the wonders of nature. Sharing that joyous spirit is what this is all about.
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