Autumn Festivities at Suwon Hwaseong Fortress This Chuseok

The Suwon Hwaseong Cultural Festival has been the city’s signature event for over 60 years. It reimagines King Jeongjo’s historic eight-day royal procession with modern performances and interactive programs. Highlights include Korea’s largest royal parade, King Jeongjo’s Royal Procession (Joint Re-enactment), as well as nighttime military drills and water performances at Banghwasuryujeong Pavilion. With the fortress as its stage, music, dance, and media art come together in a dazzling spectacle. Visitors can also join in the fun through participatory programs like the high-energy Suwon Palanquin Race and Citizen Painters, a collaborative art project where everyone contributes to a giant painting.

Alongside the Suwon Hwaseong Cultural Festival, the fortress transforms into a canvas of light. Now in its fifth year, the program showcases media artworks that reinterpret King Jeongjo’s achievements, philosophy, and dreams. Visitors can enjoy lighting installations that make use of the surrounding trees and walkways, immersive media experience zones, and more. Adding a global pop-culture touch, the event also features media façades, a pop-up store, and photo zones created in collaboration with the world-famous Peanuts franchise.

Curious what a royal palace looks like after dark? Don’t miss the Hwaseong Temporary Palace Night Opening, running through November under the theme “Dalbit Hwadam” (“Conversations in Moonlight and Flowers”). Six themed zones bring the palace to life at night, with flower-inspired installations, media art combining light and music, and hands-on experiences of traditional Korean games. Visitors wearing hanbok can even enter free of charge—making it the perfect chance to stroll the palace grounds in traditional style.