Before traveling to Korea, I did my research on the other places that most people (at least the people in my circle) don't usually go to (pa-hipster yuck). Then I stumbled upon this UNESCO Heritage site with an interesting backstory, the Hwaseong Fortress in Suwon City which is just an hour train ride from the nation's capital.
During the reign of King Yeongjo, his eldest son Prince Hyojang died at a young age leaving his second son, Prince Sado the rightful heir to the Korean Throne. Sadly, he was never given an opportunity to reign because of his mental illness and was accused of killing and raping people in the palace. As a result, he was sentenced by the king, his own father to death by locking him in a rice chest under the hot summer sun until he died.
After his death, there were rumors that he wasn't actually mentally ill, but a victim of framing by the family's political opponents to weaken the dynasty. When Sado's son Jeongjo ascended the throne, despite the controversies his first public declaration was "I am the son of Prince Sado", then he had the Hwaseong Fortress built in Suwon City in honor of the late Crown Prince.
The fortress was built on top of the mountain so prepare yourself for this cardio trip, haha!
This is me walking around Suwon with a thermal mask because it's so cold!!
One thing that surprised us in Suwon was this gem (or should I say jewel?)...
It's the one from the popular Korean drama that aired in the Philippines called Jewel in the Palace!!!
Of course I had to take a photo with Dae Jang Geum and Kapitan! This is very important because Jewel in the Palace is one of the main proponents of the Korean wave which skyrocketed Korean pop culture abroad.
And we saw this there, apparently it's a popular set for dynastic Korean dramas.
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