Hwaseong Fortress, designated as a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Site on December 12, 1997, has deep history protecting the capital from outside attack. Hwaseong Fortress offers various performances daily as well as Suwon Hwaseong Cultural Festival every fall. The fortress circles Paldalsan Mountain at the center for 5.7 kilometers long. The fortress, constructed from 1794 to 1796, was built as a display of King Jeongjo’s filial piety towards his father and to build a new pioneer city with its own economic power.