Hanok Town to Be Developed in Suwon's Jangan District

A hanok town featuring traditional food experience halls and guesthouses is set to be built in the Jangan District of Seonggan Village adjacent to Janganmun Gate in Paldal-gu, Suwon, forming a third Hwaseong tourism hub following Haengung Plaza and Yeonmudae.

Ji Sung-ho, director of Suwon City's Hwaseong Project Office, said at a city policy briefing on the 12th, "We have completed the food experience hall and etiquette hall in the Jangan District, and are now promoting the construction of hanok guesthouses and hanok technology exhibition halls. Another attractive cultural space for Hwaseong is being added."

According to the city, of the Janganmun Cultural Facility Development Project that commenced last year in the Jangan District area at 11, Jangan-dong, Paldal-gu, the first phase traditional food experience hall and etiquette hall have been completed, and the second phase hanok guesthouses and cultural facility construction are underway.

The hanok guesthouses will have a total floor area of 1,800 square meters and consist of approximately 15 guest rooms including a reception hall and hanok experience rooms, allowing domestic and international tourists to experience the beauty and comfort of traditional hanok. The cultural facilities will feature traditional craft exhibition halls and sales facilities.

The city previously completed an etiquette education hall (620 square meters) and traditional food experience hall (950 square meters) in the Jangan District in October.

Additionally, a hanok technology exhibition hall to be promoted as a national R&D project for hanok technology development will be built in the Jangan District with a total floor area of 940 square meters. The hanok technology exhibition hall, which will exhibit and provide hands-on experience of the structure, history, and scientific analysis of hanok, is scheduled to begin design this year and be completed in 2016.

Upon completion of these projects, a 300-meter stretch along Jeongjo-ro from Janganmun Gate to Jangan Intersection in Jangan-dong will form a hanok town of a scale reminiscent of the Hwaseong Haengung, and is expected to become a new tourism hub for Hwaseong.

The city also plans to construct a traditional performing arts venue with a two-story structure and total floor area of 1,800 square meters with 300 seats on a 3,628-square-meter site south of Haengung Plaza in Suwon's Shinpung District, and will hold regular performances of Muyae 24 Techniques (the 24 Martial Arts) and theatrical productions and musicals on subjects including King Jeongjo's construction and reforms of Hwaseong.