Haenggung-dong vs. Haengnidan-gil vs. Hwaseong Haenggung Palace: A Day Trip to Suwon (With Bearbrick Painting)

My daughter said she wanted to try Bearbrick painting. She loves drawing, so I half-expected this. So off we went to Haenggung-dong, Suwon.

Bearbrick painting

Quick Answer

• Haenggung-dong is the name of the administrative neighborhood in Suwon. Haengnidan-gil is the nickname for the specific alley of cafes and boutique shops inside that neighborhood. Hwaseong Haenggung Palace is the actual palace building located within the same area. All three are different things, but English-language content routinely blurs them together.
• Hwahongmun (華虹門) isn't just a historic gate — it's a real location that appeared as the Korea Team's stage background in the fighting game The King of Fighters '96.
• Haenggung-dong is home to an art studio called 'Nakseojigeum,' where you can try chenille-doll decorating, mirror painting, canvas painting, and the currently trending activity of Bearbrick painting.
• There's a picnic-gear rental spot near Banghwasuryujeong, so a future visit could easily turn into a full picnic outing.

Table of Contents

1. Haenggung-dong, Haengnidan-gil, Hwaseong Haenggung Palace — Sorting Out the Names
2. Banghwasuryujeong and Hwahongmun: A View, and an Unexpected Gaming Fact
3. Bearbrick Painting at 'Nakseojigeum'
4. Two Finished Bears: The Drunk Uncle vs. the Pink Bear
5. FAQ
6. Conclusion: Confusing Names, Simple Fun

1. Haenggung-dong, Haengnidan-gil, Hwaseong Haenggung Palace — Sorting Out the Names

Search for this neighborhood and three names keep getting tangled together.

Name	What it actually refers to
Haenggung-dong	Suwon's administrative neighborhood — the broader area this whole post covers
Haengnidan-gil	The nickname for a specific alley within Haenggung-dong, packed with cafes and boutique shops
Hwaseong Haenggung Palace	The actual palace building located within Haenggung-dong

In other words, Haenggung-dong is the neighborhood, and inside it you'll find both Hwaseong Haenggung Palace (the palace) and Haengnidan-gil (the trendy alley). We parked at the Yeonmu-dong public lot and started walking — knowing this structure beforehand would have saved us some confusion.

Banghwasuryujeong

2. Banghwasuryujeong and Hwahongmun: A View, and an Unexpected Gaming Fact

Walking from the parking lot, you reach Banghwasuryujeong first. It's one of the standout pavilions within the Hwaseong fortress walls, and the actual view was even better than the photos suggested. Looking around, the area was full of people having picnics on mats. Turns out there's a picnic-gear rental shop nearby too — next time, we're doing a proper picnic here.

Next we passed through Hwahongmun. This gate, it turns out, has an unexpected claim to fame — it appeared as the stage background for the Korea Team characters (Kim Kaphwan, Chang Koehan, Choi Bounge) in the fighting game The King of Fighters '96. Apparently the banner text in the background changes depending on which character you're playing. Among gaming fans, this spot has apparently become something of a pilgrimage site.

Hwahongmun

3. Bearbrick Painting at 'Nakseojigeum'

Past Hwahongmun, down an alley, we reached our destination: 'Nakseojigeum.' It's a craft studio offering a range of hands-on art activities — chenille-doll decorating, mirror painting, canvas painting — and it also offered Bearbrick painting, the activity currently trending as a one-day class in places like Hongdae.

We put on vests and arm covers to start. Staff walked us through the basic setup and technique — the idea is to paint a blank white plastic bear figure into your own custom design. The walls had a range of sample designs on display, and since we were beginners, we picked relatively simple ones. I went with a plain design; my daughter picked pink.

The process goes like this: paint the base coat, sketch your design on top, then finish with detail painting. It's a repeating cycle of applying acrylic paint, drying it with a hair dryer, then painting again.

4. Two Finished Bears: The Drunk Uncle vs. the Pink Bear

While painting the base coat and sketching, I suddenly had an idea and changed my design on the spot. The result: a drunk uncle bear. I was pretty happy with how it turned out.

drunk uncle bear

My daughter's pink bear hit a snag — her base coat went on a little thick, leaving the surface slightly bumpy. She looked disappointed about it. Still, she kept adding details on top, and eventually finished a pink bear she was happy with.

My daughter's pink bear

Honestly, I'd joined mostly because I figured she'd feel awkward doing it alone — but once we got into it, I was having a genuinely good time myself. Looking around, a lot of the other visitors were couples, and everyone seemed completely absorbed in it. Once we finished, we took photos, had our bears packaged up, and headed out.

FAQ

Should I visit Haenggung-dong, Haengnidan-gil, or Hwaseong Haenggung Palace? They're all in the same area. Walking through the Haenggung-dong neighborhood, you'll naturally pass both the cafe alley (Haengnidan-gil) and the palace building (Hwaseong Haenggung Palace).

Do you need to be good at art to try Bearbrick painting? Not at all. Simple designs are available for beginners, and staff walk you through the basics. Even if your base coat comes out uneven, adding detail on top still gets you to a result you'll be happy with.

Do I need to bring my own gear to picnic near Banghwasuryujeong? No — there's a rental shop nearby for picnic gear, so you don't need to bring a mat or supplies yourself.

Conclusion: Confusing Names, Simple Fun

Haenggung-dong, Haengnidan-gil, and Hwaseong Haenggung Palace sound confusing on paper, but in person, they flow together naturally as one day's worth of exploring. A pavilion with a great view, a gate with an unexpected gaming backstory, and a one-of-a-kind bear figure made at a craft studio — however tangled the names are, the day itself was simple and fun.

3 Things to Try Today

1. If you're planning a trip to Haenggung-dong in Suwon, look for parking within walking distance of the main sights, like the Yeonmu-dong public lot.
2. Check whether you can rent picnic gear near Banghwasuryujeong and build in some time to relax there.
3. Even if you don't feel artistic, try a one-day class like Bearbrick painting — the process is the fun part, not the final result.

3-Line Summary

1. Haenggung-dong is the neighborhood, Haengnidan-gil is the cafe alley inside it, and Hwaseong Haenggung Palace is the actual palace building — three different names for three different things.
2. Hwahongmun has an unexpected claim to fame: it appeared as the Korea Team's stage background in the fighting game The King of Fighters '96.
3. My daughter and I tried Bearbrick painting at the craft studio 'Nakseojigeum' in Haenggung-dong, and regardless of how the bears turned out, it was a genuinely fun time.

Related post: Suwon's Haenggung-dong: The Time Warp You Needed, Suwon Hwaseong Haenggung Night Opening Guide: The Palace Night Tour

Sources: Suwon Cultural Foundation's public parking guide (Yeonmu-dong public lot); Korea tourism information on Banghwasuryujeong and Hwahongmun; Namuwiki's entry on Hwahongmun's appearance in The King of Fighters '96; information on 'Nakseojigeum' (Instagram, 솜씨당 class listings).