Old city wall of Hwaseong Fortress, Suwon, South Korea May 28, 2026

Old city wall of Hwaseong Fortress, Suwon, South Korea

As night settles over Suwon, South Korea, the old city wall pictured here shows that function doesn"t necessarily cancel out beauty—it can create it. Built between 1794 and 1796 under King Jeongjo of the Joseon Dynasty, Hwaseong Fortress was more than a barrier. It was policy in stone: a reform minded push for a leaner, better-run state, driven by practicality and a deeply personal motive. Jeongjo ordered its construction to honor his father while strengthening a kingdom that wanted smarter systems, not just thicker walls.

© aomam/Getty Images

palette

Today in History

May 28, 2018Honoring the fallen
May 28, 2019Why’s it called a spelling ‘bee,’ anyhow?
May 28, 2020Old man s whiskers growing wild
May 28, 2021Freeloaders of the avian world
May 28, 2022Bungle Bungle Range in Purnululu National Park, Australia
May 28, 2023Tegallalang terrace farms in Ubud, Bali, Indonesia
May 28, 2024The Monastery of Roussanou, Greece
May 28, 2025World Otter Day

More Desktop Wallpapers:

Jan 23, 2019Celebrating Pie Day is as easy as, well…
Mar 20, 2020Heron lies the Salton Sea
Jul 27, 2023Arc de Triomphe du Carrousel and the Louvre Pyramid
Apr 19, 2024Ring of Brodgar, Orkney, Scotland
Mar 2, 2019You won’t see this on Mulberry Street
Jun 15, 2018Ready for takeoff
Jun 2, 2023Gemsbok in Namibian sand dunes
May 13, 2021Hues of Hokkaido
Sep 22, 2021What s cuter than nuzzling rhinos?
May 26, 2019Racing toward history
Mar 12, 2019The otherworldly red river
Jul 6, 2023International Kissing Day
Mar 1, 2025Womens History Month
Apr 17, 2025Andean cocks-of-the-rock, Ecuador
Nov 26, 2023Fallow deer, Bradgate Park, Leicestershire, England
May 2, 2024Craters of the Moon centennial
Aug 24, 2025European fallow deer in England
Jul 8, 2024National Blueberry Day
Nov 2, 202275th anniversary of the Spruce Goose
Mar 29, 2018It’s Opening Day for Major League Baseball
Dec 24, 2021Smoking nights in Austria
Jan 9, 2019What, no escalator?
Oct 6, 2024Ancient town of Sorano, Tuscany, Italy
Jul 5, 2018Does it swim in slow motion too?
Nov 19, 2019Zion National Park Turns 100
Feb 22, 2026Mam Tor, Derbyshire, England
Mar 3, 2020All eyes on sustainability
Jan 1, 2025Happy New Year!
Nov 23, 2024Fibonacci Day
Jul 19, 2024A young jaguar on a riverbank, Pantanal, Brazil