King Jeongjo had the fortress built from 1794 to 1796 to house and honor the remains of his father, Crown Prince Sado. Chŏng Yagyong, later a leader of the Silhak movement, is named as architect. The wall is 3.57 miles (5.74 km) long and 13 to 20 feet (4 to 6 m) high, with parapets 4 feet (1.2 m) tall, and the original enclosed area was 0.5 square miles (1.3 km²).
The fortress had 48 structures, including four main gates: Janganmun, described as the largest gate in Korea, Hwaseomun, Paldalmun and Changnyongmun. There are two flood gates, Namsumun with nine arches and Hwahongmun with seven. It was built of stone and brick, and workers were paid wages rather than conscripted.
Several structures were badly damaged in the Korean War. Namsumun, washed away in 1846 and 1922, was rebuilt in 2010 to 2012. UNESCO inscribed the fortress in 1997.
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