North Korea is one of the most closed countries in the world. We went there, walked along the streets of Pyongyang, looked at the everyday life and holidays of ordinary citizens and admired the beauties of local nature
A resident of the province can get into the capital Pyongyang only with a special pass. However, it is a large city with a population of around 4 million.
Public transport is well developed: there are trolleybuses, trams, and even the metro – the only one in the country. Outside the city, people move mainly on passing cars. Drivers will not refuse to give a lift to the voter if there is an empty seat along the way. Everyone is required to give a ride to the military, this is the law.
Pyongyang is a city of monumental buildings and monuments. Most of them are either the largest in the world or in Asia. For example, this triumphal arch, a copy of the Parisian one, is the largest in the world. It was built in memory of the Korean resistance of 1925-1945 against the Japanese occupiers. The official opening of the Arc de Triomphe took place on the occasion of Kim Il Sung's seventieth birthday. Each of its blocks is completely made of white granite. In total, it consists of 25,500 blocks, symbolizing the number of days Kim Il Sung lived.
The Juche Monument (on the horizon) is the second tallest structure in Pyongyang.
At its foot is a 30-meter bronze sculptural group of three figures – a peasant, working and labor intellectual.
Panoramic view from the Juche monument: the Taedong River on which Pyongyang stands.
Pioneers go to lay flowers at the monument leaders. The pioneer organization in North Korea is called Seongyeongdan.
During working hours, the city center is empty, at this time all residents are busy. By the way, modern buildings appeared in Pyongyang not so long ago.
All citizens of North Korea are required to work. Sometimes there is not enough work, and then tasks such as hand-tying sheaves or sawing trees with ropes are invented.
When a person retires, he also cannot just sit at home: the party allocates a piece of lawn to pensioners, which these old men and women are obliged to look after.
All residents North Koreans wear badges depicting Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il.
Not far from Pyongyang there is a Miniature Park (Ecopark). On its territory, miniatures of almost all the significant monuments of the DPRK, as well as local attractions, such as Kumgangsan Mountains (“diamond mountains”, in the photo), were built. Geumgangsan is considered one of the most beautiful places in the DPRK.
Miniature Park has become a real place of “wedding pilgrimage” for Koreans.
“Dragon Mountain” — Ryonaksan ( Mount Ryongak, 룡악산, 龍岳山) is a very picturesque place just 20 minutes drive from Pyongyang. At the foot of the mountain is the building of an old Confucian school.
Not far from Pyongyang there is another place of stunning beauty – Oyn Park, which means Silver Lake (“silver lake”). The lake is surrounded by mountains that can be climbed along convenient walking paths.
DPRK is predominantly a mountainous country. There is little land for fields here, but the mountain scenery is breathtaking.
Author's photo
Photo in the announcement: Caro/Schuelke via Legion Media
Material first published in February 2014
Anna Miller