Welcome to Pyongyang, the capital and largest city of North Korea, on the Taedong River about 109 kilometres upstream from the Yellow Sea. It is one of the oldest cities in Korea: according to legend, it was founded in 1122 BC on the site of the capital of the legendary king Tan'gun. Pyongyang was the capital of the ancient kingdoms of Gojoseon and Goguryeo. The city was devastated during the Korean War and rebuilt afterwards with Soviet assistance, and today it is the political, industrial and transport centre of the country. Let us take a look at its monuments, squares and its towering skyline.
Kumsusan Palace of the Sun
Photo: Mark Scott Johnson from Sydney, Australia · CC BY 2.0 · Wikimedia CommonsOn the northeastern edge of the city stands the Kumsusan Palace of the Sun, once Kim Il Sung's official residence and office. It is the mausoleum where the preserved bodies of Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il lie in glass sarcophagi, each in a separate Hall of Eternal Life. It is the largest mausoleum dedicated to a Communist leader and the only one to house the remains of more than one person. Some of its halls are up to 1 kilometre long.
Juche Tower
Photo: yeowatzup · CC BY 2.0 · Wikimedia CommonsOn the east bank of the Taedong, facing Kim Il Sung Square across the river, rises the Juche Tower, 170 metres tall. It is named after Juche, the ideology introduced by Kim Il Sung, and was unveiled on his 70th birthday, 15 April 1982. Its four-sided spire is the tallest granite structure in the world, made of 25,550 blocks, one for each day of the first 70 years of his life. At the very top glows a permanently illuminated metal torch.
Kim Il Sung Square
Photo: Laika ac from USA · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Wikimedia CommonsThis vast open space is Kim Il Sung Square, at the foot of Namsan Hill on the west bank of the Taedong. It opened in August 1954, as part of the plan for rebuilding the capital after the destruction of the Korean War. Covering about 75,000 square metres, it can hold a rally of more than 100,000 people. Concerts, dances and military parades take place here, and it often appears in images of North Korea.
Arch of Triumph
Photo: Martin Cígler · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia CommonsAt the foot of Moran Hill stands the Arch of Triumph, built in 1982 to commemorate the Korean resistance to Japan from 1925 to 1945. It is modelled on the Arc de Triomphe in Paris, but here is the twist: it is 10 metres taller. Rising 60 metres, it is the second tallest memorial arch in the world. Inside are dozens of rooms, observation platforms and elevators, and its four vaulted gateways are decorated with carved azaleas.
Mansudae Grand Monument
Photo: Bjørn Christian Tørrissen · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia CommonsThe Mansudae Grand Monument is a complex of 229 figures commemorating the revolutionary struggle of the Korean people and their leaders. At its centre stand two bronze statues of Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il, each 22 metres tall. The first statue was erected in April 1972 for Kim Il Sung's 60th birthday. The statue of Kim Jong Il was added after his death in 2011, and at the same time Kim Il Sung's statue was altered to show him older and smiling.
Ryugyong Hotel
Photo: Martin Cígler · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia CommonsLook up at the skyline and you will spot the Ryugyong Hotel, a pyramid-shaped skyscraper 330 metres tall. Its name means capital of willows, one of the historical names of Pyongyang. Construction began in 1987, but stopped in 1992 during an economic crisis, and for years the building stood without windows or interior fittings. Work resumed in 2008 and the exterior was completed in 2011. One side was later fitted with an LED display that shows animations and film scenes.
Lomakuume
