Monument sights in North Korea
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A
Mansudae Grand Monument
The first stop on every visitor's trip will be to this larger-than-life bronze statue of the Great Leader. You can't help but blanch at Kim Il Sung's shamelessness - this is no memorial, but rather was unveiled in 1972 to celebrate Kim's 60th birthday. It was originally covered in gold leaf, but apparently at the objection of the Chinese, who were effectively funding the North Korean economy, this was later removed in favour of the scrubbed bronze on display today.
As the epicentre of the Kim cult, visitors need to be aware of the seriousness with which North Koreans - officially at least - consider this monument and the respect they believe foreigners should accord it.…
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B
Chollima Statue
An interesting example of how the Kim regime has sought to incorporate traditional Korean myths into its socialist cult, is the bronze statue of the Korean Pegasus, the steed Chollima. According to legend, Chollima could cover hundreds of kilometres a day and was untameable (see North Korea Speak, ).
Kim Il Sung appropriated the myth in the period of reconstruction following the Korean War so that the zeal of the North Korean workers to rebuild their shattered nation and construct vast and pointless monuments to the leadership became known as 'Chollima speed'. When North Korea broke through to the quarterfinals of the World Cup in 1966, it was apparently because Kim…
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C
Triumphal Arch
Your guides will tell you with barely concealed glee that the Triumphal Arch is 3m higher than its cousin in Paris, making it the largest in the world.
The arch marks the site where Kim Il Sung first addressed the liberated Koreans after the end of Japanese occupation in 1945. The gloss you hear will omit the fact that the Soviets liberated Pyongyang, not Kim Il Sung's partisans, who themselves gave full credit to the Soviets at the time. A vast mural a short walk away details the event and pictures a young Kim addressing a wildly enthusiastic local population. Set back from the arch is the Kim Il Sung Stadium.
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Historic Pyongyang
To see something of Pyongyang's prewar history is a challenge. The Taedong Gate was the eastern gate to the original walled city of Pyongyang, and was built in the 6th century. The current gate was rebuilt in 1635, but is one of the oldest remaining structures in the city - a reminder that Pyongyang was once a traditional Asian city rather than the post-Soviet monolith it is today.
Nearby are the other major historical sites: the Pyongyang Bell, a bronze early-warning system for fire and invasion dating from 1726, and the beautiful Ryongwang Pavilion, originally built in 1111 and rebuilt in 1670.
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D
Monument to the Victorious Fatherland Liberation War 1950-1953
Opposite the little Potong tributary of the Taedong, there is the impressive Monument to the Victorious Fatherland Liberation War 1950-1953, which was unveiled in 1993 to mark the 40th anniversary of the war's end. The sculptures reflect the different battles of the war; the Victory Sculpture is the centrepiece.
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