Things to do in North Korea
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Paekdusan
Paekdu, one of the most stunning sights on the Korean peninsula, straddles the Chinese-Korean border in the very far northeastern tip of DPRK. Apart from being the country's highest mountain at 2744m (9000ft), and an amazing geological phenomenon (an extinct volcano with a vast crater lake at its centre), it's also of huge mythical importance to Koreans.
The huge crater lake called Chonji ('Lake of Heaven') lies at the summit, surrounded by bare rocky crags. It is one of the deepest alpine lakes in the world, and although it's fed by two hot springs, it is also one of the coldest.
Paekdusan is sacred to all Koreans, because according to Korean mythology it is where the…
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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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Myohyangsan
Mount Myohyang and the pristine surrounding area of hills, mountain trails and waterfalls (completely untouched by mass tourism) make for a charming trip. If you begin to miss the relentless pomp and propaganda of Pyongyang, the International Friendship Exhibition (IFE) will remind you that you are still very much in North Korea.
Myohyangsan means 'mountain of mysterious fragrance' and it's certainly no misnomer. The scenery is quite wonderful, and in summer awash with flowers. The focus of all trips are, however, the two vast shrines that make up the IFE. The first one contains all the gifts presented to the eternal president Kim Il Sung. Among the highlights of the…
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Kim Il Sung Square
This vast plaza would be the packed hub of any other world capital, but Pyongyang's central square and marching ground is strange in its emptiness, the open spaces seemingly cowed by the massive buildings surrounding it. Most impressive of these is the Grand People's Study House, the country's largest library and national centre of Juche studies. This is one of Pyongyang's most striking buildings, a socialist realist structure melded with traditional Korean architecture.
With over 30 million books, finding what you want is inevitably quite a challenge - and you will be proudly shown the incredible system of conveyer belts that can deliver books right to your desk. All…
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Tomb of Tan'gun
History continues to evolve in North Korea, with new 'revolutionary discoveries' being made every year. While the government announced in 1993 that its archaeologists had discovered the tomb of Tan'gun, the founder of the first Korean kingdom, it wasn't until recently that North Korean historians made the incredible discovery that Tan'gun was in fact a member of the Kim clan.
During North Korea's more rational communist period, the government had agreed with most scholars of Korean history that Tan'gun was a mythical figure and that the kingdom of KoChoson (ancient Korea) with its capitals Pyongyang and Asadal was in fact located in Northeast China, if it indeed existed.…
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Pyongyang Film Studios
Some 20 films a year are still churned out by the county's main film studios located in the suburbs of Pyongyang. Kim Il Sung visited the complex around 20 times during his lifetime to provide invaluable on-the-spot guidance, while Kim Jr has been more than 600 times, such is his passionate interest in films. Like all things North Korean, the two main focuses are the anti-Japanese struggle and the anti-American war.
The main complex is a huge, propaganda-filled suite of office buildings where apparently post-production goes on, even though it feels eerily empty. A short uphill drive takes you to the large sets, however, which are far more fun. Here you'll find a generic…
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Kumsusan Memorial Palace
Kim Il Sung's residence during his lifetime, Kumsusan remains so in death. The palace is eerie, with bricked in windows and a vast square cleared before it. The embalmed corpse of the Great Leader lies in state here on the top floor for the truly privileged to witness. Unlike Mao's and Lenin's mausoleums, access is not for the proles, but by invite only. Though tour groups are often able to go, it's always best to request this a long time before you travel.
The tone is unbearably sombre and anyone invited should be dressed smartly (shirts, ties and trousers for men, modest dress for women). The moving walkways that carry you into the palace seem somewhat incongruous with…
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Pyongyang Zoo
Rarely offered on standard tours, Pyongyang Zoo is worth a visit. It has a good aquarium and reptile house and a large array of animals, most of whom look pretty forlorn. Worst off are the big cats, nearly all gifts of long-dead communist big wigs around the world - the wonderful lions, tigers and leopards are kept in woefully inadequate compounds, and many have lost the plot as a result. The zoo's two elephants and its hippo all look exceptionally lacklustre as well.
There's more fun to be had with the baboons and a collection of lemurs, while the oddest exhibit is the huge collection of domestic cats. It's very relaxed and here; you'll find North Korean families on…
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Tower of the Juche Idea
On the other side of the Taedong River from Kim Il Sung Sq, this honours Kim Il Sung's philosophy Juche, and was unveiled to mark the president's 70th birthday in 1982. Indeed, the tower is made up of 25,550 granite blocks - one for every day of Kim's life until his 70th birthday. The tower stands at 170m and a trip to the top by lift is well worth it, providing a great view over the capital on a clear day.
For the best views go in the morning, as the sun is still in the east, lighting up the western, more interesting side of the city. The pavilions surrounding the tower feature a trio of workers holding aloft the emblem of the DPRK and in the river immediately in front…
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Panmunjeom
Ironically the sad sight of a pointlessly divided nation remains a highlight of any trip to North Korea. Even if you're just in North Korea for a couple of days, you'll be taken here as the DPRK is very keen to show off what it considers the net result of American imperialism.
While military history buffs will be in their element, you don't have to be an expert to appreciate the weirdness of the site where the bloody Korean War ended in an unhappy truce. Seeing the situation from the North, facing off against US troops to the south is a unique chance to witness things from a new perspective.
Among the stops on your DMZ tour is the Armistice Talks Hall where the…
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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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souvenir shops
For a supposedly communist country North Korea is littered with souvenir shops - every Pyongyang site has a small booth selling books, postcards and other trinkets. Many tourists have expressed an interest in purchasing the metal badge with the Great Leader's picture printed on it that every North Korean wears; however, these are not for sale.
Insam (ginseng) is for sale in hotels, but prices seem ridiculously high. It claims to be from Paekdusan; insam from there has a high value for all Koreans. You may be able to pick up some more cheaply in Kaesong; ask your guide for advice. However, you can buy all grades of insam much more cheaply in the South.
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Three Revolutions Exhibition
A rarely visited museum is the Three Revolutions Exhibition, North Korea's answer to the America's Epcot Centre. The sprawling complex details the 'three revolutions' Kim Il Sung brought about in post-war Korea: ideological, technical and cultural. The six halls detail advances across the board in electronics, heavy industry, agriculture and technology (advances appear to be fairly slim, all the technical exhibits look more like a display of antiques).
The world's weirdest planetarium can be found within the electronics industry hall, which looks like a silver replica of Saturn. There's also an interesting outdoor display of vehicles produced in North Korea.
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Pyongyang Circus
The nature of visiting North Korea is that the most mundane everyday things become instantly fascinating. Given that contact with locals is kept to a minimum, while in Pyongyang you should take advantage of the relatively wide choice of evening entertainment to see how locals like to relax. Of course, what you will and won't be able to do depends on your guides, and so let them know any requests as early on as possible, and of course, try to stay in their good books.
The Pyongyang Circus gets glowing reviews from visitors. It is mainly a human circus, and you may hear vicious rumours that during the famine many of the animals ended up on plates.
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Mangyongdae
The closest North Korea has to a Kim Il Sung Disney World is the suburb of Mangyongdae, one of the many cottage industries created by and simultaneously bolstering the ever-growing personality cult of Great Leaders one and two. Just 12km from the centre of Pyongyang, Mangyongdae has long been a destination for day-trippers from the capital, due to its idyllic setting amid the gentle hills where the Sunhwa River flows into the Taedong.
The suburb now houses the place of Kim Il Sung's birth - an interesting place to visit, as much to see the pretty setting, the funfair and the relaxing Pyongyangites, as for the flourishing Kim cult.
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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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Mangyongdae Children's Palace
This centre for extra-curricular activity - from martial arts to the playing of traditional instruments - makes for a great visit. Note the model of a 'North Korean' space shuttle at the entrance, a replica of the Soviet Buran. The palace visit will include displays of incredibly talented martial artists, gymnasts and musicians, all beaming at you as they perform. The tour usually culminates in the huge main auditorium with a stellar display of fantastically regimented youth.
The grand finale is usually a loyalty song to Kim Jong Il.
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Party Founding Museum
The Party Founding Museum is located on the southern slope of Haebang Hill and is one of the least interesting museums. It originally housed the Central Committee of the Korean Workers' Party, as well as Kim Il Sung's office from where he 'led the building of a new democratic Korea'. Next door is the Great Leader's conspicuously modest residence, used after coming to power and presumably before the masses demanded he build himself numerous palaces.
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Moran Hill
This is Pyongyang's top recreation ground for the masses. Couples wander, families picnic and there are people who even play musical instruments in an incongruously relaxed area of the capital. It's particularly busy on a Sunday and a lovely place to stroll and absorb something of daily life. Even the guides seem to relax more here and will often allow you more freedom to wander than elsewhere.
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Korean Revolution Museum
Pyongyang's museums unsurprisingly offer the regime's version of history. While one or two can be very interesting for a totally new perspective on events, the novelty can soon wear thin. A visit to the Korean Revolution Museum is likely to be included on your itinerary. This shows the anti-Japanese struggle, including numerous action exhibits depicting the fiercest of the battles.
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Kim Il Sung's Birthplace
Kim Il Sung's Birthplace is a collection of traditional huts: a typical Korean peasant house with a thatched roof and a block of living rooms, as well as a small barn, most of which looks like it's been built in the past few decades. The emphasis is very much on the president's humble origins, and indeed, it's an open question as to whether Kim Il Sung was really born here at all.
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Pyongyang Grand Theatre
Cinema, theatre and opera trips are possible (although rare), and while films, operas or plays aren't likely to be of a particularly gripping order, again, it's the experience that is interesting. Spectacles in the main theatres vary little from one to the other. Musical 'classics' such as The Flower Girl and A Daughter of the Party are in constant rotation.
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Diplomatic Club
Nightlife in Pyongyang is almost nonexistent although hotel bars can be rowdy especially at weekends. The large diplomatic and NGO presence in town means that there are some private clubs where foreigners can relax away from the strictures of everyday Pyongyang life. The Diplomatic Club ('the diplo' to any self-respecting foreign resident) by the Juche Tower is popular.
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Victorious Fatherland Liberation War Museum
The Victorious Fatherland Liberation War Museum is a fascinating place. The key battles of the Korean War are depicted vividly in dioramas, and there's some fascinating military hardware from war-damaged tanks and aircraft to torpedo boats used by both sides. These were all placed in the basement and the museum was then built around them.
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