As mentioned before, no matter which tour package you choose, the capital city of Pyongyang is always the main highlight. Pyongyang is the most developed city in all of North Korea, and only one-third of the country’s “core class” citizens are even qualified to live there. According to North Korean government regulations, the “core class” includes laborers, poor peasants, tenant farmers, collective farm workers before Japan’s surrender, intellectuals who received higher education after liberation, members of the Workers’ Party, as well as the families and descendants of those who died fighting in the Anti-Japanese War and the Korean War. The general populace mostly belongs to the “wavering class,” and one-fifth are considered the “hostile class,” sent to remote border areas. Even the roadsoutside Pyongyang citywithin the tour routeare noticeably rougher compared to those inside Pyongyang. It’s easy to imagine how much more underdeveloped other, non-publicized cities must be. That’s why the North Korean government places all major tourist attractions in Pyongyang, to show the world the best side of the country.
The first stop was the “Arch of Reunification,”officially named the Monument to the Three Charters for National Reunification. It’s so tall and magnificent.
A few young people in our tour group and I excitedly dashed to the middle of the road to take photos, then got scolded by the guide and had to go back to where we were supposed to stand XD
But honestly, it wasn’t that bad—there weren’t many cars.
Next was the “Mangyongdae Funfair”.... Entrance: (
This is the only theme park in the country, and they claim that many rides have long wait times. Previously, North Korean state media even aired footage of citizens enjoying themselves so much they lost track of time. However, on the day we visited, from the entrance we didn’t see any rides in operation, and there were very few visitors.
Then came the Pyongyang Metro ride, which I was most looking forward to!!!
Normally, the only way to observe North Korean locals is from a tourist bus, and at best, just waving through the glass. So the metro ride was the only real chance to get up close and personal. Hence, there are many rumors that the locals seen in the metro are actors, and real citizens are never allowed to interact with tourists—so I was eager to find out the truth.
The Pyongyang Metro is the deepest subway system in the world, with depths ranging between 22 to 100 meters. This design was intended to function as bomb shelters in case of future wars.
A whole lifetime without riding the T? I mean, seriously...
Having traveled a lot, I actually find it hard to be genuinely surprised.
But as soon as I turned a corner in that simple metro station and saw a crystal chandelier!? Wow, I really didn’t see that coming!!
The Pyongyang Metro system has only two lines—the Chollima Line and the Hyoksin Line—with a total of seventeen stations. Only the one-stop ride between Puhung Station and Yonggwang Station is open to tourists, and only one specific car is designated for tourists. So in my opinion—I don’t rule out that the few locals in the tourist car might be staff, but the bustling station is hard to fake. That would be too much effort.
Metro station sign
Just after seeing the astonishing Pyongyang metro stations, I didn’t expect that Pyongyang would wow me a second time. The statues of Kim Il-sung and Kim Jong-il are huge and towering, practically like two life-sized Gundams from Tokyo’s Odaiba!!!!
I thought the giant photo of Mao Zedong in Tiananmen Square had already taken the cult of personality to the extreme, but seeing the Kim family’s creation made me realize it’s not even close....
Although this country is so poor that many people starve to death, they still spend money building statues. All I can say is, traveling often makes me appreciate what I have even more.
The well-known flower offering ceremony is actually voluntary, not forced tribute to the leaders as rumored.
$20 RMB per bouquet, quite nicely done.
Actually, Pyongyang is really not doing too badly—it has bridges and buildings, nothing you’d call backward.
With the 70th anniversary of the nation approaching, the open land nearby is likely being prepared for some kind of mass performance.
This picture is just plain gross.
Due to renovations at the famous Arirang Mass Games venue (which accommodates 100,000 performers), the event was replaced with a gymnastics performance at the Children’s Palace.
Although missing out on the 100,000-person show was a huge, huge pity—and probably a once-in-a-lifetime missed opportunity—
but to be fair, the Children’s Palace performance was still pretty good (self-consolation).
I met the most beautiful North Korean girl ever!! She looked as ethereal as a painting.
After the performance, we visited the Friendship Tower, which commemorates the “volunteer soldiers” who died in the Korean War.
For historical details, please refer to Witnessing the Distorted History: The Korean Demilitarized Zone’s Dividing Line — Panmunjom
Martyrs' Book
The Essence of Oil Paintings XD
The final stop is a visit to Pyongyang’s Arch of Triumph, which is taller than the one in Paris.
And that concludes a long day of sightseeing in Pyongyang.
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