pyongyang sightseeing - Blogs - Tripatini2024-03-29T00:11:20Zhttps://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/feed/tag/pyongyang+sightseeingNorth Korea Travel: Visit to Downtown Pyongyanghttps://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/north-korea-travel-visit-to-downtown-pyongyang2011-08-06T19:17:37.000Z2011-08-06T19:17:37.000ZTripatinihttps://tripatini.com/members/Tripatini<div><p class="PreformattedText"><span class="font-size-2"><em>Part 2 of a four-part series by </em><a target="_blank" href="http://www.tripatini.com/profile/jthaliacunningham">J. Thalia Cunningham.</a></span></p>
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<p class="PreformattedText"><span class="font-size-3">The capital of North Korea has more than its shares of monuments, but presumably, people live here, too. So one day our tour group visited some places beyond the great monuments and memorials that might offer some insight into what real life in Pyongyang is like.</span></p>
<p class="PreformattedText"><span class="font-size-3"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}9008639076,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-right" width="360" src="{{#staticFileLink}}9008639076,original{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="9008639076?profile=original" /></a><span class="font-size-2">At a department store, a few women were nosing around the perfume counter. Upstairs we spotted a man and woman at the jewelry counter. Otherwise, we were the only folks in the store, other than the clerks. Many, many bottles of snake wine were for sale. Like the worm in a quart of tequila, the snake remains in the bottle. Some of the bottles are huge, and the snake inside corresponds to the size of its glass domain, so the snakes coiled inside the larger bottles were monsters.</span></span></p>
<p class="PreformattedText"><span class="font-size-2">Other items on display: grocery items such as cookies and biscuits, cubes of bouillon, and sacks of rice. We saw cassette tapes and CDs, too. Upstairs, a few appliances were set out for the fortunate few.</span></p>
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<p class="PreformattedText"><span class="font-size-2"><strong>Pyongyang Children's Palace</strong></span></p>
<p class="PreformattedText"><span class="font-size-2">There was more action at the Children’s Palace, a marble confection where kids go after school to enhance their abilities. In one room they were all playing accordions. In another, little girls in leotards were dancing. In yet another, children practiced calligraphy. Girls were embroidering in a fourth room, using brightly colored silks to create intricate paintings with thread on canvas.</span></p>
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<p class="PreformattedText"><span class="font-size-3"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}9008638691,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img src="{{#staticFileLink}}9008638691,original{{/staticFileLink}}" width="360" class="align-center" alt="9008638691?profile=original" /></a><br /></span></p>
<p class="PreformattedText"><span class="font-size-2">What I found poignant was that the minute we entered a room where, for example, the activity included any of the performing arts, the children would immediately begin a rehearsed song or dance designed to entertain us. The music itself wasn’t the poignant part; it was the smiles. At least I think they were smiles. In one room, I was standing off to the side so I could photograph the children, so I didn't realize that my group had left. The nanosecond the Korean teacher and students thought every Western had left the room, those smiles disappeared as though someone had slammed the door on them. </span></p>
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<p class="PreformattedText"><span class="font-size-2"><strong>North Korea Children's Orchestra</strong></span></p>
<p class="PreformattedText"><span class="font-size-2">Reunited with the group, I accompanied them to a performance hall that was almost as large as Avery Fisher Hall in Lincoln Center. It wasn't just size that made this an impressive space: The orchestra could be raised or lowered from the pit. The lighting equipment was excellent; this hall lacked for nothing.</span></p>
<p class="PreformattedText"><span class="font-size-2">A children’s orchestra played music for an hour or so and other children performed for us. I believe there was one mistake when a pipsqueak failed to catch an object while juggling. I always wondered what happened to her afterward.</span></p>
<p class="PreformattedText"><span class="font-size-2">What struck me as most amazing was that these children – some as young as five years of age – were not only technically perfect in their dancing, singing, juggling, acrobatics, and gymnastics. At this emotionally undeveloped age, they also acted well. If a role called for a child to portray a character or emotion, then, by golly, that child depicted the character or emotion with the maturity of an adult. Creepy, very creepy.</span></p>
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<p><span class="font-size-2"><strong>Pyongyang Bar</strong></span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-2">One night we went to a local bar where we drank beer and spirits, and noshed on dried fish jerky. Now, one member of our group was afflicted by a horrible case of <em>glasnositis</em>, and I didn't have anything in my medical kit to treat it. Everywhere we had gone, he'd wanted to "make friends." This meant having his photograph taken with a pod of colorfully dressed women, a group of kids, you name it. Most of the folks were accommodating.</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-2">In the bar, however, there were only two locals other than ourselves: a couple of men who, clearly, wanted a quiet evening of just hanging out, drinking, and getting away from the womenfolk, the kids, the hard labor, whatever. Suddenly, in storms this crowd of Goddamn Westerners. Worse yet, Americans, making noise. The Korean men kept to themselves, drinking their booze and gnawing on enough salty fish to make them thirsty enough to need more booze, one of those happy cycles in life.</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-3"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}9296553273,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-right" width="360" src="{{#staticFileLink}}9296553273,original{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="9296553273?profile=original" /></a><span class="font-size-2">But our companion couldn't simply spend an evening in a bar without hyping it to the max. No, he bought everyone in our group plus the two Koreans a round of drinks. Then, he raised his glass in a toast, asking one of our guides, Mr. Kim, to translate. (It was easy to remember the guides' names. They were all named Mr. Kim, unless they were women.)</span></span></p>
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<p><span class="font-size-2"><strong>Glasnost Toast</strong></span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-2">Our new toastmaster orated a long salute more fitting to a visiting diplomat than a tourist wearing a frumpy striped T-shirt. One of the Mr. Kims did his best to keep up with the translation. I'm not sure I was keeping up, although the American was speaking English. Finally, he finished. We hoisted our glasses and drank to this gesture of friendship between our respective countries and to the two new friends my fellow traveler thought he had made by buying them drinks.</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-2">Accustomed to observing people, whether palpating their abdomens or hanging out in North Korean bars, I watched these two North Korean men. They remained polite, but their facial expressions were priceless. Silently, they communicated to each other, through sips of booze and gnaws of fish jerky, rolling their eyes and attempting not to express their contempt for this overbearing group of assholes. Clearly, they regarded the glasnost efforts of the American as a put-down. It was a revealing moment.</span></p>
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<p><span class="font-size-1"><em>For Part 1 of this series, <a href="http://www.tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/north-korea-travel-pyongyang-f" target="_blank">click here</a>.</em></span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-1"><em>Photographs by J. Thalia Cunniungham. </em></span></p></div>North Korea Travel: Pyongyang Finally Starting to Open Up?https://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/north-korea-travel-pyongyang-f2011-08-01T19:00:00.000Z2011-08-01T19:00:00.000ZDavid Paul Appellhttps://tripatini.com/members/DavidPaulAppell<div><p><font color="#000000"><font face="Verdana, sans-serif"><font size="2"><i>Part 1 of a four-part series by <a href="http://www.tripatini.com/profile/jthaliacunningham" target="_blank">J. Thalia Cunningham</a></i></font></font></font></p>
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<p><font face="Verdana, sans-serif"><font size="2"><font color="#000000"><span><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}9008633258,original{{/staticFileLink}}"></a><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}9008633870,original{{/staticFileLink}}"></a>While North Korea has not given up its hobby of saber-rattling at South Korea, it</span></font> <font color="#000000"><span>has made things a little easier for travelers who want to visit.</span></font> <font color="#000000"><span>I've found that g</span></font><font color="#1A1A1A"><span>etting in</span></font> <font color="#1A1A1A"><span>via Beijing</span></font> <font color="#1A1A1A"><span>is pretty straightforward, provided it’s done "properly” --</span></font> <font color="#1A1A1A"><span>that is, by obtaining visas and making arrangements through</span></font> <font color="#1A1A1A"><span>an authorized <a href="{{#staticFileLink}}9008633870,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img width="750" src="{{#staticFileLink}}9008633870,original{{/staticFileLink}}" class="align-center" alt="9008633870?profile=original" /></a>tour operator.</span></font> <font color="#1A1A1A"><span>Yes, tour operator – but don’t despair.</span></font> <font color="#000000"><span>The other people in the tour group</span></font> <font color="#1A1A1A"><span>were anything but boring: They included screenwriters, a novelist, a lobbyist, a philosopher – in short,</span></font> <font color="#1A1A1A"><span>travelers interested in learning how people different from themselves view</span></font> <font color="#1A1A1A"><span>the world.</span></font></font></font></p>
<p><font face="Verdana, sans-serif"><font size="2"><font color="#1A1A1A"><span>Our visit centered around the famous</span></font> <font color="#1A1A1A"><span><b>Mass Games</b></span></font><font color="#1A1A1A"><span><span> in Pyongyang, the capital. In this dazzling depiction of North Korean history, 100,000 gymnasts, martial artists, dancers, singers, and acrobats of all ages perform one of the world’s most remarkable spectacles. The 2011 Games are scheduled for August 1 through October 10.</span></span></font></font></font></p>
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<p><font color="#1A1A1A"><font face="Verdana, sans-serif"><font size="2"><b><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}9008633655,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img src="{{#staticFileLink}}9008633655,original{{/staticFileLink}}" class="align-right" width="324" alt="9008633655?profile=original" /></a>Sightseeing in Pyongyang</b></font></font></font></p>
<p><font face="Verdana, sans-serif"><font size="2"><font color="#1A1A1A"><span><span>Before we get immersed in the Games, though, know that Pyongyang itself is a spectacle. Its centerpiece is </span></span></font><font color="#1A1A1A"><span><b>Kim Il Sung Square</b></span></font><font color="#1A1A1A"><span><span> (right), a vast plaza rimmed by stately government buildings and museums.</span></span></font></font></font></p>
<p><font face="Verdana, sans-serif"><font size="2"><font color="#1A1A1A"><span><span>Visitors may ride the elevator to the top of the 492-foot (150-meter)</span></span></font> <font color="#1A1A1A"><span><b>Juche Tower</b></span></font><font color="#1A1A1A"><span><span> (below, left), a soaring obelisk, for stunning views of the city. Standing up there,</span></span></font> <font color="#000000"><span><span>I</span></span></font> <font color="#1A1A1A"><span><span>suddenly sense architectural similarities to Washington, D.C.</span></span></font></font></font></p>
<p><font face="Verdana, sans-serif"><font size="2"><font color="#1A1A1A"><span><span>Not to be outdone by France, Pyongyang also has an </span></span></font><font color="#1A1A1A"><span><b>Arch of Triumph</b></span></font><font color="#1A1A1A"><span><span>, although this one celebrates</span></span></font> <font color="#1A1A1A"><span><span>Great Leader Kim's Il Sung’s liberation of North Korea from Japan. Actually, it was the Soviet Union's army that disarmed the Japanese, but our guide focused on the fact that this arch is taller than its counterpart in Paris.</span></span></font></font></font></p>
<p><font face="Verdana, sans-serif"><font size="2"><font color="#1A1A1A"><span><span><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}9008634260,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-left" src="{{#staticFileLink}}9008634260,original{{/staticFileLink}}" width="180" alt="9008634260?profile=original" /></a>Broad avenues of eight lanes unblemished by cars sweep by other impressive testimonials</span></span></font> <font color="#1A1A1A"><span><span>like the</span></span></font> <font color="#1A1A1A"><span><b>Korean Workers Party Monument</b></span></font><font color="#1A1A1A"><span><span>,</span></span></font> <font color="#1A1A1A"><span><span>a trio of massive Things</span></span></font> <font color="#1A1A1A"><span><span>à la</span></span></font> <font color="#1A1A1A"><i><span>Addams Family</span></i></font> <font color="#1A1A1A"><span><span>holding a hammer and sickle from</span></span></font><font color="#1A1A1A"><span><span>Home Depot.</span></span></font> <font color="#1A1A1A"><span><span>Then</span></span></font> <font color="#1A1A1A"><span><span>there's the</span></span></font> <font color="#1A1A1A"><span><b>Victorious Fatherland Liberation War Museum</b></span></font><font color="#1A1A1A"><span><span>, containing American planes, tanks and other military effluvia captured during or after the Korean War. Prior to exploring the most famous of these, the</span></span></font> <font color="#1A1A1A"><i><span>USS Pueblo</span></i></font><font color="#1A1A1A"><span><span>, visitors are treated to a short film describing the unstintingly brave efforts of the Korean people against "U.S. imperialists"</span></span></font><font color="#1A1A1A"><span><span>(yup, there’s an English version).</span></span></font> <font color="#1A1A1A"><span><span>Agree or not, there's no question how fascinating it</span></span></font> <font color="#1A1A1A"><span><span>can be to</span></span></font> <font color="#1A1A1A"><span><span>hear about yourself from someone else’s point of view.</span></span></font></font></font></p>
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<p><font color="#1A1A1A"><font face="Verdana, sans-serif"><font size="2"><b>Grand Monument to "Great Leader" Kim Il Sung</b></font></font></font></p>
<p><font face="Verdana, sans-serif"><font size="2"><font color="#1A1A1A"><span><span>Plenty of additional lecturing is</span></span></font> <font color="#1A1A1A"><span><span>provided for us imperialist</span></span></font> <font color="#1A1A1A"><span><span>Westerners</span></span></font> <font color="#1A1A1A"><span><span>at the </span></span></font><font color="#1A1A1A"><span><b>Grand Monument</b></span></font><font color="#1A1A1A"><span><span> (below), a 65-foot (20-meter) bronze statue of</span></span></font> <font color="#1A1A1A"><span><span>"Great Leader" Kim Il Sung flanked by larger-than-life</span></span></font> <font color="#1A1A1A"><span><span>bronze figures depicting Korea’s "triumph" over</span></span></font> <font color="#1A1A1A"><span><span>Japan</span></span></font> <font color="#1A1A1A"><span><span>and the United States. This is the DPRK’s most sacred site. Every visitor,</span></span></font> <font color="#1A1A1A"><span><span>local or not, is expected to bow to</span></span></font> <font color="#1A1A1A"><span><span>Kim's statue. In addition to bowing, our group bought flowers to place at</span></span></font> <font color="#1A1A1A"><span><span>its feet. Oh, and any photographs taken</span></span></font> <font color="#1A1A1A"><span><span>must include the entire statue from head to toe.</span></span></font></font></font></p>
<p><font face="Verdana, sans-serif"><font size="2"><font color="#1A1A1A"><span><span><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}9008634453,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img src="{{#staticFileLink}}9008634453,original{{/staticFileLink}}" class="align-center" width="324" alt="9008634453?profile=original" /></a><br /></span></span></font></font></font></p>
<p><font face="Verdana, sans-serif"><font size="2"><font color="#1A1A1A"><span><span>Visiting the nearby</span></span></font> <font color="#1A1A1A"><span><b>Kim Il Sung tomb</b></span></font> <font color="#1A1A1A"><span><span>is considered an obligatory and solemn occasion requiring formal dress, a more formal protocol, and a prescribed series of bows in the chilled</span></span></font> <font color="#1A1A1A"><span><span>room where</span></span></font> <font color="#1A1A1A"><span><span>the leader still lies in state 16 years after death. Akin to the tomb of that other great leader, King Tut</span></span></font> <font color="#1A1A1A"><span><span>(who refuted the adage, “you can’t take it with you”),</span></span></font> this mausoleum<font color="#1A1A1A"><span><span> displays</span></span></font> <font color="#1A1A1A"><span><span>gifts</span></span></font> <font color="#1A1A1A"><span><span>Kim received from</span></span></font> <font color="#1A1A1A"><span><span>heads of state such as</span></span></font><font color="#1A1A1A"><span><span> Muammar Qaddafi. If all this bowing and scraping sounds</span></span></font> <font color="#1A1A1A"><span><span>silly, think about</span></span></font> <font color="#1A1A1A"><span><span>being presented to the Queen of England, and just go with the flow.</span></span></font></font></font></p>
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<p><font color="#1A1A1A"><font face="Verdana, sans-serif"><font size="2"><b><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}9008633685,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-right" src="{{#staticFileLink}}9008633685,original{{/staticFileLink}}" width="360" alt="9008633685?profile=original" /></a>A Visit to the DMZ</b></font></font></font></p>
<p><font face="Verdana, sans-serif"><font size="2"><font color="#1A1A1A"><span><span>The famous</span></span></font> <font color="#1A1A1A"><span><b>DMZ</b></span></font><font color="#1A1A1A"><span><span>, the 2.5-mile (4-km) Demilitarized Zone separating North and South Korea, may actually be the world's most militarized piece of real estate. It's home to more than 2 million soldiers, a million landmines, a Disneyesque propaganda village with the world’s tallest flagpole to show those South Koreans what they’re missing, and tunnels large enough to drive tanks through. From the DPRK side, in only one building, only one room, is it possible to cross the border between North and South Korea – and that is done by circumnavigating the table. When you take a DMZ tour from Seoul, you don’t see squat, in my opinion; from the North, you get into the DMZ’s core.</span></span></font></font></font></p>
<p><font color="#1A1A1A"><font face="Verdana, sans-serif"><font size="2">But DPRK isn’t all pomp and politics; real people live here, too. So in Part 2 of this series we'll get away from the monuments, go to a department store, visit an amusement park, and mingle (a little) with the locals.</font></font></font></p>
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<p><span class="font-size-1"><em>Photos: J. Thalia Cunningham</em></span></p>
<p><strong><span class="font-size-1"><em>For Part 2 of this series <a href="http://www.tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/north-korea-travel-visit-to-downtown-pyongyang" target="_blank">click here</a>. </em></span></strong></p>
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