West Sea Barrage
The reason tourists come here (usually on an overnight stop en route to Kaesong) is to see this barrage, built across an 8km estuary of the Taedong to solve the areas irrigation and drinking-water problems. The impressive structure, built during the early 1980s, is nevertheless a r
Historic Pyongyang
To see something of Pyongyangs 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 remind
Three Revolutions Exhibition
A surreal, enormous exhibition complex, North Korea’s answer to Florida’s Epcot theme park details the ‘three revolutions’ Kim Il-sung brought about in postwar Korea: ideological, technical and cultural. The six halls detail advances across the board in electronics, heavy industry,
Triumphal Arch
Your guides will tell you with barely concealed glee that the Triumphal Arch is 6m higher than its cousin in Paris, making it the largest of its kind in the world. The arch marks the site where Kim Il-sung first addressed the liberated Koreans after the end of Japanese occupation i
Victorious Fatherland Liberation War Museum
Perhaps the best museum in Pyongyang, this mouthful of an institution opened its new home in 2013 to mark the 60th anniversary of the end of the Korean War. Outside youll see war-damaged tanks, weapons and aircraft used by both sides in the conflict, while inside there are interact
Panmunjom
Ironically the sad sight of a pointlessly divided nation remains a highlight of any trip to North Korea. Even if youre just in North Korea for a couple of days, youll be taken here as the DPRK is very keen to show off what it considers the net result of American imperialism. While
Pyongyang Zoo
Worth a visit for the opportunity to see locals enjoying themselves in an informal setting, Pyongyang zoo 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 bigwig
Pyongyang Film Studios
Several films a year are still churned out by the country’s main film studios in the suburbs of Pyongyang. Like most 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 bui
Kumsusan Memorial Palace of the Sun
Kim Il-sung’s residence during his lifetime, the Kumsusan Palace remained so after his death. North Koreans come here en masse to pay their respects to Kim Il-sung and Kim Jong-il, both of whom now lie embalmed in glass boxes. The palace is eerie, with bricked-in windows and a vast
Mansudae Grand Monument
Every itinerary features this larger-than-life bronze statue of the Great Leader, to which a statue of Kim Jong-il in his trademark parka was added in 2012 following the Dear Leader’s death. The first statue was unveiled in 1972 to celebrate Kim Il-sungs 60th birthday. It was origi
Mangyongdae
Located 8km 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 houses the place of Kim Il-sung’s birth, a typical Korean
Tomb of Tangun
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 Tangun, the founder of the first Korean kingdom, it wasnt until recently that North Korean
Kim Il
Pyongyang’s central square is where North Korea’s massive military parades normally take place. The plaza is ringed by austere-looking buildings: most impressive of these is the Grand People’s Study House , the country’s largest library and national centre of Juche studies, where a
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
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 countrys highest mountain at 2744m (9000ft), and an amazing geological phenomenon (an extinct volcano with a vast crat
International Friendship Exhibition
If you begin to miss the relentless pomp and propaganda of Pyongyang, this massive display of the gifts given to Kim Il-sung and Kim Jong-il, housed in a mountainside vault that is vaguely reminiscent of a Bond villains hideout, will remind you that you are still very much in North
Doing business & staying in touch while in North Korea
North Korea: Doing business & staying in touch
North Korea Weather, Climate and Geography
North Korea Weather, climate and geography
North Korea History, Language and Culture
North Korea History, Language and Culture
North Korea Travel Guide and Travel Information
North Korea Travel Guide
