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Armistice Talks Hall
Here negotiations were held between the two sides from 1951 until the final armistice, which was signed here on 27 July 1953. You’ll see two copies of the agreement on display in glass cases, along with the original North Korean and UN flags. Next door there’s an exhibition of phot
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Tongbong Co
Some way outside of Hamhung is the Tongbong Co-operative Farm, which can also be visited by groups. While you’re unlikely to see any actual farming (except from a distance), you will be able to visit a kindergarten, a quite beautifully presented gift shop and see the inside of a co
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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 wars end. The sculptures reflect the different battles of the war; the Victory
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Moran Hill
This is Pyongyang’s top recreation ground: couples wander, families picnic and there are people playing guitars and sometimes even dancing 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
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Demarcation Line
The demarcation line consists of two sinister-looking headquarters staring at each other across the line (the North Korean is built to be the bigger of the two) and several huts built over the line for meetings. You can cross a few metres into South Korea within the huts, but the d
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USS Pueblo
The USS Pueblo is a US surveillance vessel that was seized by the North Koreans off the east coast of Korea in January 1968 during a heightening of tensions between the North and South. Its been preserved since then and is currently moored in the Pottong River. You can step aboard
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Party Founding Museum
Located on the southern slope of Haebang Hill is this museum that 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 r
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Tower of the Juche Idea
This tower honours the North Korean philosophy of 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
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Tomb of King Kongmin
The 31st Koryo king, Kongmin reigned between 1352 and 1374 and his tomb is the best preserved and most elaborate in the country. It is richly decorated with traditional granite facing and statuary, including sheep statues (in honour of his Mongolian wife, also buried here) and plen
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Monument to the Foundation of the Workers Party
This startlingly bombastic monument has starred on the cover of more books about North Korea than almost any other. The three hands portrayed represent the worker (holding a hammer), the peasant (holding the scythe) and the intellectual (holding the writing brush). Its an enjoyable
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Kim Il Sungs Birthplace
Kim Il Sungs 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 its been built in the past few decades. The emphasis is very much on the presidents humble
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Mangyongdae Children’s Palace
This centre for extracurricular activity – from martial arts to the playing of traditional instruments – makes for a great visit. The palace visit includes displays of incredibly talented martial artists, gymnasts and musicians, all beaming at you with permanent smiles as they perf
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Ryugyong Hotel
This extraordinary hotel, begun in 1987, has three decades later still not been completed. Planned as a prestige project, but abandoned following the collapse of the USSR, its haunting skeleton sat for years as an unavoidable symbol of North Koreas economic failure. In 2008 work be
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Pyohon Temple
The most historically important Buddhist temple in western North Korea, the Pyohon Temple complex dates back to 1044, with numerous renovations over the centuries. It features several small pagodas and a large hall housing images of Buddha, as well as a museum that sports a collect
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Songgyungwan Neo
This well-preserved college, originally built in AD 992 and rebuilt after being destroyed in the 1592 Japanese invasion, today hosts the Koryo Museum , which contains celadon pottery and other Buddhist relics. The buildings surround a wide courtyard dotted with ancient trees, and t
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Grand Peoples Study House
The country’s largest library and national centre of Juche studies, where any North Korean over 17 can come for free lectures. With over 30 million books, finding what you want is inevitably quite a challenge – and you will be proudly shown the impressive system of conveyor belts t
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Korean Revolution Museum
Despite the museum’s rather misleading name, its main function is to document the death of Kim Il-sung (including a film of the extraordinary public reaction to it) and the succession of Kim Jong-il during the turbulent 1990s. One of the more bizarre items on display is a tin of Ni
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Chollima Statue
This impressive statue portrays Chollima, the Korean Pegasus. It’s an interesting example of how the North Korean state has incorporated traditional Korean myths into its cult. According to legend, Chollima could cover hundreds of kilometres a day and was untameable. Kim Il-sung ap
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Samjiyon Grand Monument
Set in a huge clearing in the woods with views to Paekdusan and overlooking a large lake, this must be the most impressive paean to the leadership in the country outside Pyongyang. The monument commemorates the battle of Pochombo, where the anti-Japanese forces first moved from gue
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Pyongyang Metro
Visiting the impressive Pyongyang metro is definitely a highlight of the capital. The network, which is made up of two lines, has a simultaneous function as a nuclear bunker in the event of the long-awaited American invasion. Stations are deep below ground and you can even see blas
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