Travel Notes | North Korea has no story

When I returned to China, as soon as my phone regained signal, I received a greeting from a friend who had not supported my trip to North Korea: Brother Nan has a story to tell.

But I didn't.

It was like watching a movie for 4 days, and I had some feelings, but it was still incomplete. After returning to China, I bought two books about North Korea, and retrieved information about cities and scenic spots that were already vague in my memory , made this push.

In the past, some information from books, the Internet, and friends’ mouths have described North Korea to me. What’s interesting is that the versions depicted are all different and cannot be falsified. I originally expected to see something this time, but as expected, I was severely limited by routes and time.

What impressed me most was the various people I saw on trains and tour buses. Although they are separated by the car window and the road, even though they may be just a small moving speck in the distance, and even though their voices are not heard, the simple picture blended between them and the scene they are in is full of charm and power.

Many wonderful North Korean photography works on the Internet have a distinct Magnum style. Beauty is beautiful, it is always a set style. Therefore, the following photos are all original images (except for cropping) to restore reality. (Unexpectedly, however, the color of the car windows has already put a filter on some photos. This texture makes this originally mysterious country appear in both time and space, naturally far away from us.)

In addition, because I was worried that my camera would be inspected when going through customs, I only dared to take pictures with my mobile phone most of the time, and I didn’t think too much when pressing the shutter button, so the quality of the photos was generally not high. If you can’t stand it, you can watch the video I recorded and simply edited. (This one has a filter)

I hope you will go there in person and come back with some real stories to tell me.

01 Sinuiju

Sinuiju, a special administrative region of North Korea, is located on the south bank of the Yalu River on the China-North Korea border in northwest North Korea, across the river from Dandong, China.

It only takes 7 minutes by train from Dandong to Sinuiju. The tour guide warned that because it is close to China, there may be fake goods in the product area.

The broken bridge of the Yalu River, Chinese tourists happily waved us off

On the left is Sinuiju, North Korea, and on the right is Dandong, China.

The first sight I saw after crossing the river: the abandoned playground

02 Along the train

There are golden fields on both sides of the train. I don’t know whether they are rice or wheat. They are particularly lovely. It reminds me of a sentence in Bai Juyi's "Guan Mowed Wheat": At night the south wind rises, and the wheat is covered with long yellow.

I vaguely remembered that this was a somewhat sad poem, so I came back and looked it up. The last few lines were "A woman carries a basket with food, a child carries a pot of pulp", "The feet are full of earthy summer weather, and the back is burned by the scorching sky."

I saw very few agricultural machinery along the way.I wonder if these North Korean farmers, who organize their production and life under the agricultural cooperative model, are living well.

North Korea Railway Station

dilapidated old train

train carrying children

A sheep and train shadow

Leisure under the tree

There is only one train from Dandong to Pyongyang every day. The journey of more than 280 kilometers takes six hours.

The train passes through towns, fields, rivers and train stations, so you can see people bending down to harvest crops in the fields, and people sitting around to rest. The train will wave to us when it passes; from time to time, people on the fields will flash forward with large bundles of crops on their backs. Crooked farmers, brisk cyclists, and people talking under the trees; villagers and station policemen waiting for the train to pass; occasionally ox carts, cars, and agricultural machinery that may be tractors can be seen in the distance.

These are all identifiable at a glance, just like the people in the painting performing their respective duties in "Along the River During the Qingming Festival". They are in an orderly manner in the scene they belong to, depicting the style of this scene at this time.

There are also intruders in the painting, such as the young man sitting on a hillside looking at us in the picture above. I'm really curious why they are here.

One scene that I couldn't take impressed me the most - a man in red pants standing on a hill next to the train, with his arms akimbo and his back facing us, his back straight, exuding strong hormones from Jiang Wen-style movies The breath seems to be a metaphor for something.

I once saw a boy who looked like a primary school student. While walking, he held up a book rolled into the shape of a telescope and looked around, looking at the sky, the train, and elsewhere.

At that moment something seemed to hit me. I think he wants to understand the world, but does he know that even if he adds lenses to his "telescope", he won't be able to see anything.

03 Pyongyang

Pyongyang, the capital of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, is the political, economic and cultural center. According to the legend of the Korean people, in 2333 BC, Tangun, the ancestor of the Korean nation, chose a flat and fertile land on the banks of the Datong River to establish the ancient Korean Kingdom. This place is today's Pyongyang.

The Pyongyang city we saw only has a history of about 50 years. During the Korean War (1950-1953), the U.S. military dropped 428,000 bombs on Pyongyang. At that time, Pyongyang had a population of only 400,000, which meant that each citizen was hit by more than one bomb on average, and the city was razed to the ground. A veritable "Pyongyang".

In 1952, North Korea, still at war, launched the Pyongyang reconstruction plan. The Pyongyang we see today is famous for its wide and straight roads: Stalin Avenue, the main road planned 50 years ago, is 45 meters wide, and Guangfu Street, built in 1987, is 100 meters wide (Beijing's Chang'an Avenue is 50 meters wide). Office buildings and cultural facilities such as museums, libraries, and theaters are located along the roadside, or there are clusters of residential buildings.

When passing by these residential buildings, the tour guide emphasized to us that their jobs and housing are allocated according to the system. When working, getting married, or having children, you can apply to the state for housing allocation or housing change.

Pyongyang night view

 

Kim Il Sung Square

Cangtian Street is a high-rise residential area located in front of the Mansudae People's Theater in Pyongyang, the capital of North Korea. Construction was initiated by North Korea's then leader Kim Jong Il in 2012. This is to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the birth of Comrade Kim Il Sung as a gift to the people.

A poster showing high fighting spirit

The street lights are far apart and not bright. It is said that the power supply in Pyongyang is unstable, and even hotels dedicated to foreign guests may experience sudden power outages.

hotel

 

We stayed at the Yanggang Hotel, located in Mangyongdae, Pyongyang. It is a first-class hotel, equivalent to three stars in China.

Looking out from the hotel room

hotel lobby. To the left of the front desk is the coffee area, and to the right is the souvenir shop. My friend and I tried to sneak out of the hotel, but we were chased back by hotel staff running behind us about ten meters away from the gate.

Books published by North Korean newspapers & Korean Foreign Languages ​​Publishing House for tourists from all over the world

On the Pyongyang subway elevator, I once saw a citizen reading a small red book intently. I wonder if it was "Juche Thought Questions and Answers"

This paragraph is excerpted from "The Story of Kim Il Sung"

Pyongyang street scene

 

Taxi at the hotel parking lot

A promotional wall depicting a happy life. I bought the same postcard in a souvenir shop

Bronze statue of Chollima

Mansudae Bronze Statue

Balconies filled with flowers add a rare touch of life to the entire city

This is the Pyongyang I saw.

The streets are clean and tidy, and there are not many shops. The small citizens look particularly small walking in front of the neat and monotonous tall buildings. This is an atmosphere rarely felt in China.

The people here have a unique spirit. They walk with their heads held high, but their eyes are empty. They rarely laugh or curse in casual chats.

Interestingly, North Koreans really like watching foreign tourists. Whenever the bus stops on the road due to red lights or other reasons, the North Koreans outside the window will look at the tour bus with such indifference and look at us.

I would also look at them, trying to hide my curiosity and goodwill with a blank expression, but I would be defeated in just 2 seconds, and I would be embarrassedwithout losingpolite to them. Smile and wave.

At this time, they will also smile and wave to us. The car started, and we went to meet the next scene of indifferent citizens.

Pyongyang Metro

 

The Pyongyang Subway opened in September 1973. It is 100 meters deep and is the deepest subway in the world. The Pyongyang Metro has two lines and 17 stations, which are distributed around public places, entertainment venues and residential areas in Pyongyang City. It is the most commonly used public transportation mode for Pyongyang citizens. The number of users is around 400,000 on weekdays and 700,000 on holidays.

According to the tour guide, one ride on the Pyongyang subway costs 5 North Korean dollars, which is equivalent to 30 cents of RMB (that is, RMB: North Korea = 1:16, but according to online information, the actual exchange rate is 1:1700. When we buy items in North Korean stores, it is Using a separate price system does not correspond to the exchange rate. In other words, our consumption in North Korea is still very expensive (ice cream is 5 yuan).

We only experienced one subway stop. This carriage was only occupied by foreign tourists and was empty when it arrived.

Tower of Juche Thought

The Juche Tower was built on April 15, 1982, the 70th anniversary of the birth of Kim Il Sung, to commemorate Kim Il Sung's creation of "Juche Thought". The tower is 170 meters high and stands on the east bank of the Taedong River, facing Kim Il Sung Square across the river. The 150-meter-long tower is made of seventy-section white granite, symbolizing Kim Il-sung's 70th birthday. The 20-meter-high red torch on the top will shine every night, symbolizing the "immortal brilliance of the subject."

Juche idea is a set of revolutionary theories created by Kim Il Sung, which is regarded by North Korea as the guiding ideology of the party, country and people. Its core idea is that "man is the master of everything, and man determines everything."

The back of the tower is inlaid with commemorative marbles and jade donated by political circles, social circles, Juche research organizations and friendly groups in more than 80 countries in the world to commemorate the establishment of the Juche Tower.

Brick city

Arc de Triomphe

 

This giant building was built on April 15, 1982 to commemorate North Korea's leader Kim Il Sung's two victories over Japan and the United States, which invaded North Korea, enabling North Korea to gain independence and establish a country with a socialist system.

The tour guide proudly introduced that the Pyongyang Arc de Triomphe is 60 meters high, 10 meters higher than the most famous Arc de Triomphe in Paris.

Wanjingtai Former Residence

 

The old residence where the great leader Comrade Kim Il Sung was born and spent his childhood still retains the appearance of that time.

Pyongyang High School

Most trips to North Korea include visits to schools. Some routes go to nurseries, some to elementary schools, and what we came to was a middle school in Pyongyang.

After-school life of North Korean high school students

The performance was held in a school auditorium with strong Korean characteristics. Female students played musical instruments, sang and danced on the stage.

Midway through the show, the performers came off the stage and invited visitors to dance, including me. I looked into my dance partner's eyes, nodded to her, and smiled, hoping that she would respond to me. She still smiled sweetly, elegantly and standardly, which made me sad - our dance was just her job, Does she enjoy the work?

glorious motherland

 

To commemorate the 90th anniversary of the birth of Kim Il Sung, North Korea launched the first large-scale group gymnastics performance "Arirang" in 2002. This magnificent performance involving 100,000 people became almost an annual summer ceremony in North Korea from 2007 until 2013. Temporarily suspended for the year.

Starting from September 9 this year (North Korea’s National Day), the group gymnastics performance will be on stage again under the name of “Glorious Motherland” to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the founding of North Korea.

Therefore, before departure, we received news from the travel agency that before October 10 this year, foreign tourists entering North Korea must watch the large-scale group gymnastics performance "The Glorious Motherland". They need to pay a supplementary ticket of 800 yuan. If they do not watch, they will not be allowed to enter.

This grand performance was held at the May Day Stadium (upper left corner), which can accommodate 150,000 people and is said to be the largest venue in the world. (The maximum capacity of the Bird's Nest is 91,000 people)

The performers on the opposite stage gradually took their places. Throughout the performance, they would painstakingly hold up different color plates to form beautiful pictures like pixels on a screen, but they could never show their faces.

The entire Korean Peninsula is constantly displayed throughout the performance, expressing the vision and hope of national reunification.

China-North Korea Friendship Tower

 

This may be the most anticipated trip for every Chinese tourist.

In order to commemorate the great achievements of the Chinese People's Volunteers who sacrificed their blood to help the Korean people during the Korean War, on October 25, 1959, North Korea built the Friendship Tower on the north side of Pyongyang's scenic spot - Moran Peak. Its architectural address and architectural shape were personally selected and reviewed by Premier Zhou Enlai and Prime Minister Kim Il Sung during his visit to North Korea in February 1958.

A box containing a list of martyrs is placed on the marble platform inside the tower, and murals showing three scenes of the Chinese People's Volunteers helping the Korean people participate in exhibitions, fighting, and post-war recovery and construction are displayed on the walls.

When I turned the first page and saw the word "Jinzhai", I couldn't help but cry. Since I was a child, I have visited the tombs at the Jinzhai Martyrs Cemetery and visited the Revolution Museum every year. What I have felt is the greatness and remoteness. But when I was actually in a foreign country, coming to this land where the heroes from my hometown had fought and died, I felt sad in my heart.

ps: My grandfather and grandpa both participated in the Korean War. The unit my grandpa was in at that time was the 50th Army led by martyr Cai Zhengguo.

04 Along the highway

05 Kaesong

Kaesong was once the ancient capital of the Goryeo Dynasty (Wang's Goryeo, 918-1392). It was also a border city of North Korea after the division of the Korean Peninsula and the center of North Korea's light industry today. Here we visited Panmunjom and Korea Museum.

panmunjom

The dividing line between North and South Korea was originally scheduled to be the 38th parallel at 38 degrees north latitude. After the Korean War, the Chinese People's Volunteers and the Korean People's Army pushed the western dividing line south to today's Panmunjeom, where the Korean Armistice Agreement was signed.

Korean War Armistice Negotiation Venue

Tourists taking photos at the negotiation table

The table in the corner of the venue

If it wasn't built for war, it would be great to have breakfast here.

Korean War Armistice Agreement Signing Venue

There are seven wooden houses in the newly built Panmunjeom joint security venue area after the armistice. The blue room is managed by the US and South Korean troops, and the white room is managed by the North Korean army. A cement line 7 centimeters high and 40 centimeters wide separates each house, and also separates the entire Korean Peninsula into two worlds - this is the military demarcation line, and neither North Korea nor South Korea is allowed to cross a step.

Barbed wire fence in military zone

When I left, I saw a yellow morning glory in full bloom spreading out from an iron fence, which was particularly touching.

Sungkyunkwan

Goryeo Sungkyunkwan, once a higher education institution during the Goryeo Dynasty, is now the Goryeo Museum, exhibiting cultural relics unearthed during the Goryeo Dynasty.

The word "Chengjun" comes from the "Book of Rites of Zhou", "The talents are not yet fully developed, but the customs are uneven."

I happened to meet a North Korean couple taking wedding photos here

06 Miaoxiang Mountain

international friendship

exhibition hall

 

It was built in 1974 and opened in 1978. The main collection includes more than 200,000 gifts given to North Korean leaders Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il by political dignitaries and envoys from various countries around the world. It is one of the main propaganda materials used by the North Korean government to show its recognition and support from the world.

You are not allowed to bring anything other than banknotes into the museum, so I was unable to take any photos inside the museum.

Puxian Temple

Built in 1042 AD (Goryeo period), it is a famous Korean temple consisting of 24 pavilions (243 rooms) and is a cultural treasure of North Korea.

END

I wanted to go to North Korea two or three years ago because I regarded North Korea as China's past. After returning from this trip, I didn’t think so anymore. North Korea is North Korea, and everything exists for a reason.

I also discussed with my friends that if they could choose, would people prefer to live in a world that is pure and safe and free from "inequity", or would they choose a world that is complicated, full of unknown surprises, but relatively real?

This is also the ultimate choice Truman faces after overcoming his fear and traveling across the ocean, in front of the gate to the recording studio and the real world. Truman is lucky, his world is clear between true and false. But for the world in front of the TV audience, where is the boundary between truth and falsehood?

Perhaps we are like the little boy who used a rolled book to form a telescope, seeing mountains as mountains and nothing more.

anyway

Bless the people on this land, bless ourselves, and the world.