Introduction to today's journey
Today's journey takes me from Wonsan back over the Rangrim Mountains towards Pyongyang. Approaching the city we stop at the historical tomb of King Tongmyong. Returning to the city we stop at the Arch of Reunifictation before heading up to the city's highest lookout at the Juche Tower for panoramic views over the city.
Today's Journey
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View from my hotel room in the Tongmyong Hotel in Wonsan, looking along a very long causeway to a small island. We had walked along this causeway late last night seeing a lot of people fishing from the walkway. |
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Rain begins falling with thunderstorms predicted, so we leave Wonsan heading back across the Rangrim Mountains. |
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Following the very rough concrete motorway across the mountains. We occasionally see a broken down truck, but told not to film it. We also occasionally reach a border control where soldiers check our itinerary. Nobody is allowed to travel between different regions within the country without special government permission. Fortunately our guides have our passes allowing us to pass through each checkpoint. |
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About half an hour out from Pyongyang, we divert to visit the mausoleum of King Tongmyong, the founder of the Goguryeo kingdom (the first iteration of the Korean people), with his grave nearby. Paintings cover the king's life between 58 and 19 BC. These have a strong Buddhist theme with Buddhism being the main faith of the Korean Peninsula between 277 BC and 668 AD. |
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About a kilometre away from the mausoleum is a Buddhist monastery, where a monk shows us around. |
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We enter Pyongyang passing under the reunification arch, commissioned by Kim Jong Il from his vision of uniting the two Koreas. The people of the DPRK do not recognise North and South Korea as separate countries, but consider the south to be part of their land invaded by the Americans. |
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Upon our return to the city, we head up the Juche Tower, from where we look downstream along the Taedong River towards the Yanggakto International Hotel where we are staying tonight isolated on its little island. |
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View back across Pyongyang away from the city centre. This is an almost perfectly symmertrical city. |
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I head down from the tower and to the edge of the river from where I look across it into the centre of Pyongyang looking towards Mansudae Hill blocked by some very modern apartments. |
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After the sun sets, we head to an amusement park which the wealthy in Pyongyang frequent. This is a roller coaster, one of numerous attractions here in this park. |
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