The Arch of Triumph (개선문) in Pyongyang is the world’s tallest triumphal arch. Inaugurated in 1982 to commemorate the 70th birthday of the Great Leader Kim Il-sung and his achievements during the National Liberation War it is modeled after the Arc de Triomphe in Paris, just a little bit taller (60 meters vs 50 meters) and wider (50 meters vs 45 meters) than the original. An impressive monument in the neighborhood of the Kaeson Fun Fair (a.k.a. Kaseon Youth Park), the Kim Il-sung Stadium and the Kaeson Metro Station it stands on the foot of Moran Hill, where Kim Il-sung gave a public speech after returning from exile in 1945 to address his people and to celebrate the country’s liberation from Japanese occupation.
Important design elements are the year dates 1925 and 1945 – the first one marking the beginning of Kim Il-sung’s fight against the Japanese oppressors (according to North Korean historians…), the latter one marking the end of Korea’s occupation by Imperial Japan. Below both numbers are sculptures of soldiers and workers, both male and female, celebrating and looking forward to a brighter future. Above the archways you can find a depiction of Mount Baekdu (sometimes spelled Paektu), in Korea considered a holy mountain involved in the legendary foundation of the country, as well as the first two verses of the “Song of General Kim Il-sung”, a marching song praising the DPRK’s Eternal President.
I’ve been to both the Arc de Triomphe and the Arch of Triumph – and although the latter one is just 10 to 15% bigger it’s way more impressive. The Arch of Triumph was our first destination upon entering Pyongyang from the airport and I guess it’s safe to say that the whole tourist group was in awe! Our bus parked on the south-west part of the area and we were able to walk around a bit, first east towards Kim Il-sung Stadium and then north towards the Kaeson Fun Fair. There hundreds of people were practicing for the Arirang Mass Games – but unlike BBC “undercover journalist” John Sweeny we were allowed to take photos and videos of the practicing group. I think one of the guides asked us not to single out people by zoom, but in my opinion that’s common courtesy anyway. (Fun fact: Officially you are not allowed to bring lenses larger than 150mm to North Korea – my usual standard lens is 18-200mm, but nobody bothered me about that at any point of the trip!)
The sun was setting, the sky was blue without the hint of a cloud, the cherry trees were still in full bloom… it was such a peaceful, almost tranquil moment. Was this really the same country the media in Japan, the States and Europe were panicking about for months? It was hard to believe – and I was curious what the upcoming days would bring…
(Please *click here to get to Abandoned Kansai’s North Korea Special* and *here for a map about the tour at GoogleMaps*. If you don’t want to miss the latest article you can *follow Abandoned Kansai on Twitter* and *like this blog on Facebook* – and of course there is the *video channel on Youtube*…)
Wow very impressive!
It truly was – way more impressive than the one on Paris. Probably because Pyongyang is a much smaller and lower city.
“Officially you are not allowed to bring lenses larger than 150mm to North Kore”. Are you 100% sure? They told me it was 200mm, and that’s why I took my 70-200mm there (which looks huge). They actually never checked my camera or lenses really. The only times they really worried are when we went through the night market and the roads in the countryside.
Hey Jordy,
That’s what I’ve been told by Koryo Tours. To quote their website: “DPRK regulations state that you cannot take a lens over 150 mm into the country.” But since it is a rule on paper only anyway I guess it doesn’t really matter. And I guess I’ve been lucky that I got permission to take photos and videos while driving through the countryside – one exception: When we approached Kaesong, since there were military posts along the road. We even passed by a prison I found out via GoogleMaps. I wonder if I took any photos by chance…
Arc de Triomphe and the Arch of Triumph … how different can they be in the two countries where they are? Anyway, great post.
They just want to be noticed that they still exist. They succeeded.
Wow, really fascinating post- thank you so much for sharing! Looking forward to reading the next post!
Thanks a lot! The next article will go online on Thursday.
Thank you very much for this 🙂 I’ll visit North Korea in a few months and you just gave me very good tips.
I am happy to hear that – have a great time in the DPRK!
Reblogged this on Pinkpodster Ponders and commented:
Very few people get to have the experience of visiting North Korea. Here is someone who has and is sharing some fabulous photography as well as general information and insight about the adventure. This is just a taste of what he has to offer so make sure to check out his other posts, too!
Am so Impressed.
I am happy to hear that!
Your in depth posts are just fascinating. And the videos are really exciting to watch.
Thanks a lot, that is very kind of you to say!