Introduction

   Pyongyang is situated on the middle plain in the northwest of the Korean peninsula.

   Its name means “a flat land”.

   The Taedong River, one of the longest rivers in Korea, runs through the city, and there extend vast plains on both sides of the river, dotted with low hills.

   Topographically, the northern mountains keep off the cold northwestern wind in winter, and the eastern and southern plains are exposed to cool southeastern and southwestern wind, thus providing favorable conditions for tour activities.

   The average annual temperature is 9.5℃ and the average annual precipitation is about 1 000㎜.

   In spring, Pyongyang presents the scene of a sea of flowers as in Mangyongdae famous for beautiful landscape and various kinds of flowers are in full bloom on Moran Hill, which is called a garden of the capital and the streets lined up with apricot trees.

   Walking along the banks of the Taedong and Pothong rivers is fine, and the boating on the rivers adds luster to the attractiveness of the city in summer.

   The scene of Pyongyang in autumn is very charming for clear and blue sky, fresh air and autumnal tints on the hills.

   In winter when it snows in large flakes, the mild weather, white snow and frostworks give rise to a special feeling of the city.

   Pyongyang is a city associated with time-honored history, brilliant culture, wisdom and talents of the Korean nation.

   It is one of the cradles of mankind and a city of culture with 5 000-year-long history.

   There remain a lot of historical relics left by the Korean ancestors one million years ago, which prove the emergence of mankind.

   It was the capital of Ancient Joson (early 30th century B.C.-108 B.C.), the first state in Korea, and Koguryo (277 B.C.-A.D.668), a millennium power in the East. There are many historical relics showing the long history and brilliant culture of the Korean people, including the Mausoleum of Tangun, founder-king of Ancient Joson, and the Mausoleum of Tongmyong, founder-king of Koguryo.

   After Korea’s liberation from the Japanese military occupation on August 15, Juche 34 (1945), Pyongyang began to open a new page in the history of its development as the capital of the DPRK.

   In the city there is the native home in Mangyongdae where the President was born.

   In the city the glorious Workers’ Party of Korea was founded in October Juche34 (1945) and the DPRK, in September Juche37 (1948).

   During the three-year-long Korean war (June 25, 1950-July 27, 1953), the city was completely ruined by bombing.

   After the ceasefire, it has been turned into a modern and beautiful city. It boasts of attractive green foliage and all kinds of flowers and many monumental edifices, including the Tower of the Juche Idea and the Arch of Triumph.

   Today Pyongyang is changing into a more magnificent and beautiful city of creation, construction and miracle day by day.

Tourist attractions

Mausoleum of King Tongmyong

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   It stands in Ryongsan-ri of Ryokpho Distirct, 25 km away from the centre of Pyongyang.

   It is the tomb of King Tongmyong (His original name is Kojumong), founder-king of Koguryo (277 B.C. – A.D.668), the first feudal state and the strongest in the history of Korea. It was moved to the present location in 427 when Koguryo moved its capital to Pyongyang, according to the manners of respecting their founder-king.

   The present mausoleum was renovated true to the principle of fidelity to historical truth in May Juche82 (1993) on the occasion of the king’s 2 291st birth anniversary.

   Covering an area of over 170 hectares, it is divided into three sections: the king’s mausoleum, Jongnung Temple and servants’ tombs.

   The section of the mausoleum consists of a gate built in the Korean architectural style, the mausoleum, stone sculptures of civilian officials and military officers and other sculptures, tombstones and a shrine for memorial service.

   There were a large number of valuable remains in the chamber of the mausoleum, but they were plundered by the Japanese imperialists during their military rule of Korea.

   Seen on the walls in the chamber of the grave are mosaics depicting lotus flowers.

   Jongnung Temple was built when moving the mausoleum in a bid to pray for the soul of King Tongmyong. It is a large temple covering an area of 37 000 square meters. It is surrounded by corridors 223 m long from west to east and 133 m long from north to south.

   In the section of the subjects’ tombs are 15 tombs of the king’s loyal subjects who contributed to the founding of Koguryo.

   The mausoleum of King Tongmyong was registered as a World Cultural Heritage of the UNESCO in Juche93 (2004).