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 appropriated the myth in the period of reconstruction following the Korean War – so that the zeal of the North Korean workers to rebuild their shattered nation and construct monuments to the leadership became known as ‘Chollima Speed’.
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
1.25 MILES
This tower honours the North Korean philosophy of Juche and was unveiled to mark President Kim Il-sung's 70th birthday in 1982. Indeed, the tower is made…
Monument to the Foundation of the Workers' Party
1.29 MILES
This startlingly bombastic monument has starred on the cover of more books about North Korea than almost any other. The three hands portrayed represent…
0.59 MILES
This is Pyongyang’s top recreation ground: couples wander, families picnic and there are people playing guitars and sometimes even dancing in an…
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18.21 MILES
History continues to evolve in North Korea, with new revolutionary discoveries being made every year. While the government announced in 1993 that its…
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Kumsusan Memorial Palace of the Sun
2.79 MILES
Kim Il-sung’s residence during his lifetime, the Kumsusan Palace remained so after his death. North Koreans come here en masse to pay their respects to…
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0.13 MILES
Every itinerary includes an homage to these vast bronze statues of the smiling Great Leader and Dear Leader, the latter in his trademark parka. The first…
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3.37 MILES
Several films a year are churned out by the country’s main film studios in the suburbs of Pyongyang. The two main focuses are predictably the anti…
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3.32 MILES
A surreal, enormous exhibition complex, North Korea’s answer to Florida’s Epcot theme park details the ‘three revolutions’ Kim Il-sung brought about in…
Nearby Pyongyang attractions
0.13 MILES
Every itinerary includes an homage to these vast bronze statues of the smiling Great Leader and Dear Leader, the latter in his trademark parka. The first…
0.14 MILES
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…
0.22 MILES
Located inside what is today Pyongyang's main park, the Chilsong Gate was once the northern entrance to the original walled city of Pyongyang and dates…
0.49 MILES
This stone column topped with a red star commemorates the Soviet liberation of Pyongyang from Japanese rule in 1945. Built in 1947, it is thoroughly…
0.59 MILES
This is Pyongyang’s top recreation ground: couples wander, families picnic and there are people playing guitars and sometimes even dancing in an…
0.72 MILES
Your guides will tell you proudly that the Triumphal Arch is 6m higher than its cousin in Paris, making it the largest of its kind in the world. The arch…
0.77 MILES
The western gate of the original walled city of Pyongyang dates from the 6th century, but was rebuilt in the 15th century and then again in 1955.
0.78 MILES
This massive mural depicts the hypothetical scene of the joyful masses celebrating Kim Il-sung's arrival in Pyongyang, even though the event wasn't quite…