| | We travelled from Hong Kong to Beijing by train in hard class sleeper. |
| | | Our group in Tian An Men Square in Beijing. |
| | | Our Soviet-era Tupolev-154 waits for us at Beijing Airport. |
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| | Arriving in Pyongyang, we move our watches forward one hour but go back 50 years |
| | | Our first visit is the Arch of Triumph, modelled on Paris, but proudly higher. |
| | | A Pyongyang bus near the Arch of Triumph. |
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| | At the Kim Il Sung Stadium, children prepare for the mass games in -8°C |
| | | Housing in Pyongyang near the Kim Il Sung Stadium. |
| | | A mosaic of the Great Leader Kim Il Sung. |
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| | Kim Il Sung died in 1994, but is still President- head of state now for 58 years |
| | | The Arch of Triumph, built where Kim Il Sung addressed the masses in 1945. |
| | | A sculpture beside the Mansudae Art Theatre. |
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| | Mosaic from the opera 'Sea of Blood' on the wall of the Mansudae Art Theatre |
| | | All visitors should pay respect to the statue of the Great Leader, Kim Il Sung. |
| | | The statue (background) is definitely larger than life-size! |
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| | Part of the sculpture beside the bronze statue of Kim Il Sung. |
| | | The Chollima Statue beside one of Pyongyang's main roads - with few cars. |
| | | A group of Pyongyangites comes to pay respect to the Great Leader. |
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| | Bowing at the statue of Kim Il Sung, the world's longest serving head of state! |
| | | Sadly for me, this bookshop at our hotel never opened during our stay. |
| | | The Pyongyang skyline from my hotel window. No advertising, and hardly any cars. |
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| | At night, Pyongyang's few bright lights illuminate HIS statues and propaganda |
| | | We visited the captured US spy ship, USS Pueblo, now a trophy in the Taedong R. |
| | | A copy of the US apology and confession. |
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| | A DPRK Army officer describes the savagery of US aggression and imperialism |
| | | The USS Pueblo, now a trophy in the Taedong River in Pyongyang. |
| | | High-rise housing blocks beside the Taedong River in Pyongyang. |
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| | A factory across the road from the mooring of the USS Pueblo. |
| | | A typical street scene in central Pyongyang. Note the display of Kim Il Sung. |
| | | The Great Leader, Kim Il Sung, greets us as we arrive at the Korean War Museum. |
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| | In DPRK, the Korean War is known as the Victorious Fatherland Liberation War. |
| | | A display of the impact of aggressive US military operations against DPRK |
| | | The ceiling of the diorama in the Military Museum |
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| | A section of the diorama in the Victorious Fatherland Liberation War Museum. |
| | | Part of the Monument to the Victorious Fatherland Liberation War in Pyongyang |
| | | Building of the unfinished 105-storey Ryugyong Hotel stopped in 1992 |
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| | A sculpture in the Monument to the Victorious Fatherland Liberation War |
| | | Another view of the Monument to the Victorious Fatherland Liberation War |
| | | Entrance to Pyongyang's Victorious Fatherland Liberation War Monument |
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| | The female peasant and male worker statue beside the Taedong River. |
| | | Tower of the Juche Idea. Juche (self-reliance) is DPRK's guiding philosophy |
| | | The peasant and worker statue in Pyongyang |
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| | Looking across the Tedong River to the Grand People's Study House. |
| | | Buildings near the Tower of the Juche Idea. |
| | | Pyongyang skyline from the summit of the Tower of the Juche Idea. |
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| | The Grand People's Study House from the summit of the Tower of the Juche Idea. |
| | | East bank of the Taedong River from the summit of the Tower of the Juche Idea. |
| | | The Ryugyong Hotel from the summit of the Tower of the Juche Idea. |
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| | East Pyongyang from the summit of the Tower of the Juche Idea. |
| | | Pyongyang street scene on the east bank of the Taedong River |
| | | Pyongyang from the summit of the Television Tower. |
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| | The China-Korea Friendship Monument from the summit of the Television Tower. |
| | | The Arch of Triumph from the summit of the Television Tower. |
| | | The May 1st Stadium is the venue of the mass games, where 500,000 people perform |
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| | Puhung (Revival) Metro Station. Pyongyang's Metro is the world's deepest. |
| | | Travelling in a railway carriage on the Pyongyang Metro. |
| | | In Yonggwang (Glory) Metro Station, the lights represent exploding fireworks. |
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| | Closer detail of the Pyongyang Metro's elaborate architecture. |
| | | The entrance to Yonggwang (Glory) Metro Station |
| | | Pyongyang's Central railway Station. |
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| | Pyongyang's female traffic police have the precision of finely-tuned robots. |
| | | The main building of Moranbong Secondary School No.1 |
| | | Our students in national costumes in the foyer of Moranbong Secondary School No1 |
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| | Farewelling the students of Moranbong Secondary School No.1 |
| | | The Tower of the Juche Idea beside the Taedong River. |
| | | Pyongyang's skyline looking west from the Yanggakdo Hotel |
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| | The Monument to Kim Il Sung's 3-point plan for Korean Reunification |
| | | The arch spans the Reunification Highway that goes south from Pyongyang. |
| | | A typical village between Pyongyang and Kaesong. |
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| | The armistice to end the War was signed here on 27 July 1953-great significance! |
| | | The table where the armistice was signed to end the war on 27/7/1953 |
| | | A display of DPRK bravery against US aggression during the Korean war. |
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| | The border between the two Koreas is the low concrete strip. |
| | | Close view of the border, taken from one step inside South Korea. |
| | | South Korean soldiers video and photograph our visit - very intimidating |
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| | The main negotiating room at Panmunjom, half in the north and half in the south |
| | | I turn my back on South Korea and face north! [Just kidding :-)] |
| | | North and South Korean soldiers take different approaches to PR at Panmunjom |
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| | An elevated view of the negotiating huts at Panmunjom. |
| | | A village near the DMZ (Demilitarised Zone). |
| | | Lunch in Kaesong, about 7km north of the border with South Korea. |
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| | | Field glasses focus on the Concrete Wall, built by the US dividing the 2 Koreas |
| | | Shaking hands with a Korean People's Army colonel in the DMZ. |
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| | The US says the Concrete Wall doesn't exist; it is just DPRK propaganda! |
| | | The Songgyungwan Neo-Confucian College was built in Kaesong in 992AD |
| | | King Kongmin's tomb near Kaesong dates from his death (of course!) in 1374 |
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| | The group in Kaesong, in front of a statue of Guess Who. |
| | | The main street in Kaesong - not much traffic for a city with 330,000 people |
| | | The Nammun (South Gate) was once part of Kaesong's city walls. |
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| | At our hotel in Kaesong, we slept on mats on the heated floor. |
| | | Rural life north of Kaesong - we are returning to Pyongyang. |
| | | Typical village life between Kaesong and Pyongyang. |
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| | Like many hills in the DPRK, this one displays a propaganda slogan. |
| | | Back in Pyongyang, and welcomed by the Great Leader. |
| | | A street in central Pyongyang near the Grand People's Study House. |
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| | The Great Leader welcomes us in the foyer of the Grand People's Study House. |
| | | Inside the Grand People's Study House in Pyongyang. |
| | | One of the many study rooms in the Grand People's Study House. |
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| | A display of brilliant insights by the Great Leader. |
| | | A painting honouring the exploits of Kim Il Sung's militant wife, Kim Jong Suk. |
| | | Kim Il Sung Square from the balcony of the Grand People's Study House |
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| | The Museum of Revolutionary History, flanking Kim Il Sung Square. |
| | | Central Pyongyang from the balcony of the Grand People's Study House. |
| | | Our bus, near Kim Il Sung Square in central Pyongyang. |
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| | Looking across Kim Il Sung Square to the Grand People's Study House. |
| | | Looking across Kim Il Sung Square and the Grand People's Study House. |
| | | Ministry Buildings beside Kim Il Sung Square in the centre of Pyongyang |
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| | We had lunch on this boat on the Taedong River. The boat never left the wharf. |
| | | The Revolutionary Martyrs' Cemetery in north-eastern Pyongyang. |
| | | The top end of the Revolutionary Martyrs' Cemetery in north-eastern Pyongyang. |
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| | The Tower of Immortality, marking Kim Il Sung's role as Eternal President. |
| | | The words on the tower say "The Great Leader Kim Il Sung will always be with us" |
| | | Revolutionary street art in downtown Pyongyang. |
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| | A militant mosaic at the front of the Pyongyang Grand Theatre. |
| | | The Monument to the founding of the Korean Workers Party. |
| | | Hammer, writing brush and sickle- symbols of workers, intellectuals and peasants |
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| | Typical housing block, Pyongyang. |
| | | A street scene in Pyongyang. The capital city is the DPRK's show piece. |
| | | Public transport in Pyongyang. |
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| | Revolutionary street art in Pyongyang. |
| | | North Korea's first street advertisement - for a DPRK-made ex-Fiat. |
| | | We joined Pyongyangites for a circus performance, featuring live animal acts. |
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| | The end of the circus performance. |
| | | My documents. Visas can't be kept. My passport has no record of the visit! |
| | | Farewelling our local guides, Mr Kim and Miss Honey, at the airport. |
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| | Our Tupolev-154 prepares for our flight back to Beijing. |
| | | In the cabin of our early model Tu-154, made in 1976. |
| | | Is Air Koryo the only airline to play army marching music as background? |
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