It was an early start to get to the DMZ and Panmunjom by 10am as this was the allotted time for us to be there. It did not help that it had snowed overnight and the roads were quite icy. Road gangs were out clearing the snow and ice, not with machines, but with shovels and wicker brushes. It seems that a group of people is responsible for a section of road and it is their responsibility to keep it clean.
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| Road conditions on the way to the DMZ |
When leaving Pyongyang I noticed women on the street banging drums and were told that these were housewives, who did not work, banging drums, singing and shouting to motivate the men in their work and so be more productive. It seems that if people do produce more than expected then they may have some time off work.
On arrival at the DMZ we were allowed to walk around certain areas and take photographs. We saw the silver and blue buildings where the truce was signed between the North Koreans and the Americans (the South Koreans did not sign the armistice). Inside the larger building was the table where the armistice was signed and the original American flags left there when the Americans left in haste. We were able to go onto the roof of a new building and look towards the border with the south. As a surprise we were allowed to take a photo of the North Korean officer who showed us around the area. There was far more access to things here than at the DMZ in South Korea with there being quite a relaxed feeling as well.
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| Inside the 'blue' building in July 1953 |
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| The DMZ area |
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| The 'blue' buildings now |
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| The tour group with the North Korean guide |
After visiting the DMZ we were taken to Kaesong, the old capital of the country with parts of the old city remaining and which is the southern most city in North Korea. It is an UNESCO site with many old buildings. There we saw an old university, founded in 992, which had been started by the Confucians but was now a museum. The city is now mainly an industrial area.
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| Old Kaesong |
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| Kaesong at the end of the day |
Some of us climbed, with difficulty due to the frozen paths, a hill called the Kaesong Kwandok Pavilion which looked out over the city. This was originally built in 1780 as a place for archery practice and competitions.
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| View from Kwandok Pavilion |
Kwandok Pavilion
On the way back to Pyongyang we called in at a ginseng factory then a stamp exhibition which portrayed, through stamps, the progress of the country from wars end to today.
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| Poster at the DMZ |
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| Poster at the DMZ |
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| They did not mind having their photo taken |
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| People always went in groups |
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| A wedding party going to Kim's memorial |
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| The old university |
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| The carving had a special meaning (I forgot what) |
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