Hamhung, on the east coast of North Korea, is the country’s second largest city and a major industrial centre and port. It is the capital of South Hamyong Province and has a population of nearly 800,000 or less than a third that of the capital, Pyongyang which lies some six to eight hours away by road and much more by train. It took me ten hours to get there as we had a couple of scheduled stops, and one unscheduled one, along the way. Continue reading “Hamhung – Overview Part A – Introduction and Background”
Hungnam Fertiliser Factory – Hamhung, North Korea
Like everyone else, I had hoped that after our tiring though eventful ten hour bus trip from Pyongyang to Hamhung we would call it a day and head for our hotel. That was not to be. The day’s itinerary showed that we still had a fertiliser factory to visit and, notwithstanding that we were running a couple of hours late, visit it we did! Continue reading “Hungnam Fertiliser Factory – Hamhung, North Korea ”
The Ryugyong Hotel In A Whole New Light
For a country that can build buildings in a day or two (for example, the Armistice Signing Hall in Panmunjom in the DMZ) and whole streets full of high rise buildings in a year the 330 metres high, 105 story Ryugyong Hotel (Ryugyong – ‘capital of willows’– a former name for Pyongyang) remains uncompleted after 27 years and until 2018 has been a major embarrassment for North Korea. Continue reading “The Ryugyong Hotel In A Whole New Light”
Sinuiju Art Gallery
Having eaten it was now time for an afternoon of culture before we had to bid farewell to Sinuiju and to North Korea.
Our first stop was the Sinuiju Art Gallery. Continue reading “Sinuiju Art Gallery”
Pyongyang’s White Elephant
For a country that can build buildings in a day or two (for example, the Armistise Signing Hall in Panmunjom) the 330 metre high, 105 story Ryugyong Hotel ( Ryugyong – ‘capital of willows’– a former name for Pyongyang) is a major embarrassment to North Korea. In fact the unfinished hotel is, without doubt, North Korea’s number one embarrassment as, given its size and downtown Pyongyang location, it cannot be hidden or ignored (not even by our guides who could otherwise happily tell you, straight faced and without the blink of an eyelid that black was white). Continue reading “Pyongyang’s White Elephant”
Kim Il-sung Stadium
During our time in Pyongyang we were to visit or pass by the Kim Il-sung Stadium on a number of occasions, related, in particular, to the fact that it was the start and finish point for the Pyongyang Marathon which we attended, but more about that in another entry. Continue reading “Kim Il-sung Stadium”
Changjon Street Apartments
In my Chollima Statue review I explained how Kim Il-sung was keen that the redevelopment of North Korea, after the devastating impact of the Korean War, occur as quickly as possible and in 1956 he first urged his people to “rush at the speed of Chollima.”
The Rambling Wombat 