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We travelled on the first three stations, respectively named “Prosperity”, “Glory” and “Flaming Torch”. I approve of these names. There are doubts whether the other 13 stations really exist. Our guide told us they were “under repair”.pic.twitter.com/TJ2XD8EtO8
Prosperity Station. Note the old creaking trains, the glorious murals on all walls, and the lights overhead.pic.twitter.com/X0O3NBT64D
Even down here you are never far from Socialist Realism, though I prefer this over McDonalds adverts.pic.twitter.com/A2JaECTn7T
This kinda reminded me of the City of Rapture in Bioshock.pic.twitter.com/Dso4abRZwg
North Koreans heading home after a busy day working for the greater good.pic.twitter.com/oaRJ7WdSJm
If you look carefully at the far wall of the train carriage you will notice the portraits of Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il always watching.pic.twitter.com/dTHor8TWzG
Flaming Torchlight Station: surprisingly summer than Glory Station.pic.twitter.com/YFjO2nQNCk
Upon emerging from the underground, we were then taken to a bizarre mini amusement park that was shockingly quite good.pic.twitter.com/DLelTEM2T4
Though the rides were modern, we were still not allowed more than a few metres away from our ever-present tour guides, and we had to put our cameras away whenever a soldier walked by.pic.twitter.com/0nAheretUH
People seemed to be having a genuinely good time. North Korea isn’t a simple black and white place, though as a tourist I was of course only given a highly chaperoned tour of what they wanted me to see.pic.twitter.com/00MEuhTAeK
Some important buildings around Pyongyang: The Arch of Triumph.pic.twitter.com/K5x56d2OKk
And at night. To the right you can see the still unfinished Ryugyong Hotel lit up. It is 105 stories high and listed in the Guinness Book of Records as the tallest unoccupied building in the world (the guides don’t tell you this).pic.twitter.com/7HVSFr8uHR
Construction began in 1987 but hit a major roadblock when the Soviet Union collapsed and the DPRK has bigger problems than an unfinished hotel. Still, it has a certain dignity about it.pic.twitter.com/I54yaGTep4
The Juche Tower. Juche is the state ideology of North Korea. It basically boils down to Korea itself being the religion of Korea.pic.twitter.com/M2G4aamZy1
The Monument to the Founding of the Workers’ Party. In addition to the hammer and sickle, the Koreans also add in a calligraphy brush to the usual Communist sign. Our guide told us this was because “we have more intellectuals than the other socialist countries”!pic.twitter.com/0rwmZzWkcJ
<<Intermission>> The North Korean film I watched on one of my three TV channels. The other channels were all basically images of Kim Jong Un and people applauding.pic.twitter.com/4uHq6BTDHL
On the glorious Day of the Sun itself, we visited the Kumsusan Palace where the bodies of Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il lie in state. This was a highly regulated day where we had to wear formal dress and few photos were allowed.pic.twitter.com/76Tn9li8hB
The sun magically appeared and Pyongyang was sparkling. We were told to maintain a solemn air and arms were to be at our sides at all times. We couldn’t put them in our pockets or even fold them.pic.twitter.com/sHAXNqrVct
Korean women heading to pay their respects. Inside the palace, all visitors (including us) have to bow three times to the bodies of the Great Leaders. No talking is allowed.pic.twitter.com/b6YJvmoD7u
The front of the palace. These were once Kim Il Sung’s offices, now they are a temple to the Kims.pic.twitter.com/vNCWsHkwET
People from all over North Korea come for the Day of the Sun. Kim Jong Il also has his own day in February: The Day of the Shining Star. Officially though, neither of them are dead. They both remain President and Chairman of North Korea for eternity.pic.twitter.com/g7arPkIfjl
We were then taken to boring exhibitions of the Kimilsungia flower named after the eternal President. Here is a rare photo of him when young where you can see the close resemblance he has with his grandson.pic.twitter.com/VKDUHOzjq1
Statues of the Kims where we were forced to purchase $5 flowers and lay them at their feet before bowing.pic.twitter.com/O4cHalQUD5
Later, in one of the main squares, a mass dance “spontaneously” broke out in honour of the day.pic.twitter.com/HPdy86t7q3
The sight of hundreds of people repeating identical dance movements was quite stirring. We even joined in.pic.twitter.com/HWgfjAhQo1
As a reward for our good behaviour and patriotism, we were then allowed a trip to an amazing bar which wouldn’t have been out of place in any major western city.pic.twitter.com/n1UWfJFoXj
The Day of the Sun was completed by a dinner on an old fashioned river boat which was delightfully kitsch inside. Even the uniforms of the waitresses were a joy.pic.twitter.com/CQYws1lIsT
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