Scenery of River Taedong in Pyongyang

The River Taedong is the fifth largest one in size in Korea.

It starts from the Rangnim mountain range between Taehung County in South Phyongan Province and Jangjin County in South Hamgyong Province, and flows into the West Sea of Korea through the Nampho City.

It is over 450 km long and covers an area of 20,000 square kilometers.

It has hundreds of large and small tributaries.

It has now turned into a grand man-made lake that would never run dry in all seasons due to the barrages including the West Sea Barrage.

It adds beauty to the scenery of Pyongyang.

It is said from olden times that Pyongyang has eight scenic beauties, including the greeting of spring on the Ulmil Pavilion and enjoying the first full moon on the Pubyok Pavilion of Moran Hill on the Taedong riverside.

The Taedong River basin has many historic relics.

On the left side a little off across Okryu Bridge from the East Pyongyang region there is Ryongwang Pavilion.

One pillar of the pavilion has a hanging-board that reads “the most picturesque place in the world”.

It was written by an envoy of a foreign country who had visited Pyongyang hundreds of years ago and viewed the scenic beauty of the Taedong River on the pavilion.

On one side of it, there are the Pyongyang Bell and the Taedong Gate which show the long production traditions of the Korean nation.

On the Taedong riverside are a number of monumental edifices.

There are the Tower of the Juche Idea (170 m) in the East Pyongyang, the Grand People’s Study House opposite to it across the river, and the Kim Il Sung Square in front of the Study House.

On Mansu Hill of the Central District of Pyongyang stands the statue of President Kim Il Sung.

Up on the hill, the Monument to Party Founding symbolic of the history of the Workers’ Party of Korea can be seen across the river.

On the Taedong riverside there are cultural and welfare establishments, funfairs and a network of service facilities here and there.

On the Rungna Islet is the May Day Stadium of 150,000 seats with parachute-shaped roof.

In the stadium, the mass gymnastics and artistic performances of the youth and children including the 13th World Festival of Youth and Students were given and other sports events have taken place.

On the riverside a little down from the islet is Okryu Restaurant, a Korean-style green tile-roof house.

It is always crowded with the people because of its famous “Pyongyang Naengmyon (cold noodles—Ed)”.

Besides, there are the Pyongyang Grand Theatre, the East Pyongyang Grand Theatre, the Central Youth Hall and the Pyongyang International Cinema.

The Taedong River has large bridges including Okryu Bridge.

Modern streets such as the Munsu and Thongil streets have been built on the region near the river, well matching with its scenery.

Down along the riverside there are Mangyong Hill which boasts of its scenic beauty, and President
Kim Il Sung’s native home at Mangyongdae where he was born (April 15, 1912) and spent his childhood.

It has also the picturesque Ssuk Islet where President Kim Il Sung met the democrats of south Korea who had taken part in the north-south joint conference in April, Juche 37(1948).

The appearance of the anglers on the rest days cuts figures in the scenery of the Taedong River.

There live many kinds of fishes in the river such as a carp, a silver carp and a crucian carp.

Cranes and seagulls and rare birds are flying over here season after season, adding beauty to the scenery of the Taedong River.