| Triumphal
Arch other
sites in Pyongyang |
Pyongyang, North Korea |
Pyongyang's triumphal arch is North Korea's answer to the one in France. Dedicated in April 14, 1982, it is 3 meters taller than the Arc de Triumph. It spans a mostly deserted street which, unlike most national capitals, suffers a dearth of traffic. The dates "1925" and "1945" on either side of the arch refer to length of Kim Il Sung's anti-Japanese struggle, which culminated in the fall of the Japanese Empire in 1945. Below them are four groups of bronze sculptures showing 24 figures in heroic poses. The words directly above the arch are the Korean tune "Song of General Kim IL Sung".
Notice how the arch incorporates both Western and Korean features. The lower half is a classic Roman three-part facade with huge pilasters. The upper part is a three-tiered roof, not unlike those in Buddhist temples (compare to Bunhwangsa, South Korea). It also has false-bracketing carved on the underside. According to a North Korean publication, "This stone building has dozens of bright and splendid rooms, balustrades and belvederes, stairs and up-to-date elevators". Apparently then, the interior is hollow, but this editor has been unable as yet to obtain any images of interior rooms.
Bibliography:
All images
copyright 2000 Dr. T. C. Kim
Chong,
Bong-uk (editor). A Handbook on North Korea.
Naewoe Press. Seoul. 1988
Pyongyang
Review (no authors listed)
Foreign
Language Publishing House. Pyongyang. 1988