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Pyongyang.
Pyongyang
P'yŏngyang (평양; 平壤) (population 2,741,260 (1993)) is the capital city of North Korea, located in the northwest of the country, near the Taedong river.
According to legend, the city was founded in 1122 BC.
The Han Empire established commanderies here in 108 BC, which lasted for 400 years.
After they were abolished, Goguryeo moved its capital here in 427.
The Tang Empire and Silla allied and destroyed Goguryeo; and Tang put Andong Commandery in P'yŏngyang (668-676).
In 676 it was wrested by Silla but left unattended until Goryeo dynasty.
The capital has been completely rebuilt since the Korean War (1950-1953). The city is designed as a showcase for the communist revolution, with wide avenues, imposing monuments, and monolithic buildings. The tallest structure in the city is the uncompleted 1,080-foot Ryugyong Hotel. This hotel has 103 floors and a few pavilions for rotating restaurants; however, construction has been stalled for years.
Some notable landmarks in the city include the Arch of Triumph (a larger replica of Paris's Arc de Triomphe), the Tower of the Juche Idea in Juche Park, the reputed birthplace of Kim Il Sung at Mangyongdae Hill, and two of the world's largest stadiums (Kim Il Sung Stadium and May Day Stadium).
The two-line underground metro system was built in 1970s. There is also a tram and trolleybus service. There are no private automobiles, although the state government operates a sizable fleet of Mercedes-Benz limousines for Party bureaucrats.
Pyongyang is served by Sunan International Airport, which has weekly flights to Beijing and several other Asian cities. The city also has regular train service to Beijing, a journey of about 24 hours.
External links
This article is adapted from from Wikipedia All Wikipedia article text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License
The Aquariums of Pyongyang: Ten Years in the North Korean Gulag by Kang Chol-Hwan
Pyongyang: The Hidden History of the North Korean Capital by Chris Springer
The Aquariums of Pyongyang : Ten Years in a North Korean Gulag by Kang Chol-Hwan
The Aquariums of Pyongyang: Ten Years in the North Korean Gulag by Kang Chol-Hwan
Les Amazones de Pyongyang by GĂ©rard de Villiers
Les Aquariums de Pyongyang by Kang Chol-Hwan
PYongyang Between Peking and Moscow: North Korea's Involvement in the Sino-Soviet Dispute, 1958-1975 by Chin O. Chung
Tokyo, Pekin, Heijo : Zenkyoto keiken o kangaeru = Dongjing, Beijing, Pyongyang by Koji Takazawa
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