North Korea Impression
Author: Li Daijian
Before visiting North Korea, each of us received a large bag of food, including mineral water, biscuits, sausages, pickles, and more. I was puzzled, and upon inquiry, I learned that these items are scarce in North Korea, and bringing them along could be used as gifts or for personal consumption. Additionally, we were informed that North Korean hotel staff particularly like Chinese handkerchiefs, so each of us bought several dozen as backups.
We stopped at Manpo Railway Station in North Korea, across the Yalu River from China, for about half an hour, before the special train provided by North Korea arrived. The special train consisted of four carriages, three for us and one serving as a dining car. Each compartment had four berths, slightly inferior to our soft sleeper compartments. Unfortunately, there was no air conditioning, only an electric fan powered by the moving train. When the train stopped, the fan stopped. Our guide had informed us earlier that North Korea frequently experiences power shortages during the journey, with indefinite stops until electricity is restored. As expected, the train stopped just 10 minutes after we boarded. Stepping out, we could see corn planted on the hillsides, with few tall trees in sight. It was said that to address the food shortage, trees were cut down, inevitably causing ecological imbalances and vicious cycles. In recent years, North Korea has faced either floods or droughts, resulting in consecutive years of reduced crop yields. Looking left, the river water was clear, with minimal white pollution along the railway, and the air was very fresh.
Thus, we traveled with numerous stops along the way, finally arriving at Miaoxiangshan Station around 10 p.m., after more than eight hours covering a distance of over 100 kilometers! Boarding the bus provided by Pyongyang International Travel Agency, we reached Xiangshan Hotel in 15 minutes. At the hotel, we had our first North Korean meal: a bowl of rice per person, a large pot of pickled cabbage soup, a pot of braised potatoes, a plate of stir-fried cabbage, a plate of ribs, and another plate of unidentified vegetables. Despite asking for more rice, the waitresses seemed hesitant to comply.
Inspecting the room after the meal, it was very tidy. Turning on the television, there was only one channel, with content reminiscent of 1970s films like "When Picking Apples" and "Village in Full Bloom."
The next morning after breakfast, we visited the Xiangshan Pu Xian Temple. The temple was very clean, but there were hardly any people burning incense and worshiping. This temple was almost identical to those in China, even the horizontal inscriptions and couplets were in Chinese characters. Surrounded by mountains, despite various wars, the temple had been preserved relatively well without much damage.
Afterward, we visited the International Friendship Exhibition Hall. It was divided into two exhibition halls, built into the mountainside. The first hall displayed various gifts given to Chairman Kim Il Sung by leaders from various countries during his lifetime, ranging from a train carriage (gifted by Stalin) to various jewels and treasures, many of which we had never seen before. The guide estimated the value of these exhibits to be around $1.5 billion.
In the afternoon, we traveled to Pyongyang. There were few cars on the expressway, but we saw many soldiers along the way, all of whom were high school students undergoing biannual military training. Despite the hot weather, they were fully equipped.
Our North Korean guide informed us of the three criteria for North Korean girls in choosing spouses: having served in the People's Army, being a member of the North Korean Workers' Party, or being a university student. It's best to meet all three criteria, but at least one must be fulfilled. Economic status is not a major consideration since North Korea operates a planned economy and rationing system, resulting in minimal wealth disparity. Education, healthcare, and housing are provided: education from elementary to high school is completely free; medical expenses are fully reimbursed; monthly grain rations are provided based on job nature and age, with the highest being 45 kilograms; housing is allocated according to family size. North Korea doesn't advocate family planning but encourages women to have children. Those who have six or more children are recognized as "hero mothers," yet people are still reluctant to have many children. North Korea implements compulsory education, and after graduating from high school, both males and females are required to serve in the military for 3 to 5 years. Each year, outstanding individuals among the discharged soldiers are selected to enter universities for further studies. Our male guide graduated from high school, served as a submariner for 5 years, and then entered university to major in Chinese for 4 years.
Author's note: This article was published in the June 2000 issue of the national-level publication "World Expo" with a fee of 400 yuan.