Outside Pyongyang I saw plenty of farmland and rural communities. I actually took the first photo from the plane as we were arriving in the country. My first impressions were of bright green farms surrounded by mountains, and surprisingly the first country that came to mind was New Zealand. It was a completely different landscape from what I had pictured before my trip.
On the west coast, not too far from Pyongyang, is the city of Nampo. Once a small fishing village, Nampo grew into one of North Korea’s most important port cities. Its location near the mouth of the Taedong River gives it an important role in shipping and industry, and shipbuilding also takes place in the area. Outside the more developed sections of the city, the surrounding landscape quickly transitions back into farmland. Above are examples of an apartment building and one of the houses I saw during my visit.
National Day Celebrations
September 9, 1948 is the official founding date of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, and I happened to be traveling in the country during the anniversary celebrations. Near Nampo I came across this enormous organized dance. Most of the participants appeared to be women, with groups of soldiers standing around the sides of the square. It was one of the larger public celebrations I saw during my trip and an interesting experience to come across while traveling outside Pyongyang.
West Sea Barrage
One of Nampo’s most famous landmarks is the West Sea Barrage, a massive engineering project spanning nearly five miles across the mouth of the Taedong River. Construction began in 1981 and the barrage was designed to prevent saltwater from moving upstream while helping manage water levels for agriculture and other uses. It also includes locks that allow ships to continue traveling between the river and the Yellow Sea.
The West Sea Barrage is regarded as an important engineering achievement in North Korea and is one of the country’s best-known infrastructure projects. Unfortunately, the weather was terrible on the day I visited and visibility across the water was extremely limited. Along with my own photograph of the barrage, I photographed a drawing inside one of the buildings that gives a much clearer view of the entire structure.
The photo above shows a large ship approaching the locks of the West Sea Barrage. I had to leave before it actually entered, so unfortunately I didn’t get to watch the entire process. In the other photo I caught some people working along the water, although I never figured out exactly what they were collecting.
Wildlife Around Nampo
I only came away with a handful of wildlife photos from North Korea. I saw the butterfly above several times throughout the country, while the darker one stood out because of its unusual tail. I don’t know the exact species of either, but they were among the few animals I managed to photograph during the trip.
Very late one evening in Nampo I also came across trees filled with dozens of white birds that appeared to be cranes. I’d never seen so many large white birds gathered together in trees, but unfortunately it was far too dark to get a usable photograph.
After some light rain overnight, I woke up one morning in Nampo to find hundreds of spider webs covered in water droplets. Despite seeing webs everywhere, this was the only spider I actually found sitting in one.
If I ever return to North Korea, I’d especially like to explore more of the country’s natural areas. One place high on my list would be Mt. Paektu on the border with China. Its volcanic summit contains a large crater lake and the mountain appears frequently in artwork and imagery throughout North Korea. Between the volcanic scenery, forests, mountains, and wildlife, it would be a completely different side of the country from the cities and historical sites I saw on this trip.
