Monument to the Chuch'e ideology
The monument of the Chuch'e ideology is a memorial complex in the North Korean capital Pyongyang in the district of Tongdaewon-guy .k . It bears its name after the Chuch'e ideology (pronounced: Dschutsche ) developed by Kim Il-sung .
It forms a square on the promenade of Taedong-gang in an axis with Kim-Il-sung-Platz on the opposite side of the river. The complex includes the Chuch'e Tower, a large bronze sculpture, six other granite sculptures as well as two pavilions and two water features with fountains up to 150 meters high .
Chuch'e tower
| Korean spelling | |
|---|---|
| Korean alphabet : | 주체 사상 탑 |
| Hanja : | 主體 思想 塔 |
| Revised Romanization : | Juchesasangtap |
| McCune-Reischauer : | Chuch'e Sasang T'ap |
The Chuch'e Tower (to be precise: Tower of the Chuch'e ideology ) is the central structure of the entire complex and a symbol of Pyongyang. It was erected on the occasion of the 70th birthday of President Kim Il-sung , completed in 1982 and inaugurated on April 15th of that year. It is said that it was designed by Kim Il-sung's son Kim Jong-il . The tower is said to have been visited by over two million people by 2012. The 170 meter high structure consists of 25,550 granite blocks (one for each day in Kim Il-sung's life up to his 70th birthday) and is closed at the top by a 20 meter high torch made of a red glass mosaic. The torch with a diameter of twelve meters is illuminated from the inside to create the impression of a burning fire.
On the front of the tower base is a plaque with an inscription in praise of Kim Il-sung. On both sides of the tower, reliefs with magnolia and Kimilsungia flower baskets are carved into the base. They are the national flowers of North Korea.
The viewing platform can be reached with an elevator. The 70 steps correspond to the 70 years of Kim Il-sung's life at the time of establishment. In the arched entrance area there are dedicatory panels from supporters of the Chuch'e ideology from different countries. At night the tower is illuminated and the torch is illuminated from the inside with a flicker effect.
Centered front of the tower is located on the leading to the tower staircase , a 30-meter-high bronze - sculpture in the form of a three-person group. It depicts an intellectual, a worker and a peasant woman, each holding up their tools, brush, hammer and sickle , thereby representing the emblem of the Korean Labor Party .
Granite sculptures
On both sides of the tower there are three further about ten meters high, thematically different group sculptures to illustrate the life force that is supposed to be associated with the Chuch'e ideology. They are called "Chuch'e Industry", "Harvest Time", "Land of Learning", "Chuch'e Art", "Longevity" and "Impregnable Fortress".
North of the tower are the following sculptures:
Sculpture with Korean people
Sculpture with soldiers of the Korean People's Army
Sculpture Chuch'e Industry
The tower, located on the banks of the Taedong River , is Pyongyang’s most striking building after the 330-meter-high Ryugyŏng Hot'el, which is still unfinished .
Illustration on bank notes
The tower was depicted as a motif on the front and as a watermark on the 50 won note from 1992. On the 50 won note from 2009 only the torch of the tower is shown on the front.
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b The Voice of Korea
- ↑ a b Philipp Meuser (ed.): Architectural Guide Pyongyang. Volume 1: Photos and Descriptions. DOM publishers, Berlin 2011, ISBN 978-3-86922-126-7 , p. 112.
Coordinates: 39 ° 1 ′ 3 ″ N , 125 ° 45 ′ 48 ″ E