North Korea (DPRK) -
Historical buildings. (Translated by Natalia)
The subjects of this album are "historical buildings".
Sorry, but I almost cannot remember the names (and could you remember
them?) and cannot even tell if there's a one place at the pics or two
different places…
The modern buildings were more interesting for me. Looks like such
inattention to history even has touched the girls a little…
I think, one of the reasons for it - that we here are too spoilt with
St.Petersburg, Peterhof, Pavlovsk and so on… :)
Anyway, I'll show you the pictures.
Here's the Buddhist temple Pohen
in Myahang mountains and the buildings around it.
The temple was originally raised in 1042 and since then it's been burnt
and re-built many times.
The quote from one of the sources about Buddha:
"According to
Buddhist chronology the Buddha lived with 623 on 544 ã up to B.C. He was
born in aristocratic family that ruled a small country on the border of
Nepal and India. In his childhood he was protected . from the unpleasant
parties of a surrounding life. When Gautama grown up, he realized that
life is full of sorrow. He decided to help the people. At the age of 29
he left home and became a hermit. But soon he knew that killing of the
flesh conducts to fading of the mind and gave up the asketism. At the
age of 35 he realized that the truth is near. Gautama absorbed into
meditation and spent there 4 or 7 weeks without food and sleep. As a
result he has reached an enlightenment, i.e. became the Buddha, who
knows all the laws of Universe. After that Buddha walked around the
country about 45 years, preaching his doctrine. He died at the age of
80".
As I said before, during the war, the bombing of USA has destroyed most
of historical buildings in the North. That's why it's very difficult to
tell, what building is ancient, what is restored and re-built. I think,
there're lots of new-built.
Anyway, they never say to tourists that
"this building was re-built in some year…" - for clear reasons.
This thing is called "stupa".
"Stupas - are integral monolithic monuments with small chambers and
niches for sculptures. According to a legend, the first stupas were
raised after the Buddha's body was burned at the Indian custom. The
ashes of Buddha's body was divided to 8 parts, for 8 Indian regions that
claimed to have Buddha's relic.
Stupas can be hemispherical, tower-shaped or bell-shaped. In system of
Buddhist symbolism stupa is considered as vertical model of the
Universe. It symbolizes " the creative beginning of the Universe ", " an
impulse of a life ", a nirvana. Architectural features of stupas in each
country are defined by local traditions, but in the plan they should be
necessarily round or square.
Interestingly, is the number of circles symbolizes something?
It's necessary to take off the shoes near the entrance.
There're straw
mats on the floor.
Ornament on the ceiling
The bush, shaped like Korean peninsula
Notice, that it's the WHOLE Korea, not only Northern.
Almost all ancient buildings are built in the characteristic style with
the curved roofs.
here's something like legend, explaining why the
roofs have such shape.
Imagine, that the evil spirit falls down on the roof. If the roof is
usual, it'll slide down and fall into the courtyard. With corresponding
consequences . And, if the roof is curved a bit, then the evil spirit
will fly away like from jumping off place (then it maybe will fly away
to neighbour ;) )
A quote from one of the readers:
"It is interesting, that the form of a roof corresponds to known
problem about brahistotrone, according to which the drop, that falls to
the ridge of the roof, will most quickly roll down at the form of a roof
, in the form of (to not tell lies) arches of a cycloid"
Besides constructions, we visited museums. Including those, where there
different ancient manuscripts have been exposed. The part was stored in
the tight premise, filled with argon, with a glass wall.
Also there
was an ancient university. It looked like the above described temple
complex - a few similar buildings with the wall.
The nature is beautiful.
A group of children that we met, when we walked out of another
sightseeing.
Of course, they didn't miss a chanse to pose at the camera ;) ;-)
The duty monk in one of a monastries.
To all attributes, the monk
is his post. He walks out to tourists and answer the questions. Like: "
Whether themonks serve in army?" (" -Yes, they do") and so on. Actually,
the politically grounded monk.
We asked, where do they take the food.
The monk explained, that the state supplied'em with the food and they
just grow different medicinal herbs.
Have a look at the boots :)
The militaries, visiting the sightseeing.
There's a number at the
right of the bike.
The Tomb of king Kongmin (the 31st king of a state Koryo)
It's situated 11 km far from frontier city Keson, which we're going
to visit in next album.
The one notice by the way:
In Northern Korea, at the official level, they're very validly concern
to the ancient governors (kings). It seems, that every next governor
(including Kim Ihr Sen and Kim Cheng Ihr) are their successors or not
less than continuers of one business.
Think, this is the one of logical consequences of that the social
system here is not really baesd on Marxism (if in USSR it's been
forgotten in mid 1920ies, here it seems to be never known), but on idea
about value and qualities of the nation.
Koreans are lucky because their national/ethnic structure is practically
homogeneous. In Russia the similar approach can lead to rather
unpleasant and even fatal consequences.
