On Mansu Hill are the grand bronze statues of the Founder Kim Il-sung and his son Kim Jong-il. Standing at a staggering 20 meters, the statues’ left and right are accompanied by monuments of Korean’s Worker Party’s flag and 228 bronze figures all standing at 5 meters high. This sculpture is symbolic of the socialist revolution and the struggle against North Korea’s imperialist enemies, the Japanese. The American enemies are not forgotten either; they have a slogan dedicated to them: “Let us drive out US imperialism and reunify the country.”

Considered one of the most sacred places in the DPRK, the monuments allow the Great Leaders to be remembered forever. I heard tour groups are usually brought here on their first stop. When I was there, I saw several wedding groups going there to pay their respect.

Visitors are expected to:

• buy flowers to lay at the giant statues’ feet, and bowing. I didn’t have to buy the flowers, surprisingly, probably because we are guests of the country
• the statues must be taken on it’s entirety.
• no joking or laughing. I went with the French musician group, who were told to ‘behave’ themselves.