Mount Myohyang

Travel to Mt. Myohyang with Koryo Tours	Issac on the bus to Mt. Myohyang	It's about a 2 hour drive from Pyongyang to Mt. Myohyang	North Korean village north of Pyongyang
Canal and rice paddies, North Korea	North Korean landscape with a tree-lined road	Hills along the Chongchon River, North Korea	Factory town with North Koreans enjoying the Chongchon River on a hot day
As we get farther north of Pyongyang, the landscape gets more mountainous	Railroad passing through a North Korean town on the opposite bank of the Chongchon River	Railroad bridge over the Chongchon River at Kujang, DPRK	Green hills beyond the sandy banks of the Chongchon River, North Korea
Terraced hillside above the Chongchon River, North Korea	A small dam on the Chongchon River which diverts water through a tunnel to a hydroelectric plant	Chongchon River as we near the Mount Myohynag	Thickly forested hills at Sonwang-bong at the entrance to the Myohyangsan Nature Reserve, DPRK
Hyangsan Hotel, North Korea	Revolving Restaurant on top of the Hyangsan Hotel	Hyangsan Hotel, Myohyangsan Nature Reserve, North Korea	Lobby of the Hyangsan Hotel, North Korea
Glass ceiling of the Hyangsan Hotel lobby	Lobby, Hyangsan Hotel	Lobby, Hyangsan Hotel	Fountain in the lobby of the Hyangsan Hotel
Guide of Mt. Myohyang "Mysterious Fragrant Mountain" Nature Reserve	History Museum in Mt. Myohyang, a preserved Buddhist temple	Waterfalls of Mt. Myohyang	Waterfalls of Mt. Myohyang
Paintings of the Mt. Myohyang waterfalls in the Hyangsan Hotel	Painting of a Mt. Myohyang waterfall, Hyangsan Hotel	Services available at the Hyangsan Hotel	靈山殿 - Ryongsan Hall, Pohyon Temple
Hyangsan Hotel, Myohyangsan Nature Reserve, North Korea	Hyangsan Hotel, North Korea	View to the west from the Hyangsan Hotel	Panoramic view from the Hyangsan Hotel
Rear wing of the Hyangsan Hotel nestled against the forested hillside	The guide, Kim Song Sim, checking us in to the Hyangsan Hotel	Hyangsan Hotel, Myohyangsan Nature Reserve, North Korea	Hyangsan Hotel, Myohyangsan Nature Reserve, North Korea
Panoramic view of the Hyangsan Hotel, North Korea	River in front of the Hyangsan Hotel	View from the Hyangsan Hotel bridge	Hyangsan Hotel, Mt. Myohyang Nature Reserve, North Korea
Hyangsan Hotel, Mt. Myohyang Nature Reserve, North Korea	Hyangsan Hotel, North Korea	Ashtray in the shape of a bear, Hyangsan Hotel	Mosaic map of the area around Pohyonsa Temple, founded 1024 (Goryeo Dynasty)
Today, Pohyonsa is maintained as a historical museum (National Treasure #40)	Haet'al, the middle gate of Pohyon Temple	Haet'al Gate 解脫門 Pohyon Temple	Painted ceiling, Haet'al Gate, Pohyon Temple
보현사 Pohyŏnsa (Bohyeonsa)	Painted ceiling, Haet'al Gate, Pohyon Temple	Painted ceiling, Haet'al Gate, Pohyon Temple	Figure riding a haetae in the Haet'al Gate, Pohyon Temple
Buddhist figure riding an elephant in the Haet'al Gate, Pohyon Temple	Chonwang Gate, the inner gate to Pohyon Temple housing the four heavenly kings	Ch'ŏnwang, the inner gate of Pohyon Temple	天王門 Ch'ŏnwang "Heaveny Kings" Gate, Pohyŏnsa
Painted dragon, Chonwang Gate, Pohyon Temple	Ornate carved beams, Pohyon Temple	Jeungjang-cheonwang, Heavenly King of the South	Gwangmok-cheonwang, Heavenly King of the West
Damun-cheonwang, Heavenly King of the North	Jiguk-cheonwang, Heavenly King of the East	Two of the Sacheonwang (사천왕) "Four heavenly kings"	Two of the Sacheonwang (사천왕) "Four heavenly kings"
Nine-story Tabo Pagoda erected in 1044, Pohyonsa	Tabo Pagoda (AD 1044) National Treasure #7	Manse Pavilion, reconstructed in 1979	The Manse Pavilion was destroyed by the U.S. Imperialist Aggressors in 1951
The Manse Pavilion was reconstructed in concrete but is built to resemble the original painted wood construction	The main hall of Pohyon Temple was originally built in 1765	Taeung Hall was reconstructed in 1976 after destruction during the Korean War	Monk waiting at the door of the Taeung Hall
Octagonal 13-story Sokka Pagoda, Pohyon Temple	The 8.58m Sokka Pagoda was erected in the 14th Century	Sokka Pagoda, National Treasure #144	Wooden panel on Taeung Hall
Detail of a wooden panel of Taeung Hall	大雄殿 Taeung Hall	Part of the Manse Pavilion seen from Taeung Hall, Pohyon Temple	Tile roof of the Manse Pavilion, Pohyon Temple
Manse Pavilion with the 13-story Sokka Pagoda, Pohyon Temple	Korean Buddhist monk guiding us through Taeung Hall	Korean Buddhist Monk in the DPRK, Pohyon Temple	Buddhas lined up in Taeung Hall, Pohyon Temple
Buddha, Taeung Hall, Pohyon Temple	보현사	Buddha, Taeung Hall, Pohyon Temple	Buddha, Taeung Hall, Pohyon Temple
Buddha, Taeung Hall, Pohyon Temple	Buddha, Taeung Hall, Pohyon Temple	Painting, Teaeung Hall, Pohyon Temple	Roof beams of Taeung Hall, faithfully reconstructed in 1976 after the 1765 original
Beam carved as a dragon head, Taeung Hall, Pohyon Temple	Ceiling and beams of Taeung Hall, Pohyon Temple	Beam carved as a dragon head, Taeung Hall, Pohyon Temple	Tree covered mountains of the Myohyangan Nature Reserve
Grounds of Pohyon Temple	Manicured garden of Pohyon Temple, Myohyangsan Nature Reserve	Late afternoon sun behind the Sokka Pagoda	Tiled roof of the adjacent Kwanum Hall, Pohyon Temple
A small pavilion to the left of the Kwanum Hall, Pohyon Temple	Kwanum is the Korean name for Guanyin, the bodhisattva of compassion, Avalokitesvara	Kwanum Hall, built in 1449, National Treasure #57	Kwanum Hall, the oldest surviving building at Pohyongsa
Beam carved in the shape of a dragon, Kwanum Hall	Painting of a guardian, Kwanum Hall, Pohyon Temple	Bodhisattva petting the mythological haetae, a Korean fire-eating dog which resembles a lion	Guardian figure, Kwanum Hall, Pohyon Temple
Kwanum (Guanyin), Pohyon Temple	觀音殿 - Kwanum Hall, Pohyon Temple	Landscape painting, Kwanum Hall	Dragons and guardians, Kwanum Hall
Roof of the Kwanum Hall, Pohyon Temple	보현사 Kwanum Hall, Pohyon Temple	Ryongsan Hall, Pohyon Temple	Carved roof beams, Ryongsan Hall, Pohyon Temple
Buddhas, Ryongsan Hall, Pohyon Temple	Ryongsan Hall, Pohyon Temple	Gate to the Suchung Shrine (1794) Pohyon Temple	The Suchung Shrine honors the monk Sŏsan who helped repel the Japanese invasion of Toyotomi Hideyoshi in the late 16th C.
Suchang Shrine, 1794, 보현사	酬忠祠 - Suchung Shrine	One of the three Great Patriotic Monks	Another of the three Great Patriotic Monks
Monument pavilion with a stele recording Sŏsan's deeds	The stele of the Suchung Shrine was erected in 1796	Roof carving detail, Suchung Shrine stele pavilion	Stele recording the deeds of the monk Sŏsan
Archives of Buddhist Scriptures, a post-war building is made of concrete and other fireproof materials	Archive of Buddhist Scriptures, a post-Korean War library, Pohyong Temple	The Archive of Buddhist Scriptures houses 80,000 wooden printing blocks	The wooden blocks are a copy of the Tripitaka Koreana
Of course, the building of the archives is accredited to the Great Leader Kim Il Sung	Archive of Buddhist Scripture, Pohyon Temple	Archive of Buddhist Scripture, Pohyon Temple	Archive of Buddhist Scripture, Pohyon Temple
Giftshop of Pohyon Temple	Giftshop of Pohyon Temple	Bell pavilion (Chonggak) of Pohyonsa Temple	Bronze bellof Pohyon Temple
Our local guide bids us farewell	A colorful bug, Myohyangsan Nature Reserve	NorthKoreaAug09 2240.jpg	Forest of Mount Myohyang Nature Reserve
Sangwon Hermitage trailhead	Sangwon Hermitage Trail, the guide's 2nd choice, but the road to her first choice was blocked	Stupas of the monk's cemetary to the west of Pohyon Temple	The stupas date from the late Koryo Dynasty (13-14th C.)
Trail marker for Kumgang Galls, Pulyong Hermitage, Sangwon Hermitage and Popwang Peak	NorthKoreaAug09 2263.jpg	NorthKoreaAug09 2265.jpg	NorthKoreaAug09 2266.jpg
On the Sangwon Hermitage trail in the fading light	Stream along the Sangwon Hermitage trail	Carved steps leading under a boulder	...the guide sent us back before we reached the end...too late
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MiscJulAug09 068.jpg	Morning at the Hyangsan Hotel	Lobby of the Hyangsan Hotel	Lobby of the Hyangsan Hotel
On the bus again	North Korean visitors to the Myohyang Nature Reserve	North Korean visitors to the Myohyang Nature Reserve	International Friendship Exhibitional Hall housing the gifts received by Kim Il Sung
This is only a small portion of the complex - most of the galleries are tunneled deep into the mountain	Guide at the International Friendship Exhibition Hall	Every North Korean wears a Kim Il Sung badge	Doorway to the International Friendship Exhibition
North Korean guard with a silver plated AK-47	Door detail, International Friendship Exhibition	Opening the door to the International Friendship Exhibition	Image from the official video of our DPRK trip
International Friendship Exhibition interior shot from our official video	International Friendship Exhibition interior shot from our official video	International Friendship Exhibition interior shot from our official video	International Friendship Exhibition interior shot from our official video
International Friendship Exhibition	International Friendship Exhibition	View of the green mountains of Myohyangsan Nature Reserve	Balcony of the International Friendship Exhibition
Balcony of the International Friendship Exhibition	Concrete ceiling made to look like traditional wooden archtiecture	International Friendship Exhibition, built to look like traditional wooden archtiecture	Myohyangsan Nature Reserve
Another building at the International Friendship Exhibition	Mount Myohyang Nature Reserve	A smaller building houses the gifts received by Kim Jong Il	Like the Kim Il Sung hall, the building is merely the entrance to a complex of chambers carved out of the mountain
North Korean visitors to the International Friendship Exhibition	Mount Myohyang School (?)	Mount Myohyang School (?)	NorthKoreaAug09 2325.jpg
Our bus driver	Driving on the highway back to Pyongyang	Again, traffic is not much of an issue	Roadside village with signs about the 150 day economic push
North Korean railroad	Green fields on the drive back to Pyongyang	Rice paddies and corn fields, North Korea	Agricultural landscape, North Korea
Fish Farm, North Korea	Bridges across the Chongchon River at near Anju, DPRK	Railroad and rice paddies, South Phyongan Province, North Korea	Green fields of mixed crops, South Phyongan Province, North Korea
Pedestrian suspension bridge across an irrigation canal, South Phyongan Province, North Korea	North Korea uses all available acreage for planting to help achieve self sufficiency in agriculture	Green fields of rice, South Phyongan Province, North Korea	South Phyongan Province, North Korea
Nearing Pyongyang