tourism

People stream into the Central Zoo nestling at the foot of Mt Taesong in Pyongyang.

The first eye-catcher at the zoo is the aquarium.

According to Rim Chol Yong, senior engineer, the aquarium covers a total floor space of more than 5 300 square metres and has more than 30 water tanks, with the total water amount being 2 000 cubic metres, including sea water.

There live thousands of fishes including sea fish, amphibians, reptiles and invertebrates in hundreds of kinds, he said.

After passing through the entrance to the zoo, visitors to the aquarium cross a bridge over an artificial pond.

While crossing the bridge, they see sturgeon and other kinds of fish swimming in the pond, and are drawn into the world of water as they sense the spray from a fountain spouting water like the shower of confetti.

The visiting route in the aquarium leads you from the freshwater section to the sea world.

In the freshwater section, you can see such rare fishes as piranha and Amazonian butterfish and amphibians.

“It is the first time for me to see piranhas, which are said to eat up a buffalo or a crocodile, leaving their skeletons, in a few minutes by attacking them in shoals. As I saw their strong chins, sharp teeth, ferocious eyes and stout bodies, I thought it is natural for them to achieve notoriety as a horrible fish,” said Ri Chol Gwang living in Taesong District, Pyongyang.

According to Rim Chol Yong, visitors have photos taken against the backdrop of fishes  in the natural landscape area in the aquarium.

The aquarium's sea world gives you greater excitement.

You can see beautiful and rare sea fishes including various kinds of sea breams in the water tank and there is a feeling-type water tank where you can touch asteroid, shellfish and other fishes.

At the end of the aquarium there are sea turtles.

When turtles weighing over 100 kilograms with the hard 1-odd-metre-long shells dabble their legs as if giving a warm send-off to them, visitors wave back to the animals before leaving the acquarium with a feeling of satisfaction.