culture

It is now winter camping season at the Songdowon International Children's Camp.

The flag of the first-term schoolchildren’s winter camping was hoisted at the camp on January 9 this year, too.

The camp, which is situated at Songdowon well-known as a scenic attraction in Wonsan, a port city in the East Sea of Korea, is a place to which all members of the Korean Children’s Union want to go as it is wonderfully provided with all conditions, to say nothing of the beautiful landscape.

To crown it all, skiing at the Masikryong Ski Resort is also included in its winter camping plan.

During the ten-day camping, schoolchildren spend pleasant time while conducting diverse activities including skiing for cultivating bravery, cooking practice, sports and amusement games and artistic activities.

For the young campers, the time they spend at the aquarium reminiscent of the world of the sea and the joy of tasting dishes they cooked in the cooking practice room are also so pleasant that they note them in diary.

But they all say that the most impressive of their winter camping here is skiing at the Masikryong Ski Resort.

For a long time from the 1960s when the camp was established, camping at Songdowon reminded the local people of the blue sea, warm sandy beach under the sun and mountain-climbing in the thick woods. But after the Masikryong Ski Resort was built under the care of the respected fatherly Marshal Kim Jong Un, the campers here began to go skiing at the Masikryong Ski Resort.

On the day when they leave for the ski resort, the campers are excited in ski suits before their departure.

Those, who are boisterous to see even the snow-covered mountain ranges through the bus windows, are struck dumb when they enter the ski resort.

Because it is a surprise for them to see people skiing down the slope stretching down from the high peak and they can't move a step in ski boots as they think. However, they can ski at a certain level after one or two hours though there are some differences.

The instructors of the camp kindly teach them a variety of skiing techniques from the basic ones of wearing ski boots, walking, stopping, sliding, turning and others.

The motor-minded schoolboys quickly learn to ski and soon begin to slide down the slope for learners. The photographers never miss the schoolgirls who, though it takes some time for them to learn, are so excited after skiing down the gentle slope. It is very interesting for them to ski down the slope that they give cheers one after another, but the boys are too busy to feel excited, rushing to the ski lift to slide down again and again.

They also hold skating competitions at the skating ground and are absorbed in top-spinning in the middle of the ice.

According to Choe Yong Rim, an instructor of the camp, the children are really worn out when they return to the camp, but they are eager to go back to the ski slope again after a night's sleep.

They enjoy their life laughing and talking all day long, but before going to bed, they write in diary their gratitude to the respected fatherly Marshal who provided them with all conditions for enjoying camping and their pledge to become pillars of the country, along with the joy of camping life, Choe says.

Also included in their camping programme are various forms of art performances and a meeting to talk about prides in being knowledgeable, morally sound and physically strong.

The meeting provides a platform full of pride, laughter and tears.

As the campers are schoolchildren from across the country, ranging from Pyongyang to the remote mountainous areas and island army posts, their talents and prides are different, but if they are put together, they tell the prides of the country, they say.

They sing the songs about the respected fatherly Marshal Kim Jong Un who loves the children most and their prides are the stories about what happened on the day when they received new school uniforms and school things and about the love the respected fatherly Marshal showed for their native places and schools.

At the platform, schoolchildren from the northern part of North Hamgyong Province which suffered an unexpected natural disaster in the past sang songs of joy and pleasure and students from the flood-hit areas sang songs of happiness last year. As the platform brimmed over with such love and gratitude, both performers and audience were all moved to tears.

The stories and songs young campers sing and tell candidly and ardently give an impression that they have suddenly become grown-ups and touch the heart of all the audience.

Teachers say that though they are not long, the pleasant camping days when they spent with their friends away from their parents are cherished as a precious memory by the students.