tourism

Mangyongdae is a time-honoured and sacred place of the revolution where President Kim Il Sung was born and a scenic beauty which has widely been known from ancient times.

Its name originally referred to Mangyong Hill.

According to a document compiled in the 18th century, the area was also called Namho and Mangyong Hill Nam Hill.

But the area was renamed Mangyongdae as the hill is formed with high cliffs, its crown is flat reminding viewers of an elaborate turret and it commands ten thousand beautiful natural scenes.

Later, the name of Mangyongdae was fixed as the place name embracing not only Mangyong Hill but also its surrounding areas. 

The Koreans had long rated Mangyongdae as a scenic beauty along with the eight famous scenes of Pyongyang. 

Particularly, they condensed the ten thousand scenes commanded from Mangyongdae into 10 kinds to call them “ten famous scenes of Hwachon(flower village)”.

What they counted as the finest of the ten scenes is the vernal view of Mangyongdae which reminds viewers of a beautiful garden covered with all kinds of flowers in full bloom.

They also portrayed in detail other sights around the place, including the graceful view of islets in the Taedong River leisurely skirting Mangyong Hill, which are bathed in the moonlight shining like a silvery tray, the hill exuding great energy, filled with a staunch spirit, the valleys where calves leisurely graze to arouse tender affection and the views of the area bustling with people catching fishes and sowing seeds.     

The ten famous scenes of Hwachon are characterized by the fact that each of them has its distinctive beauty while epitomizing the ten thousand scenes around Mangyongdae as a whole and strongly reflecting the noble sentiments and customs of the locals. 

Referring to the ten famous scenes of Hwachon, old documents say that no place in and around Pyongyang is unattractive in terms of scenery, but the Hwachon area is the best.

Many poets and writers wrote about the beauty of Mangyongdae. A talented folk poet of Pyongyang in the 18th century raved about the beauty of the area in his poem, writing that though he tried to portray the looks of Mangyongdae above the emerald green clouds, he failed to find a line as the more he saw it the more beautiful it seemed.