Beautiful North Korea Landscapes

The year was 2014, and it was an awesome year for me. Why? Because in September, I was given the chance to step into one of the world's most secretive state. A country that was almost unknown to the outside world, A country that was misunderstood, A country that I find most mind boggling yet beautiful at the same time. Putting politics aside, I decided to bring everyone a different perspective of what we know about North Korea, in the name of photography.

I was there for 12 days with my wife. Coincidentally, on our 2nd day there it was our first year wedding anniversary. Our guides surprised us with an anniversary dinner celebration filled with food, song, dance and also wine. They even gave my wife a huge bouquet. It was a once in a lifetime experience for us and it was awesome. Here are some of the highlights I managed to compile to share with everyone.

For more photos and to read more about my trip click here: http://reubenteo.com/tag/north-korea/

Volunteers come to do some clean up work at the Mansudae Grand Monument after work. The entire city is kept clean in tip top condition.

The Grand People's Study House is the symbol of the DPRK. A national library that symbolizes education always comes first. A view from the Mansu Park nearby during our evening stroll.

A beautiful statue located in the Mansu Park at sunset.

The most iconic and famous sight of all - The Mansudae Grand Monument. No cropping of the leaders statues during photography. Also, notice the size of the guards at each side of the statues.

The Grand People's Study House, seen from the Kim Il-Sung Square

Night time is extremely quiet in this neighbourhood where we stayed. A view from our room. We could see the Juche Tower in the distance.

A panoramic shot of the entire Pyongyang city, with the view of the Grand People's Study House.

The Taedong River view of the Yanggakdo Hotel, one of the 5-star hotels that tourists are able to stay.

Symmetrical buildings is one of the features of Pyongyang. Very well organised and a very impressive feat of the city.

A panoramic view of the Juche Tower and the Kim Il-Sung Square. The symbol of the North Korean's ideology of self-reliance (Juche)

An ancient temple in the Koryo Museum. One of the well preserved ancient buildings of Korea history.

The Pyongyang Metro. One of the grandest looking stations and also one of the deepest in the world.

National Day celebration outside the Kim Il-Sung Stadium. A football match and mass dancing performance is underway.

An enchanting sunrise appeared right in front of my eyes from my hotel room.

The Sinpyeong Lake is a beautiful rest stop

The Chonji Lake (Heaven's Lake) at Mount Paektu, a sacred mountain that shares its borders with China on the other side.

Magnificent view of North Korea from our plane window

The picturesque Rimyongsu Falls in Samjiyon County

Riding down the ski lift from Taehwa Peak at the Masikyrong Ski Resort, we can see a beautiful view of the clouds and the mountains.

Monument to the 3 Charters of Reunification

Bronze monuments of Kim Il-Sung and Kim Jong-Il riding on horses found at the Mansudae Art Studio

The Monument to Party Founding

A beautiful sunset in downtown Pyongyang

A cabin in the Paektu Secret Camp. This is the cabin where General Kim Jong-Il was born and brought up.

Mid-Autumn celebration with light show at the Taedong River, overlooking the Juche Tower.

I have brought back many photos from my 12-day trip and would love to share all of it with everyone. Unfortunately, there's too many of them. I've compiled and organised some of them in my blog, Flickr and also Instagram. Do have a look at the links below and where my photos have been featured.

My Blog: http://reubenteo.com/tag/north-korea/

My 500px: https://500px.com/ReubenTeo

My Flickr: https://www.flickr.com/photos/19334142@N05/

My Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/reubenteo

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