Ryugyong Hotel

1 June 2010 - Not many people had the opportunity to go to North Korea. I went there in 2004, and it was one of the most bizar places I have ever visited. Strangely, Pyongyang is actually quite a beautiful city. It has flair and elegance, and the many large scale government buildings and wide avenues bring some grandeur to the city. One of the most striking buildings in town is the Ryugyong Hotel. When Seoul was awarded the Olympic Games a few years before 1988, Pyongyang one-sidedly announced that part of the event was to be organized in the North. Mass construction works stared, as stadiums and infrastructure needed to be prepared. The pictured Ryugyong Hotel was built to accommodate the athletes. Of course, we know the athletes never came, and the hotel was never finished. But the building is huge and can be seen from all over town. Its like a modern times pyramid - a symbol of modern times oppression.