Arch of Triumph
On both my trips to Pyongyang, this was the first stop after landing as you make your way to your hotel. The Arch of Triumph is modeled after the Arc de Triomphe in Paris, but is 10m (33') taller. In the distance, the pyramid shaped Ryugyong Hotel appears.
You might be able to make out the number 1925 on the arch. The number 1945 also appears on the arch. This symbolizes the Korean resistance to Japan from 1925 to 1945 as well as to honor President Kim Il-sung's role in the military resistance for Korean Independence.
Inaugurated on the 70th birthday of President Kim Il-sung, ever symbolic, the arch is constructed from 25,500 blocks of white granite. Each block represents a day of his life up to that point.
The first monument you are likely to see upon arriving in Pyongyang.
