geumsusan memorial palace

This is one of the other must-sees in PY besides the Juche Tower.. the mausoleum of the Kims. Like what everyone else has said, this place has impressive, impressive architecture which will leave you in awe. And the opportunity to see the Kims. Please choose a tour which will bring you to the Palace of the Sun as it is not open everyday and even the locals don't have easy access to it. It is a long way in before you get to see the Kims but along the way, there are photo memorials of them which is meaningful. also beware not to bring in any cameras or even memory cards! security is tight. and please remember to bow!

Like many of the official buildings in Pyongyang, it's architecture is meant to impress and it fully delivers on this account. Very beautiful. I was able to take as many pictures as I wanted which made me happy.

Beautiful architecture. Am still uncomfortable with hero worship [or deities, which exist in other countries]. But..it's impressie.

I knew I had to expect a surreal, luxurious, giant palace full of awkward displays. Still I did not expect how huge it is, by far. You can't really imagine it until you see it.Must be seen once in a lifetime.

As other reviews have stated, this is a must when visiting the DPRK. it is not open every day and the past few years its been closed and only recently opened again. The full and correct name is "Kumsusan memorial palace of the Sun". Originally just Kim Il Sung lay in state, now is son Kim Jong Il has joined him. The Palace was renamed under Kim Jong Un.The correct way to dress is shirt and tie for men and skirts or dresses below the knee for women, no shorts sleeved (need to cover the shoulder), no jeans for anyone and everyone must dress to their best. These are the rules but in reality the authorities will let anyone through. On my recent visit (2nd time) I saw a right ratbag of tourists queuing and being allowed in from wearing really short skirts, leggings, sleeveless tops for women and men in t-shirts, trainers or just looking downright messy. Please, tourists and visitors to the DPRK dress correctly. its not hard to bring a few smart clothes with you. Respect the rules and the requirements. I wish the authorities had refused these people entry but sadly they didn't and they were allowed in. My guides even told me that the little smart jacket I had on to cover my shoulders may have posed a problem as it had no buttons and one must have buttoned up jackets when visiting the leaders in state. But I was allowed in. By the looks of the motley bunch of tourists joining the queue when I was there you will be allowed in wearing whatever you like. But please dress up smartly and do your guides proud. Ladies, pack a long skirt and nice long sleeved top and men, take a shirt and tie and a smart pair of trousers.The tour groups all arrive the same time and are ticked off the list held by the authorities. One will line up and queue in the right tour group order. The first thing one does is walk over a shoe cleaning machine that "cleans" the soles of your shoes. Tourists and locals enter in batches about 100 of each at a time and each group is held back to allow the others entry. You go up some escalators and then a moving walkway like the airport and you can view many photographs that Kim Jong Un had installed of the 2 leaders. Mostly they are of them former leaders visiting factories, giving on the spot guidance, visiting supermarkets and other delightful activities. All accompanied by some glorious music piping through the hallway. After the walkway you will turn right into a big hall subtly lit in pale colours with chandeliers and at the end you face 2 white massive statues of the 2 former leaders against a white plain wall. You must walk up with your guide and bow at the black line on the floor. then exit right. and you will then enter the hall holding the "body" of Kim Il Sung lying instate. Red lighting and a black plinth holding the glass coffin exposing the "body" gives an surreal feeling especially as one stays in a room a while by bowing on 3 sides (not the head) so you are not exactly rushed through like eg. Uncle Ho (Ho Chi Minh) in Vietnam. On exit you enter a massive room full of hundreds and hundreds of medals of honour and other items given by countries (not sure that they realise the only UK related medal relating to the county of Derbyshire is hardly a state honour! but non the less the token UK medal is there). After trawling through countless items one then visits Kim Jong Il also in state and follows the same process as his father Oh, bizarrely before one enters both these rooms you have to pass through a machine that blows cold air all over you! At the end you visit the cars and boat and train carriages that Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il used during their lifetime.And the local guides happily show you the maps detailing the land and plane journeys made by each leader. At the end one exists and goes out in the beautiful park area to see geese, fish and swans, gardens and fountains.The locals are dressed to their best especially the women who are expected to wear the local dress (although about 50% don't). Amazing and very important place to visit. The total visit takes about 2.5 hours from getting off the bus on arrival to collecting your personal items left at the cloakroom. The Palace of the Sun is only open 2 days a week in the mornings.

It's very hard to describe the feelings invoked in me when visiting this place. It's just too much in each and every way. Do note that you MUST wear a shirt and tie to be allowed inside, and jeans is probably not a good idea.

This place is strange but great! I still question whether it is actually their bodies though! You can not come to North Korea without seeing this!

I was told to dress up, but still I wasnt dressed up enough. The Korean people will be in their absolute FINEST clothes, as you will see. So, you should definitely have a long sleeved button up shirt, a tie, black shoes, and not jeans (even good jeans).You are not allowed to take anything in with you, leave it on your tour bus is best, or in the cloak room with your coat (if its winter).It begins with a LONG trip down several travellators. This takes about 15-20 minutes for both. The second one takes you underground from the entry building into the main palace. On each side are photos of both Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il during their times as leader.The palace is incredibly grand, every detail, the chandeliers, the doors, the columns etc. You will see perfectly dressed, and completely motionless soldiers, symmetrically places around the palace. You will go through a wind blowing machine before you enter each room with the coffins. The lights are dimmed, there is music playing. you will bow on 3 sides of each leader. After visiting each room you can then see the rooms full of the trophys and medals and other gifts bestowed on each leader during their time. There are also rooms with cars, trains and even a boat, that were used by the leaders.Overall, it is an incredibly bizarre experience. So much money and resources are put into building it and maintaining it, when other parts of the country are desperately in need of attention. Still, you will see hundreds/thousands of Korean men and women queueing up to see their great leaders.

I've been to Ho Chi Minh and Chairman Mao's mausoleums in Vietnam and China, and Kim Il-sung's in North Korea was the most grandiose and spectacular. The DPRK spared no expense on this Palace, which is quite evident in its scale and workmanship - which is why you should make sure this is on your itinerary. There is more to this than paying a visit to Kim Il-sung....you "build-up" to this moment by visiting other exhibits inside the Palace, such as a wax model of Kim and an audio tour recreating the emotional state of the country at the time of his passing. There are quite the set of rules when visiting this site, including 'bowing' when you pay your respect. No cameras are allowed - you simply check it in and pick it up on your way out. There are a lot more locals visiting this site than there are tourists. During our visit, it looked like there were hundreds of DPRK army personnel making the pilgrimage. It was obvious that they are not used to seeing foreigners based on the 'stares.' This made the experience even more interesting. I wonder if the late Kim Jong-il will be incorporated into this site?

金日成氏、、安置されている宮殿です。正装必須と聞いていたので、スーツを着用していきましたが、欧米人や中国人はポロシャツとスラックスなどを着ている人も多いです。宮殿はかなり巨大で長いエスカレータで移動する箇所が結構多いです。移動中も壁面には金親子の偉業をたたえる写真が展示してあり見ることができます。金日成氏、、それぞれ見学前に生前の偉業の展示、見学後に各国から贈られた賞状を見ます。ちなみに金親子の遺体の前では礼が必須です。どうしても金親子に対して礼することができない人は見学を控えたほうがよいかと思います。内部撮影は禁止で、カメラは預かり所に預けることになります。帰るときに返してもらえ、外観は写真を撮ることができます。内装がえらく豪華で、ここまで神格化された場所は他ではなかなか見ることはできないと思います。

Tout un cérémonial pour ce cérémonial. Y aller bien habillé et vêtu d'une veste voire d'une cravate. Contrôles 10x plus important que n'importe quel aéroport américain. Appareil photo et téléphones confisqués le temps de la visite. Règles de bienseances(se prosterner) à suivre strictement. Penser à moi et évitez les fous rires! C'est sérieux! Monument absolument hors norme par rapport au reste du pays. Debauche de luxe et d'ostentation marbre, dorures et salles climatisées 24/24 pour la famille Kim. Mausolée avec train et bateau en exposition puis bâtiments construits autour! Eh oui tels les pharaons! Heureusement que Kim avait peur de l'avion! Comme dit plus haut. Une fois dans sa vie!

Вопреки утверждениям нескольких коллег по tripadvisor, совершенно точно могу утверждать, что это не бывший дворец съездов, а бывшая резиденция Ким Ир Сена. Любому, кто оказался в КНДР, стоит здесь побывать, потому что это - уходящая натура... Есть изменения по сравнению с 2003 г., всё немного упрощается... Отношение местных граждан к одру своего вождя надо видеть, этого не пересказать.

Территория дворца огромна. Всё очень торжественно и серьезно, наши гиды даже ни разу не улыбнулись. Нужно поклониться в качестве уважения к культуре двум захороненным там вождям, а потом идете осматривать дворец, включая машины, вагоны, самолет и судно, на которых вожди несли свою службу народу.

Бывший дворец съездов - мавзолей Ким Ир Сена и Ким Чен Ира. Желательно выбирать соответствующую мероприятию одежду. Внутри нельзя фотографировать.

Кымсусанский Дворец Солнца (именно так называется Кымсусанский мемориальный Дворец после смерти Ким Чен Ира) представляет собой траурное и в то же время величественное сооружение. Поскольку построен он был не как мавзолей, а как дворец съездов, то его площадь во много раз больше нашего мавзолея Ленина. Именно в Кымсусанском Дворце Солнца похоронены Ким Ир Сен, умерший в 1994 году, и Ким Чен Ир, умерший в 2011 году.Фотографировать в самом дворце нельзя, только снаружи. На входе необходимо сдать в гардероб фотоаппараты, телефоны и вообще желательно любые предметы (даже солнцезащитные очки). После гардероба необходимо пройти досмотр, который проводится с не меньшей строгостью, чем в аэропорту.К непосредственно дворцу ведет длинная крытая галерея, по которой передвижение осуществляется по траволаторам. Причем (видимо, чтобы "зарядиться" торжественно-траурным духом) по траволатору никто не идет, все стоят (вероятно, по этой самой причине северные корейцы по привычке стоят на траволаторе в Шереметьево, когда прилетают в Москву). Пока едешь на траволаторе, рассматриваешь на стенах фотографии из жизни Ким Ир Сена (с одной стороны) и Ким Чен Ира (с другой).Вообще, очереди во дворец две: одна из туристов (гораздо более короткая и очень быстро продвигающаяся), вторая - из северных корейцев, гораздо более длинная. Местные приходят во дворец в самых лучших костюмах, какие у них есть, а женщины зачастую в национальных платьях.Перед входом в залы, где покоятся тела Ким Ир Сена и Ким Чен Ира (это два разных зала), необходимо пройти через мощную систему обдува, которая, судя по всему, должна сдуть с посетителей вредные микроорганизмы.В самих залах обязательно необходимо поклониться обоим вождям по три раза: со стороны ног и с обоих боков; со стороны головы кланяться не нужно.Во дворце также есть небольшая мемориальная экспозиция о деятельности обоих вождей во благо корейского народа.Снаружи дворца разбит небольшой парк с большой клумбой (как мне сказали, клумба появилась совсем недавно) и фонтанами. Эта парковая зона служит местом отдыха местного населения. В воскресенье (а это единственный выходной день в стране) открываются центральные ворота, и местные жители прогуливаются по прилегающей территории.