International Friendship Exhibition, Museum in North Pyongan Province, North Korea
The International Friendship Exhibition is a museum in North Pyongan Province, North Korea, that displays gifts to North Korean leaders from around the world. The complex extends over several floors in a building set into a mountainside and is organized inside by long corridors and many small display rooms.
The complex opened in the late seventies to display objects that had been presented by foreign governments and delegations. The collection continued to grow over the decades as new gifts were added.
The building combines modern materials with roof shapes drawn from Korean tradition and stands surrounded by forested hills on Mount Myohyang. Groups enter the halls one after another and are accompanied by staff who pause at certain points inside the building.
Visiting takes place only with a guided tour and typically lasts about an hour. Photography is not allowed inside and personal items are handed in before entry.
The outside of the building shows ornamental openings that look like windows, but all rooms inside lie completely without daylight. This design was chosen to protect the sensitive objects from light exposure.
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