Thonggun Pavilion renovated under the care of the great leaders

The history of love for the people of the great leader Comrade Kim Il Sung who devoted his whole life to people, regarding it as his motto to believe in the people as in heaven is also carried by Thonggun Pavilion which was turned into a resort for people after the country's liberation thanks to his warm care and love for the people.

The great leader Comrade Kim Il Sung said.

"The sites and relics of culture created by our people are a priceless heritage which proudly demonstrates the long history and brilliant culture of our country and shows the resourcefulness and courage of our nation."

In the early October of Juche 35 (1946), the great leader visited Thong--gun Pavilion, a historic relic in Uiju.(Pictures 1, 2 and 3)

Picture 1. Distant view of the Thonggun Pavilion

Picture 2. Facade of the Thonggun Pavilion

Picture 3. Side view of the Thonggun Pavilion<

First built in the early days of Koryo Dynasty and reconstructed in the period of the Feudal Joson Dynasty, Thonggun Pavilion was used as a military command post of Uiju Province, a major military base in the northwestern area of Koryo.

It is also a historic place where an indomitable revolutionary fighter Kim Hyong Jik climbed with some national independence champions in August, Juche 7(1918) and said that they must restore the country by their nation itself and turn the famous Thonggun Pavilion into the people's resort.

Due to its magnificent structure and fantastic style enhanced by surrounding environment, Thonggun Pavilion has been called one of the eight famous views of Kwanso since olden times.(Picture 4, 5)

Picture 4. Ceiling of the Thonggun Pavilion

Picture 5. Interior of the Thonggun Pavilion

Looking around the Pavilion, the great leader said to the officials accompanying him that Uiju County has famous relics like Thonggun Pavilion and that the cultural relics left by our ancestors should be well maintained and conserved.

The officials were deeply moved by his instructions, thinking that the Pavilion could have a new meaning as the people's pavilion thanks to the wise leadership of the great leader.

The Pavilion, the creation of the talent of our people had been trodden down under the Japanese imperialists before the country's liberation.

The Japanese imperialists insulted talents of Korean nation by reducing the Pavilion to their amusement center and hanging a dirty board reading "Hwangphungmubyon" on a pillar, representing their ambition for invading the continent. They also put a so-called "Coronation Monument" for the Japanese Emperor in that historic site.

The Pavilion had been a sacred place where experienced old generals of Koryo had directed fights against foreign aggression in order to defend the northwestern area. Nevertheless, the Japanese imperialists mocked this sacred place and put indignity upon the patriotic spirit of Korean ancestors. What a disgrace to Korean nation!

But the Pavilion would never suffer from such contempt again.

Thanks to the scrupulous care of the President who valued historical relics and remains so much, Thonggun Pavilion has reshaped itself, telling the history of this land.

Since the historic day when President Kim Il Sung visited Thonggun Pavilion and gave precious instructions, it has been well maintained by Uiju residents, boasting its old appearance.

When Thonggun Pavilion had been severely ruined by the U.S. imperialists during the Fatherland Liberation War, Uiju residents restored it to its original state, true to the instructions of the President.

The great leader visited the Pavilion again in the mid-1960s and said that its masculine spirit and might was attracting and that the buildings like Thonggun Pavilion in the northwestern frontier showed us high inviolable national dignity and courage possessed by Korean nation since early times.

The great leader visited it in March of Juche 64 (1975) for the third time and elucidated ways and methods to make it a people's enjoyable resort by afforesting the fields around the Pavilion.

The working people in this region planted a lot of various trees in over 100 hectares of land to create scenic forests, and built swinging sites, wrestling sites and resting places which added beauty to the scenery around the Pavilion.

The great General Kim Jong Il always paid deep attention to the conservation of national heritage. He visited Thonggun Pavilion several times and gave precious instructions to further glorify this place which embodies the spirit and pride of Korean nation from generation to generation.

Thanks to the warm care of the great leader Comrade Kim Il Sung and the great General Kim Jong Il, the Pavilion has developed into a resort for people, manifesting intelligence, wisdom and braveness of Korean nation.

Under the wise leadership of the respected Comrade Kim Jong Un, its surrounding area has been renovated more beautifully as the people's resort.

It is thanks to the warm care of the great leaders that not only the modern history of our country but also the historical relics which embody the wisdom, talents and outstanding architecture of our ancestors are shining brightly.