More Chinese people have started to journey to North Korea as relations between Beijing and Pyongyang have improved
The number of foreign visitors to Pyongyang has been drastically increasing since the historic inter-Korean summit in April, with the image of North Korea becoming a peaceful and safe country, locals say.
In particular, Okryu-gwan – which offered Pyongyang’s traditional delicacy of cold noodles to North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and South Korean President Moon Jae-in at their summit dinner – has had a long queue everyday due to attracting a lot of foreigners.
With more foreign people beginning to make trips to Pyongyang, other sightseeing spots in the city, such as a cruising restaurant, a zoo and historical sites, have been flourishing in recent months, contributing to the nation’s economy, according to the locals.
Okryu-gwan, founded in 1960 in Pyongyang, has provided more than 6,000 guests with its signature cold noodles per day. The restaurant can accommodate as many as 2,000 people at once.
“Pyongyang cold noodles have drawn worldwide attention and become known as a symbol of peace and prosperity” in the wake of the inter-Korean summit, said Myong Ye-hua, a worker at Okryu-gwan.
Pyongyang cold noodles are served at the restaurant with a beef-, chicken- and pork-based broth as well as toppings of the three kinds of meat, sliced pear and cucumber, a boiled egg and kimchi – classic Korean fermented vegetables.
Okryu-gwan’s cold noodles are featured by noodles made from 100 per cent buckwheat flour, clean and transparent soup, and dignified metal bowls, Myong said.
Cold noodles are the most popular delicacy in Pyongyang, but with the number of foreign guests rising, “We are sometimes unable to meet the demand of all people” who visit the restaurant, she added.
The summit between Kim and Moon was held on April 27 at the Peace House, a South Korea-controlled building in the inter-Korean truce village of Panmunjom.
The head chef and other staff of Okryu-gwan travelled to the village, taking noodle-making machines to Tongilgak building on the North Korean-controlled side to cook the dishes.
