North Korean does not have an overly flash pavilion. The design is modest. The outside of the rectangular building features a large mural of blue skies and a photo of Pyongyang’s Chollima statue, a horse that is said to symbolize the heroic and unconquerable spirit of the North Korean people.
On top of the fountain, a group of white marble statues of naked boys encircle two others. One boy holds the other up in the air as he lifts a dove into the sky.
In one corner, there is a small cave that contains a reproduction of a mural from the North’s Koguryo Tombs, a World Heritage site.
Along a wall, beneath the phrase "Paradise for the People," a row of television sets plays videos depicting everyday life in North Korea. These video clips may not be of very recent origin.
VOA reports China is a major ally of North Korea and its most important source of food and energy. Even before Pyongyang bungled a currency reform late last year the country was suffering from power outages and food shortages.