Bathing centers are very popular
There are only a handful of high-end hotels in North Korea. On the sightseeing map introducing Pyongyang, only Koryo Hotel and Yangjiao Island Hotel are marked as super-class hotels, and there are other first-class hotels, such as Pyongyang Hotel and Youth Hotel. These hotels are foreign-related hotels, and they all need to spend foreign exchange such as US dollars, euros and Japanese yen. The facilities and services in such hotels are relatively complete. Generally, they are equipped with restaurants serving traditional Korean cuisine, dog meat cuisine, Chinese food, etc., as well as leisure tea houses and cafes. Entertainment projects include analogy golf training grounds or indoor training machines, billiards, and fitness classes include swimming pools, saunas and gymnasiums, as well as bookstores and shops selling imported goods. However, in the past two years, it has gradually ceased to be an exclusive place for foreigners, and many North Koreans have also started to go in and out frequently, using foreign currency for meals, entertainment and consumption.
The North Korean people are called "people in white", and they love cleanliness, and they especially like to take a bath in public bathrooms.
There is a mountain villa near Peony Peak in the west of Pyongyang, that is Peony Peak Hotel. The hotel is exquisite and small, with only 13 rooms, but each room is a floor-to-ceiling glass window with a small French wrought iron terrace. Four small restaurants with different styles, bar, Japanese barbecue, automatic eggplant and ginseng barbecue equipment are all available. In summer, several parasols will be erected to make an open-air beer house. The sauna bath center built on the side of the mountain is equipped with the best Japanese hot spring bath pool, shower facilities, dry and wet saunas, etc. It's always pleasant to see some North Koreans, family members or couples coming here, having a sauna first, and then having dinner in a restaurant. The cost of sauna is 5 euros per person, and the average meal is about 1 to 2 euros.
In 198s, the most advanced swimming and bathing center in North Korea was Cangguang Hospital. However, after many years, the facilities of Cangguang Institute are outdated and too "popular". At present, the most luxurious similar facility in North Korea is the swimming pool of Pyongyang Diplomatic Hall. The diplomatic club was originally a comprehensive club specially built for foreigners living in Pyongyang. After the opening of the new swimming pool in 21, it was deeply loved by foreigners in Pyongyang. In addition to the standard swimming pool, there are also large surfing pools, hot spring pools, saunas, etc. The lighting, temperature and facilities layout are all built according to international standards. Like the sauna center of Mudanfeng Hotel, bath towels and face towels are also distributed. Tickets here are 7 euros per person, which is definitely worth the money. But unlike other foreign-related places, foreigners can only come here for leisure from Wednesday to Saturday. The waiter in the swimming pool explained that other times are "special events for the North Korean people".
Since p>29, Pyongyang has opened many comprehensive entertainment places with baths, saunas, hair salons, restaurants and karaoke. Although its facilities and decoration are not high-grade, and it needs to be consumed in foreign currency, it is highly sought after by North Korea's powerful consumers because of its relatively affordable price. Merchants have also learned some promotional techniques, such as buying 1 tickets together and giving one extra ticket to attract long-term customers. Some ordinary North Koreans will occasionally come to enjoy individual services, some paying their own bills, and some are said to be unit benefits.
A popular shop in "Little Wangfujing"
No matter how the international situation changes, Pyongyang looks clean and quiet, and always looks calm. Pyongyang also has its own shopping circle, and trendy men and women who lead the fashion often come here to Taobao to enjoy shopping.
The "Little Wangfujing" in Beisaidong is such a shopping district. It is adjacent to three main streets and has multiple entrances into the area. It is called "Little Wangfujing" because the shops here are concentrated and diversified, involving catering, clothing, department stores, medicines, etc., and there are more than 3 large and small shops. Every Sunday, it is always crowded here.
In Little Wangfujing, two shops are very popular. One is "Yinhe Clothing Store", whose nature is to export to domestic sales. Yinhe garment processing factory is a large garment enterprise that North Korea undertakes foreign processing. In 1984, North Korea enacted the Joint Venture Law, which allowed foreign capital to set up joint ventures with domestic enterprises in North Korea. At that time, more than 1 companies were established, but by 1996, less than 2% of them were able to produce products. Galaxy clothing is one of the most successful, and has formed a certain group management. It has not only garment processing factories, but also garment research and development departments. There are not many ready-made clothes sold in Yinhe Clothing Store, and there are only a few pieces of the same style. There are often some fashionable sportswear, down jackets, windbreakers, etc., which are estimated to be proofing products when making export orders.
Opposite the Yinhe Clothing Store is Chunxiang Cosmetics Store. Chunxiang is the heroine of Chunxiang Biography, one of the three major folk classical novels in North Korea, which is known as North Korea's Dream of Red Mansions. It tells the story of a common woman and a rich boy who finally get married after suffering. The "Chunxiang Brand" series of skin care products produced by Sinuiju Cosmetics Factory is the most famous cosmetics in North Korea. Kim Jong Il once presented a full set of "Chunxiang" cosmetics to the female traffic police in Pyongyang, including sunscreen in particular, in order to reduce the skin damage caused by the sun and rain. Under the planned economy system of North Korea, women can buy some daily face creams by ticket, while this store in "Little Wangfujing" sells high-end brands, including facial cleanser, skin softener, pore shrinking water, day cream, night cream and even eye cream, etc., ranging from gorgeous and fashionable gift boxes to single items. I often see "girlfriends" who love beauty in twos and threes choosing together.
There are also some specialized traditional Korean clothing stores and suit processing shops in Little Wangfujing. 1,3 euros can make a good North Korean civilian costume. Many fabrics of suits are imported from Europe, and Italian pure wool thin suit fabrics are very popular. In the processing shops, there are also garments for sale, some of which are directly imported from China, and the price is more expensive than buying materials and making them yourself. Even rich North Koreans are more willing to choose their own fabrics and ingredients, and take fashion books or sample clothes to find clothing processing shops to tailor them.
In the past, due to North Korea's "isolation" for too long, North Korean men's suits were very "standard", but they always felt too wide and too big, which was a bit out of date. With the increasing number of people watching South Korean idol dramas, many young people have also seen the external fashion trends, so when making clothes, they will put forward some small requirements, such as pinching the waist in a little and narrowing trouser legs a little. The tide is quietly approaching.
"Little Wangfujing" also has some special shops, such as a restaurant specializing in ostrich cuisine, an electronic product store, a household goods store, and a joint-venture pharmaceutical factory between North Korea and Switzerland. If you want to eat snacks, you can walk into any food store and buy some snacks, such as authentic "Guandong Cook" for one dollar or a cup of sweet instant coffee. Therefore, if you have foreign exchange in your hand, spending in "Little Wangfujing" is also a rare enjoyment. And the main body of these consumption, not foreigners, but North Koreans.
The consumption trend is quietly budding
Is there any luxury goods in North Korea? Does anyone buy it? The answer is yes.
The storefront of Pyongyang store is quite ordinary, but sometimes you will be surprised when you walk in. For example, two department stores, Beisai Store and Liujing Store, which are controlled by Singapore companies, are high-quality department stores, mainly dealing in European and Japanese products. There are world-famous brands of perfumes, cosmetics, clocks and watches on display here, including BUBBERY classic windbreaker with a price of 1, euros, Italian crystal wine decanter, and precious musical instruments and electronic products with a price of thousands of euros. At the same time, you can also find exquisite gadgets used in Japanese kitchens, colorful stockings and other gadgets that girls like. You can buy cheap and delicious South American red wine in the "Bonfire Store" called "Argentina Store". If you want high-quality French red wine, you can find it in Bordeaux, Burgundy and Sao Tome, and you can also find German Riesling white wine. In some stores, authentic freshly ground Italian coffee is served with a little cookie.
In high-end foreign exchange stores, ordinary North Koreans always keep their handbags when they enter the market. But this does not affect their enthusiasm for shopping. Food and daily necessities are shipped quickly, and other household appliances such as LCD TVs, DVDs and computers are also very popular.
In addition, it is not only practical things that attract these high-end consumers. Some middle school girls are waiting in line in front of the checkout counter with a hundred dollars in their hands, and there are only a few cute toy bears in the shopping basket. A young couple chose a Japanese-made air freshener, but they were undecided about whether to add vanilla or lemon fragrance to the water tank.
Pyongyang is currently pushing for 1, residential projects. New buildings have sprung up, and Pyongyang citizens' interest in home improvement and home furnishing is also rising. According to the population statistics issued by North Korea in 29, the per capita living area of North Korean nationals exceeds 2 square meters. If a young man and a young woman decide to get married, the state will allocate a house for the new family free of charge through the male unit. In the era of material poverty but average, the bride will not have too many demands. What's different now is that after the settlement of the new house, the pressure is still great for the prospective groom. How to install the new house There are many furniture shops in Pyongyang, mainly panel furniture and a little solid wood. Supporting kitchen and bathroom equipment is becoming more and more high-end, with electric heating bath tyrants and vertical range hoods. Customized cabinets for kitchens and bathrooms, and customized sliding door closets for living rooms and bedrooms are priced according to the domestic market of China. Because there is no advertising business in North Korea, many companies can only attract business through word of mouth. At present, wedding companies in North Korea are also very active, and wedding photos, wedding banquets and videos of newlyweds have formed a one-stop service. Getting married once in a lifetime, not only the rich, but also ordinary families will bite their teeth and be extravagant.
another obvious sign is the car. Now there are more and more private cars or company cars on the streets of North Korea. Audi, Mercedes-Benz E series and C series, BMW X6, etc. are not rare things. North Korea stipulates that as long as more than 7% of vehicle parts are made in the United States, they are not allowed to be imported. Moreover, North Korea has not got rid of the sanctions, otherwise, it would be normal to see Cadillac or Hummer in Pyongyang. Passat and Magotan of Volkswagen, a slightly lower gear, have also seen it from time to time.