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On a lovely hill near the river and the city capital, Mangyongdae was
made into a recreation of the birthplace of North Korean President Kim
Il Sung. Considered a real “Hero of the People,” it was a given thing
that much emphasis was placed on Kim’s humble background.
Replicas of the very modest dimensions of
his childhood home and surroundings have been erected in Mangyongdae
Park. While some furnishings have been placed to make the house as
realistic as possible, tourists will not be allowed to enter the
interior of the house.
 Pictures
of the Great Man’s grandfathers and son have also been put on display.
Visitors to the park can expect the guides to talk about how the poor
President did not get to see his parents alive after allegedly winning
the guerilla war against the Japanese, only his grandparents. Each story
about the President’s past will be sadder than the next.
It is stressed in modern North Korea’s history that this is the very
place where Kim Il Sung grew up, played as a child, and at an early age,
started pondering over the future of the country as a 13-year old
revolutionary in the 1920’s. These along with his own experiences would
be the basis of his endless and unerring wisdom with which he would lead
the country to great prosperity.
 When
standing in front of one of the houses, visitors will probably be
perplexed at the three big jars on display with the third looking
completely distorted and seemingly unusable.
When asked about this, the guides usually give this explanation: The
Mother of the Great Leader was extremely poor, and she did not have the
money to buy a new jar when she needed one. Since she was also very
practical, she bought a malformed jar, which obviously cost far less
than those in perfect shape. Hence the importance of the Distorted Jar
in the life of the Late President.
For North Koreans, Kim Il Sung’s humble beginnings, training in
practicality, a background as poor as any North Korean’s could be, and
his unquestionable wisdom are exactly why he is enshrined in the
constitution as the country's "Eternal President.” He is so revered that
many consider him to be their father, hero and for some their God.
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