Inside the real North Korea: Spectacular pictures show people enjoying street food bars and days at the sea

North Korea is one of the most mysterious places in
the world, shrouded in myth and secrecy.
And, for the few that make it inside its borders,
photography is highly restricted and controlled -
meaning nobody in the Western world rarely gets to
see the 'real' North Korea.
Photographer Tariq Zaidi travelled from Dandong on the
Chinese border and made his way from Pyongyang to
Wonsan on the east coast.
Tariq exclusively told MirrorOnline his photographs
capture everything he saw with his own eyes - people
enjoying street food and a beer, children going to
school, and civilians going about their general day-to-
day business.
But, ominously, he stresses he couldn't be sure
whether or not these scenes of normality were put on
just for tourists.
He told the Mirror: "These photos are what I saw - I do
not know if they were staged or not.
"I was taken aback by just how normal some of the
scenes were. It was fascinating.
"Many of my pictures were deleted, but these ones I
was allowed to keep."
Inside the real North
Korea: Spectacular
pictures show people
enjoying street food bars
and days at the sea
Pyongyang city view taken from the Yanggakdo
International Hotel. Tariq said that his photos capture
merely what he saw. He says many question whether
or not the scene that tourists are shown is fake - but
all he can say is these pictures are true visions of
what he witnessed on his trip.
(Image: Tariq Zaidi)
1 of 20
A female military guide at Victorious Fatherland
Liberation War Museum. Tariq says he was not
allowed to speak to anyone but many agreed to be
pictured. Some, he says, shied away from having their
photo taken.
(Image: Tariq Zaidi)
2 of 20
An enormous bronze statue of President Kim Il-sung
and Leader Kim Jong-il, at the Mansudae Grand
Monument in Pyongyang. The image was taken the
day before Liberation Day where military personnel
are visiting the monument to lay flowers for the
leaders. Liberation Day is one of the most important
days in North Korea, celebrating their liberation from
Japan at the end of WW2.
(Image: Tariq Zaidi)
3 of 20
Old traditional houses in central Pyongyang
surrounded by newly built high rises. Visitors are not
generally allowed to get off the tourist buses and
stop and photographs have to be checked.
(Image: Tariq Zaidi)
4 of 20
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A woman is dressed in a modern dress and heels as
she waits for a meeting. Tariq said: "I found this photo
interesting that she looks very modern, she was on
the phone, waiting for someone. She is dressed very
modern, she could be in London from this picture - but
then you see the red badge."
(Image: Tariq Zaidi)
5 of 20
A woman at the reception desk of a beach-front
hotel. Tariq said: "We got the opportunity to go to the
far east coast, the drives are quite long so we
stopped for a coffee. We found this beach hotel, this
is the reception. I find the colours and all the
inflatables fascinating."
(Image: Tariq Zaidi)
6 of 20
This is a typical block of apartments in Pyongyang.
Tariq said: "I took this photo from a moving bus, like
many of the photos. We weren’t allowed to stop in
the bus, which is why so many were taken from the
vehicle. If you look closely you can see someone on
the third floor from the top."
(Image: Tariq Zaidi)
7 of 20
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This remarkable picture was taken on the beach in a
place called Wonsan. Tariq said: "On the beach
people were having fun in the water, like any other
place. Here it was strange because people actually
wanted their photos taken, unlike in the city. The
striking thing here is the guard also watching over
everyone. He knew I was there but I don’t know
whether he noticed this shot. You’ve got this sort of
humanity and then something really weird as well."
(Image: Tariq Zaidi)
8 of 20
Young North Korean girls walk across a city centre
bridge in Pyongyang. Tariq said his favourite thing
about this photo is the shoes. He said: "These girls
were going to or coming from school. I find their
shoes remarkable - some are in trainers, others are in
heels. Only one of them spotted me from the bus
taking the picture."
(Image: Tariq Zaidi)
9 of 20
North Koreans dressed in formal attire at the
Kumsunsan Memorial Palace, also known as "Palace
of the Sun". This is one of the most revered sites in
North Korea, being the resting place of the bodies of
Kim Il-sung and Kim Jong-il.
(Image: Tariq Zaidi)
10 of 20
A Pyongyang traffic guard salutes as she stands
watch in the city.
(Image: Tariq Zaidi)
11 of 20
People enjoy the street food bar and restaurant
located near an amusement park. Tariq says his
pictures simply capture what he saw and he said he
does not know whether or not they are staged.
(Image: Tariq Zaidi)
12 of 20
Girls trying the flight simulator game at the
Pyongyang Sci-Tech Complex - a science and
technology center housed in a large atom-shaped
building in Pyongyang. The complex also features an
earthquake experience room, virtual science
laboratory, and various halls equipped with projectors
and large touch screen computers.
(Image: Tariq Zaidi)
13 of 20
A private moment between the entrance guards at
the Grand People's Study House - the central library
located in the North Korean capital, Pyongyang.
(Image: Tariq Zaidi)
14 of 20
Pyongyang Metro is one of the deepest underground
systems in the world with stunning artwork reflecting
the name of each station. Due to the depth of the
metro and the lack of outside segments, its stations
can double bomb shelters, with blast doors in place at
hallways. There's a statue of the late leader Kim Il-
sung at the end of the platform, Pyongyang.
(Image: Tariq Zaidi)
15 of 20
Tariq took this photo of a city centre tram from his
bus. He said: "You get an interesting sense of the
people in this one, one girl looks like she is day
dreaming, the others are busy in conversation. I love
the composition of this photo."
(Image: Tariq Zaidi)
16 of 20
People enjoy the dodgems at an amusement park.
Tariq said: "We visited an amusement park where
people queued up for rides like they would anywhere
else. The little girls were watching up at the rides and
a woman was screaming. That’s what I found
interesting, that it was just like anywhere else -
except very different at the same time."
(Image: Tariq Zaidi)
17 of 20
Flower seller outside the Mansudae Grand Monument,
downtown Pyongyang. People visiting this monument
usually lay tributes for the former leaders President
Kim Il-sung and Leader Kim Jong-il.
(Image: Tariq Zaidi)
18 of 20
People waiting at bus stop on the outskirts of the
capital, Pyongyang, on a rainy day.
(Image: Tariq Zaidi)
19 of 20
A female train guard Pyongyang Metro system, one of
the deepest underground system's in the world.
You can follow Tariq's work on Facebook and
Instagram.

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