Pyongyang Blue Roofs

Because blue roof tile used to be sign of wealth since the goryeo times.

Pyongyang blue roofs.

This imagery is also present in south korea. Now of course we re all yangban so it doesn t seem important to the outsider. Blue crow s pyongyang architectural guide pulls back the world s last iron curtain to reveal a snapshot of life in the hermit kingdom through iconic landmarks in the capital. Yes park loved blue roof and that s why south korean presidential residence is called blue house or chong wa dae which literally means house with blue roof tiles the residence was built under his rule.

Blue tiles appear to be status symbol historically in korean culture. The colorful roofs of songjeong dong an industrial district in busan south korea are seen in this overview. Their head of state lives in the blue house which also has these blue tiles. The blue roofs were popular aesthetically for a short period in the 1970s but you don t see new buildings these days with blue roofs.

As hairdressers dozens of people mow scissors in their hands the lawn sometimes splitting roads from pedestrian ways. North koreans paint the roof of a restaurant in downtown pyongyang oct. Benjamin grant credits the abundance of blue to aluminum. They live all together under the blue roofs characterising the camps they built on.

The striking colors that you. These were produced the same way as other ceramic ware and thus extremely expensive. Traditionally the blue tile indicated high social status for that family. However the korean traditionalist wants wants wants a blue roof.

The north koreans say that after socialism the colour was used for the roofs of public buildings because it was the people that replaced the kings. But the blue roof tile that the old wealthy koreans used indeed super wealthy weren t just blue roof tile they were greenish blue ceramic tiles. E g note that the korean white house is blue. Insofar as someone can afford blue tiles they must be wealthy.

The wide avenues of pyongyang are home of other efforts towards a better image for a quite manhandled country on the international scene.