Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters

Take your next trip with Atlas Obscura!

Our small-group adventures are inspired by our Atlas of the world's most fascinating places, the stories behind them, and the people who bring them to life.

Visit Adventures
Trips Highlight
Puglia Italy - Matera
Italy • 8 days, 7 nights
Southern Italy: Castles, Caves & Coastal Treasures in Puglia
from
Turkmenistan Gates of Hell Darvaza crater
Turkmenistan • 10 days, 9 nights
Turkmenistan & the Gates of Hell
from
View all trips
Top Destinations
Latest Places
Most Popular Places Random Place Lists Itineraries
Add a Place
Download the App
Top Destinations
View All Destinations »

Countries

  • Australia
  • Canada
  • China
  • France
  • Germany
  • India
  • Italy
  • Japan

Cities

  • Amsterdam
  • Barcelona
  • Beijing
  • Berlin
  • Boston
  • Budapest
  • Chicago
  • London
  • Los Angeles
  • Mexico City
  • Montreal
  • Moscow
  • New Orleans
  • New York City
  • Paris
  • Philadelphia
  • Rome
  • San Francisco
  • Seattle
  • Stockholm
  • Tokyo
  • Toronto
  • Vienna
  • Washington, D.C.
Latest Places
View All Places »
The Murderer’s Birds!
Elgin Public Museum
Tynemouth Castle.
Tynemouth Priory and Castle
Fresco on the ceiling of the chapel.
Cappella Sistina
View southwest from the trilobite quarry out to Cadiz Valley.
Marble Mountains Trilobite Quarry
Latest Places to Eat & Drink
View All Places to Eat »
Everything at Li’l Dizzy’s Cafe is served in takeout containers.
Li’l Dizzy’s Cafe
The fried green tomato sandwich comes on jalapeño cornbread toast.
Café Reconcile
BBQ shrimp braised in beer are a popular menu item.
High Hat Cafe
The pastries at Lagniappe Bakehouse are worth waking up for.
Lagniappe Bakehouse
Peter Vazquez has been quietly making a name for himself for years.
The Appetite Repair Shop
Loading...

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All North Korea Pyongyang Chollima Statue

Chollima Statue

This North Korean pegasus statue was built as a symbol of the speed and perseverance of North Korean workers.

Pyongyang, North Korea

Added By
jcommerford
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
CAPTION
Chollima Statue   Nicor on Wikipedia
Chollima Statue   Uri Tours on Wikipedia
Chollima Statue   Nicor on Wikipedia
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

Rising above Mansu Hill in North Korea is a soaring pegasus with a pair of citizens riding the majestic beast into the metaphorical future. This is the image of Chollima, one of the most important symbols in North Korea. 

Located in the North Korean capital of Pyongyang, the towering statue is a monument to Korean workers, the symbol of which crowns the monument. The symbol itself is of Chinese origin, a magical horse that is so fast, no man can mount it, being an Eastern allegory to the pegasus. The name even translates to "thousand-mile horse."

The symbol was introduced to North Korea by in 1956 by Kim Il-Sung, who used it as the mascot for his Chollima Workers Movement. The country was in need of rapid reconstruction following the Korean War, and Il Sung used the slogan, "Let us dash forward in the spirit of Chollima!" to invoke the mythical creature's speed and perseverance over seemingly impossible goals. The campaign seemed to work too, leading to years of rapid reconstruction. Unfortunately, people are not magical tireless horses, and by the 1960s the movement had petered out for the most part.

However, the Chomilla remains a popular icon in the country, even lending its name to the national football team. There are small versions of the statue to be found all over the country, but the main Chollma Statue in Pyongyang was built in 1961 and stands over 150 feet tall. Despite the legend, it does not move at all.  

Related Tags

Statues Mythology North Korea North Korean Monuments

Community Contributors

Added By

jcommerford

Edited By

Blindcolour, EricGrundhauser

  • Blindcolour
  • EricGrundhauser

Published

June 24, 2015

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chollima
Chollima Statue
Mansu Bridge
Pyongyang
North Korea
39.037895, 125.742388
Get Directions

Nearby Places

The USS Pueblo

Pyongyang, North Korea

miles away

Ryugyong Hotel

Pyongyang, North Korea

miles away

Arch of Triumph

Pyongyang, North Korea

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Pyongyang

Pyongyang

North Korea

Places 12
Stories 3

Nearby Places

The USS Pueblo

Pyongyang, North Korea

miles away

Ryugyong Hotel

Pyongyang, North Korea

miles away

Arch of Triumph

Pyongyang, North Korea

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Pyongyang

Pyongyang

North Korea

Places 12
Stories 3

Related Places

  • African Renaissance Monument

    Dakar, Senegal

    African Renaissance Monument

    This giant statue is the product of a mixture of corruption, Stalinist architecture, and North Korean manpower.

  • The best-preserved Tengu stele in Naruse, Machida.

    Machida, Japan

    Tengu Stelae of Naruse

    Three rare “road guardian” stelae with reliefs of the Tengu can be found in the town of Naruse.

  • Fontaine du Soleil

    Nice, France

    Fontaine du Soleil (The Sun Fountain)

    This saucy statue once caused outrage among locals.

  • Icarus statue at night

    Belgrade, Serbia

    Icarus on the Air Force Command Building

    An Art Deco Icarus statue adorns this abandoned gem of Yugoslav Modernist architecture.

  • Diana and her hunting hounds.

    Madrid, Spain

    Statue of Diana the Huntress

    Artist Natividad Sánchez wrote a new ending for one of Roman mythology's tragic love stories.

  • Diana and the Hounds Fountain

    Melbourne, Australia

    Diana and the Hounds Fountain

    A striking bronze sculpture of a Roman goddess with two hound dogs for company.

  • The Mörksugga in the roundabout.

    Avesta, Sweden

    Mörksugga Statue

    A cuddly version of a dark mythological creature now acts as the mascot of a town.

  • The sphinx-like mermaid of Segovia.

    Segovia, Spain

    Sirenas de Segovia

    These "mermaids" that surround a plaza in Segovia are rather sphinx-like.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.