culture

The Ice Rink on the banks of the Pothong River in Pyongyang, the capital of the DPRK, has been renovated.

It was inaugurated in 1982.

For over four decades since then, it has contributed greatly to the development of winter sports of the country and physical training of the working people, youth and children.

Today, it has been transformed into a multi-functional sports and cultural complex.

Bearing close resemblance to a large skating cap, seen from afar, the cone-shaped Ice Rink looks mysterious for everyone at any time. It has rooms for physical training and dance and for coaches, a resting room for players and others built in a modern style and has been furnished with new fixtures.

And soft water is used to form ice in order to ensure the quality of ice at a high level and unlike previously, water is frozen in a closed state. So the ice is very thin and it is economical as the consumption of electricity, water and cooling quantity is reduced.

Its indoor temperature can also be controlled properly to offer as much convenience as possible to the audience as well as players.

The newly-renovated Ice Rink is so designed to stage winter sports events such as figure skating, ice hockey and short-track speed skating competitions all the year round and basketball, volleyball and boxing matches and artistic performances as well.

Its facilities have also improved beyond recognition. It takes a short time to create necessary circumstances according to the sports events and at the time the seating capacity increases and accordingly the freezing, lighting and sound facilities work effectively.

In particular, hundreds of lighting facilities needed for the holding of sports events and artistic performance including high-quality laser projector, large four-side LED screen and various kinds of light effect devices have been installed to ensure the successful holding of sports events and artistic performances at a high level.

Loudspeaker for sports events, very low sound loudspeakers of various kinds and gallery loudspeakers have been fixed to ensure people enjoy music by the stereophonic sound system and the interior walls remodelled to maximize the sound effect, providing excellent conditions to see sports events and artistic performances.

The renovation of the Ice Rink into a sports centre equipped with the latest internal facilities and a distinctive multi-functional sports and cultural complex helps further enrich life of the people.