Meanwhile, as the weather gets a bit
chillier, stalls pedaling diverse styles of blankets are starting to catch the
limelight, Daily NK has learned.
A source in South Pyongan Province confirmed
this on October 6, noting, “As soon as we enter the fall, the diversity of
blankets dramatically increases, which means there’s a blanket for each and
every taste and style. Some donjuLiterally "masters of money," donju refers to people who hav... More (new moneyed class) have imported some light
yet warm blankets from South Korea and China, but the imitation brands made
here in North Korea are similar in quality and cheaper, so lots of residents
are buying them.”
Daily NK crosschecked this trend with an
additional source in North Pyongan Province.
These imitation brands have the same
designs and colors as their more expensive counterparts and because they are “just as fancy
and warm,” residents have really taken to them, according to the source.
“As the imitation blankets continue to gain
popularity, the price of the foreign blankets is coming down in order to
compete. We have also seen the introduction of a new luxury blanket, which is
stuffed with duck down and covered in silk. Silk is considered an old-
fashioned cloth by many, but the donjuLiterally "masters of money," donju refers to people who hav... More have become fans of it,” she said.
“The most expensive varieties are the
foreign blankets that are stuffed with duck down and sewn with silk. The middle
of the road blankets are the North Korean made imitations. And the cheapest
blankets are filled with pressed cotton or cloth patches and sewn with ordinary
thread.”
Since the imitation blankets are decent
quality but still cheap, they make great wedding gifts. Ordinary residents are
also buying them for personal use. The donjuLiterally "masters of money," donju refers to people who hav... More purchase the fabric and cotton at
the market and produce the blankets themselves to see in the markets.
The fabric and the duck feathers come in
through Nampo Harbor from China; the cotton also comes from China. DonjuLiterally "masters of money," donju refers to people who hav... More
press the cotton themselves before using it as stuffing. The major blanket
manufacturing centers are in places like Gangso and Dae-an, which are located
nearby Nampo Harbor. Blankets get their names (Gangso Blankets and Dae-an
Blankets) from their place of manufacture.
“By now, the whole country knows about them,” she concluded.
