Struggling for a present for the man who has everything ? How about a skinned bear ? This was just one of the thousands of thoughtful gifts on display that had been given to the founder of North Korea , Kim Il Sung . A present from former Romanian communist leader Nicolae Ceausescu , the bear takes a place of pride in an exhibition house in Hyangsan , three hours north of the capital , Pyongyang . Officially named the International Friendship Exhibition House , the exhibition hall is on the official tourist route and crammed full of vases , canvases , military paraphernalia and more unusual gifts . The North Korea I was n't meant to see . Displayed are 112,225 gifts for Kim Il Sung , his son Kim Jong Il and current leader Kim Jong Un from 184 different countries . By far the biggest donors are China and Russia , and most notably the communist former USSR . The tour begins . A soldier stands guard on both sides of the impressively large entrance door and any cameras , phones and even pads and pens are promptly taken away . The tour can then begin . In the introduction hall , the eye is drawn instantly to a domineering white stone carving of Kim Il Sung sitting in a chair . I am told the Eternal President still receives many posthumous gifts . A sneak peek through the keyhole . Under the ornate and pricey-looking chandeliers are glass cabinets containing some of the more important gifts . The official commentary says , `` enemy countries too sent a lot of gifts to president Kim Il Sung and respected Kim Jong Il , impressed by their great personality and virtues . '' Gifts from the `` enemy '' Sure enough , there are a couple of gifts from the `` enemy country '' the United States . Former U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright gave Kim Jong Il a silver dish when she visited in October 2000 . The two countries were enjoying a lull in tensions at the time . In addition , Albright gave a basketball signed by Michael Jordan . Kim Jong Il was reported to be a huge fan of the NBA star . There is also a bowl from former U.S. President Jimmy Carter and his wife who visited in 1994 under the guise of a private trip . Of course , these gifts look rather paltry when I entered the next room and saw an actual train -- a gift from the communist leader of the USSR in 1945 . I then noticed the car Stalin gave to Kim Il Sung during the Korean War in the early 1950s . Not to be outdone , in 1953 , Chairman Mao Zedong of China also gave the North Korean leader a train . According to the souvenir DVD from the gift shop , 3.7 million visitors have walked through the building 's doors from its opening in 1978 until 2010 , almost half a million of whom were foreigners or South Koreans . I see a number of North Koreans filing through at the same time as me . Still lacking inspiration for that hard-to-buy-for person from what you 've read so far ? How about a fossilized snail , given by a former Prime Minister of Madagascar or ivory tusks from Guinea ? The tour guide insists most of the ivory in the world is housed in this exhibition , a claim that sounds a little far-fetched but given everything else that I have seen , somehow wholly appropriate .
The exhibition house is filled with gifts from 184 countries . Hide Caption 1 of 7 Photos:Photos: A century of gift shops in the United States In 2000 , Madeleine Albright gave Kim Jong Il a silver dish and a basketball signed by Michael Jordan .