text: History The kingdom of Koguryo was founded on its shores. Many archeological sites dating to the neolithic and Bronze Ages have been found along the river, as well as relics and ruins from Koguryo. It was also once known as the Pae River ().
  The Taedong River basin is believed to be the location of the Taedonggang Culture, the historical centre of the Korean nation, when its ancient civilization flourished in 3000 BC.
  Dams and bridges
  In 1954, a bridge going over the Taedong River was partially destroyed during the Korean War. Despite the damage to the bridge, several hundred Koreans used it to cross the Taedong and flee south. Max Desfor's photograph of the event, Flight of Refugees Across Wrecked Bridge in Korea, would win the 1951 Pulitzer Prize in Photography.
  In 1986, the government completed the 8-km-long West Sea Barrage, with three locks and 36 sluices, at the mouth of the Taedong River near Namp'o. The dam acts to control floodwater and to irrigate lands newly reclaimed from the Korea Gulf. The dam prevents mixing of the outgoing river water with seawater, leading to an increase of contaminants concentration. Other dams, such as the Nyongwon Power Station, have been built to provide energy to the country.
  In Pyongyang, there are six bridges on the Taedong, including the Okryu Bridge, Rungra Bridge, and Taedong Bridge.