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The Grand Mass Gymnastics and Artistic Performance Arirang (Chosŏn'gŭl: 아리랑 축제, Hancha: 아리랑 祝祭) are held in the Rungrado May Day Stadium in Pyongyang, North Korea. The gymnastics and artistic festival, known as mass games, begins in early August and ends around 10th September. According to the DPRK publication "Arirang" this particular mass games celebrates the story of North Korea "The extravaganza unfolds an epic story of how the Arirang nation of Korea, a country of morning calm, in the Orient put an end to the history of distress and rose as a dignified nation with the song Arirang". Arirang is a Korean folk story about a young couple being torn apart by an evil landlord and hence represents the division of Korea.
The festival has been held from August until October since 2002-2005, and 2007 until the present.
The Mass Games possess an important ideological character praising the Workers Party of Korea, its armed forces, Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il. These messages may not be clear to foreign spectators who are not aware of North Korean iconography: a rising sun symbolizes Kim Il Sung. When a gun is shown, it signifies the gun which Kim Il Sung gave to his son Kim Jong Il. The color red, particularly in flowers, stands for the working class. And the color purple and red flowers represent Kim Il Sung (as the flower 'Kimilsungia is a purple orchid and the flower 'Kimjongilia' is a red begonia). A snowy mountain with a lake represents Mount Paektu where Kim Jong Il is said to have been born in a log cabin.
From as young as 5 years old, citizens are selected based on skill level to serve for the Arirang Festival for many years. In most cases this will be the way of life for them until retirement.
The opening event of the two month festival are the mass games, which are famed for the huge mosaic pictures created by more than 30,000 well-trained and disciplined school children, each holding up coloured cards, in an event known in the West as a card stunt, accompanied by complex and highly choreographed group routines performed by tens of thousands of gymnasts and dancers.
In August 2007, the Arirang Mass Games were recognised by Guinness World Records as the biggest event of its kind. In recent years, foreign tourists have been allowed to watch one of the many performances.
One of the best coffee shops in North Korea, located right next to the Pyongyang Hotel. For more on coffee in North Korea, visit uritours.com/blog/entry/coffee-in-north-korea-pyongyang-h...
The guy in the middle of the picture was pointing and shouting at me to stop taking pictures, so I took a picture of him as well!
This park is on the route from the airport, so it is one of the first sights seen by arriving tourists. It's an example of the many civic projects undertaken by the huge army.
"Big Brother is infallible and all-powerful. Every success, every achievement, every victory, every scientific discovery, all knowledge, all wisdom, all happiness, all virtue, are held to issue directly from his leadership and inspiration. (...) His function is to act as a focusing point for love, fear and reverence, emotions which are more easily felt towards an individual than towards an organisation."
George Orwell, 'Nineteen Eighty-Four'
April 2012 trip to DPRK, North Korea for the 100th year birthday celebrations for Kim Il Sung - check out my North Korea blog at americaninnorthkorea.com/
motorcycle
April 2012 trip to DPRK, North Korea for the 100th year birthday celebrations for Kim Il Sung - check out my North Korea blog at americaninnorthkorea.com/
Pyongyang, DPRK.
humanitybesideus.net/2013/01/31/faces-of-pyongyang-part-1...
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(c) humanitybesideus.net. All rights reserved. Do not reuse without explicit authorization.
Visit www.youtube.com/watch?v=wlTOga-rTF4 for a six-stop ride on the Pyongyang Metro!
April 2012 trip to DPRK, North Korea for the 100th year birthday celebrations for Kim Il Sung - check out my North Korea blog at americaninnorthkorea.com/
April 2012 trip to DPRK, North Korea for the 100th year birthday celebrations for Kim Il Sung - check out my North Korea blog at americaninnorthkorea.com/