The car park of the May Day Stadium was our first chance to walk amongst North Korean people. At this point all the tour members were so overstimulated we could not even remember our own names. There were thousands of performers waiting for their cue to enter the stadium, thousands of spectators also awaiting their entry, brightly lit fountains, Korean music, tourist buses, people on megaphones, and roars emanating from the stadium:
The Arirang Festival (commonly known in the west as Mass Games) is a spectacular music and dance show involving 100000 performers according to North Korean publicity. The actual number is probably be a bit lower (maybe 70000) but nevertheless it is truly a breathtaking sight. Just the students involved in the card stunt (creating murals with placards) in the opposite stand numbers in the tens of thousands, and the detail and the timing of the animation they produce is just extraordinary. Most tourists come to North Korea having seen photos and video clips of the Mass Games but until one witnesses it in person the scale of the performance is just something unimaginable to an outsider. Tim and I were left absolutely speechless.
The narrative is a chronological story of Korea and North Korea, divided into eight acts. Each act consists of multiple musical numbers. Each act emphasises a particular theme - e.g. anti-Japanese struggle, Korean reunification, friendship with China.
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| Second class entry gate for foreigners. |
The tickets are not cheap though - EUR150 per seat for first class, which Tim and I enjoyed. Subsequently the Korean spectators there are part of the elite. As such the snacks available for sale at the stadium included many outside world treats like Coca Cola and South Korean Prawn Crackers, all imported from their only ally China.
I have video footage of the Mass Games but they're too cumbersome to publish here. If you know me in the real world please feel free to ask me to show you.
In lieu of videos please enjoy this gorgeous photo taken by my room mate Raphael:
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| Arirang Festival (courtesy of Raphael). |
I know you in real life, hand the vid footage over buddy! It looks spectacular.
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