Arirang Festival

This North Korean festival is held in the Rungnado May Day Stadium in Pyongyang, North Korea to celebrate the late Communist leader Kim Il-sung's birthdate on 15 April. The opening event of the two month festival is the mass games which are famed for the huge pictures and frescos created by thousands of audience members holding up coloured cards and the complex and highly choreographed group routines performed by thousands of gymnasts and dancers. Image File history File links Spectacular_Arirang. ... Image File history File links Spectacular_Arirang. ... The Rungnado May First Stadium, or May Day Stadium, is a monumental stadium in Pyongyang, North Korea completed on May 1, 1989. ... Pyongyang (평양 / 平壤) is the capital city of North Korea, located in the bottom third (almost direct center) of the country, situated on the Taedong River. ... Kim Il-sung (김일성) (15 April 1912 – 8 July 1994) was the leader of North Korea from its founding in 1948 until his death, when he was succeeded by his son Kim Jong-il. ... April 15 is the 105th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (106th in leap years). ... Mass games at the 2005 Arirang Festival A program from a 1998 North Korean mass gymnastics display Mass games or mass gymnastics are a form of gymnastics in which large numbers of performers take part in a highly regimented performance that emphasizes group dynamics rather than individual prowess. ...

External links

• BBC News article from 2002: [1]
• Account by Western visitor: [2]
• Strangest Show on Earth - Guardian 2005: [3]
• Four Video clips of the games: [4]