DPRK Mass Games 2009

Rungrado May Day Stadium with a seating capacity of 150,000 - the largest in the world	Illuminated fountain in front of Rungrado May Day Stadium	Illuminated fountain, Rungrado May Day Stadium, Pyongyang	Giant illuminated statue of a Kimjongilia, a flower developed for the Dear Leader's birthday in 1988
Rungrado May Day Stadium, site of the Mass Gymnastic and Artistic Performance "Arirang" (Mass Games)	Rungrado May Day Stadium (completed 1989) Pyongyang, North Korea	The Mass Games for 2009 are being held from August through early October	Panorama of the Rungrado May Day Stadium, Pyongyang - capacity 150,000
150 euro foreigner-rate First Class ticket to the Mass Games	A glimpse inside at the packed stadium	On the opposite side of the stadium from the spectators are ca. 17,000 13-14 year old students	The flag bearers enter the field - our guide said that's the easiest job here
Each of the students has a book of numbered flip cards	The colored flip cards are used to make giant changing images	The students warm up with "test patterns" before the start of Ariang	The effect is amazing with foot stomping and yelling
The names of the school districts where the students are from	The opening scene to the mass games "Arirang"	Panoramaic view of the opening backdrop scene of Arirang	Detail of the opening backdrop from the Arirang Mass Games
Using white cards creates a giant movie screen	Movie sequence in the opening scene of Arirang	A soloist sing Arirang the Korean folk song our guide Kim Song Sim taught us	Arirang opening scene - Dawn
Arirang opening scene - Sunrise	There are well over 1000 performers in each scene	The guide said each individual only performs in one scene	Formation of the rising sun
Arirang opening scene	"Arirang"	Arirang Chapter 1 - "Country with sadness, 1905"	This scene portrays Korean history from 1905 to the founding of the DPRK in 1948
Arirang Mass Games scene 2	The light of Kim Il Sung (a bit like the Star of Bethlehem"	Arirang Mass Games	The illumination of the torch - the light of Kim Il Sung
Communists under the red banner arrive from the north	Arirang Mass Games	This scene was very energetic	"Let's keep the vow we made. We have one goal"
Arirang Mass Games	"Our great comrade, Kim Hyuk"	Performers with red flags	Arirang Mass Games
Arirang Mass Games	"Loving your comrade (tong chi) is the first step of our party's goal"	"Thousands of people but one heart"	Korean word for "Independence"
Korean word for "Independence"	Korean word for "Independence"	Arirang Mass Games scene 3	The Korean national flower
24 women forming a flower	Arirang Mass Games	Arirang Mass Games	Arirang Mass Games
Arirang Mass Games	Arirang Mass Games	...the back drop is changing...	1000 dancers in front of the Arch of Triumph
Pyongyang Arch of Triumph - victory over Japan	"From Mankyungdae to Gaesunmoon is a bloody road"	Arirang Mass Games	1948 - the founding of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea
Arirang Mass Games - DPRK flag	Arirang Mass Games - DPRK flag	Arirang Mass Games - DPRK flag	Arirang Mass Games - DPRK flag
Arirang Mass Games - DPRK flag	Arirang Mass Games - DPRK national emblem	Arirang Mass Games - DPRK national emblem	Arirang scene 4
"Snowy Road"	NorthKoreaAug09 1541.jpg	"The root of our army"	NorthKoreaAug09 1544.jpg
"The root of our army"	NorthKoreaAug09 1546.jpg	NorthKoreaAug09 1546a.jpg	NorthKoreaAug09 1549.jpg
NorthKoreaAug09 1551.jpg	NorthKoreaAug09 1552.jpg	NorthKoreaAug09 1554.jpg	NorthKoreaAug09 1555.jpg
NorthKoreaAug09 1556.jpg	NorthKoreaAug09 1557.jpg	NorthKoreaAug09 1560.jpg	NorthKoreaAug09 1561.jpg
"With Parent's Love"	...and at this point, Senior Guide Mr. Kim clapped loudly...	NorthKoreaAug09 1565.jpg	"Keep Creative"
Arirang Mass Games scene 5 "Bright moon in my country"	NorthKoreaAug09 1570.jpg	NorthKoreaAug09 1571.jpg	"Moon, moon, bright moon in my country"
NorthKoreaAug09 1577.jpg	Whereas Kim Il Sung is the sun, Kim Jong Il is the moon	NorthKoreaAug09 1582.jpg	"Anywhere there is a fight, we will be there"
NorthKoreaAug09 1594.jpg	"Make Choson's Peak Season"	NorthKoreaAug09 1596.jpg	NorthKoreaAug09 1597.jpg
Arirang Mass Games scene 6 - children's gymnastic performance	These are the 8 year olds	NorthKoreaAug09 1604.jpg	NorthKoreaAug09 1605.jpg
NorthKoreaAug09 1606.jpg	NorthKoreaAug09 1608.jpg	NorthKoreaAug09 1609.jpg	NorthKoreaAug09 1610.jpg
NorthKoreaAug09 1611.jpg	NorthKoreaAug09 1613.jpg	NorthKoreaAug09 1614.jpg	NorthKoreaAug09 1618.jpg
"Blossom"	NorthKoreaAug09 1624.jpg	NorthKoreaAug09 1625.jpg	"Thank you our father"
NorthKoreaAug09 1627.jpg	Arirang Mass Games scene 7 - energy/industry	NorthKoreaAug09 1630.jpg	NorthKoreaAug09 1631.jpg
"New country which just woke up from 50 years sleep"	NorthKoreaAug09 1634.jpg	NorthKoreaAug09 1635.jpg	NorthKoreaAug09 1638.jpg
NorthKoreaAug09 1639.jpg	NorthKoreaAug09 1640.jpg	NorthKoreaAug09 1641.jpg	NorthKoreaAug09 1642.jpg
"We have hydroelectric power everywhere"	"Gae Chun - Tae Sung Ho"	NorthKoreaAug09 1647.jpg	"Strange looks of salt"
NorthKoreaAug09 1649.jpg	NorthKoreaAug09 1650.jpg	Arirang Mass Games scene 8 - Agriculture	NorthKoreaAug09 1659.jpg
"Let's turn the grass into meat"	NorthKoreaAug09 1661.jpg	NorthKoreaAug09 1664.jpg	NorthKoreaAug09 1665.jpg
NorthKoreaAug09 1667.jpg	NorthKoreaAug09 1669.jpg	NorthKoreaAug09 1669a.jpg	NorthKoreaAug09 1671.jpg
Arirang Mass Games scene 9 - traditional Korean culture	NorthKoreaAug09 1673.jpg	NorthKoreaAug09 1675.jpg	NorthKoreaAug09 1676.jpg
NorthKoreaAug09 1679.jpg	"Let's create new products"	NorthKoreaAug09 1681.jpg	NorthKoreaAug09 1684.jpg
"Silky lady in nangbyun"	NorthKoreaAug09 1686.jpg	NorthKoreaAug09 1687.jpg	NorthKoreaAug09 1688.jpg
NorthKoreaAug09 1689.jpg	NorthKoreaAug09 1690.jpg	NorthKoreaAug09 1691.jpg	NorthKoreaAug09 1692.jpg
NorthKoreaAug09 1695.jpg	NorthKoreaAug09 1696.jpg	"Lovely silky falls"	NorthKoreaAug09 1699.jpg
Arirant Mass Games scene 10 - "21st Century"	"Let's improve our science and technology"	"Let's make our economy more modern"	NorthKoreaAug09 1706.jpg
NorthKoreaAug09 1707.jpg	"New Creative Mind"	NorthKoreaAug09 1712.jpg	"Being independent is our life"
NorthKoreaAug09 1716.jpg	NorthKoreaAug09 1719.jpg	NorthKoreaAug09 1720.jpg	NorthKoreaAug09 1721.jpg
"150 days of fighting"	NorthKoreaAug09 1724.jpg	"Big improvements, big changes"	NorthKoreaAug09 1727.jpg
Goal year 2012, the 100th birthday of Kim Il Sung	NorthKoreaAug09 1730.jpg	"Strong country, great improvement"	NorthKoreaAug09 1733.jpg
Arirang Mass Games scene 11 - Martial Arts	"Wisdom of our country"	NorthKoreaAug09 1737.jpg	NorthKoreaAug09 1740.jpg
NorthKoreaAug09 1742.jpg	NorthKoreaAug09 1746.jpg	NorthKoreaAug09 1748.jpg	"Thunderstorm from Jung Il Bong"
NorthKoreaAug09 1751.jpg	NorthKoreaAug09 1752.jpg	NorthKoreaAug09 1753.jpg	NorthKoreaAug09 1754.jpg
NorthKoreaAug09 1755.jpg	"Victory of our thoughts"	NorthKoreaAug09 1757.jpg	"Let's speed our country's greatness"
NorthKoreaAug09 1759.jpg	NorthKoreaAug09 1760.jpg	NorthKoreaAug09 1761.jpg	Arirang Mass Games scene 12 - Birth of Kim Jong Il at Mt. Paektu
NorthKoreaAug09 1766.jpg	NorthKoreaAug09 1767.jpg	"All the forest covered with snow"	"Home in spring"
NorthKoreaAug09 1771.jpg	NorthKoreaAug09 1774.jpg	NorthKoreaAug09 1776.jpg	NorthKoreaAug09 1777.jpg
NorthKoreaAug09 1778.jpg	NorthKoreaAug09 1779.jpg	NorthKoreaAug09 1781.jpg	NorthKoreaAug09 1782.jpg
NorthKoreaAug09 1783.jpg	NorthKoreaAug09 1785.jpg	Arirang Mass Games scene 13 - Acrobatics	NorthKoreaAug09 1792.jpg
NorthKoreaAug09 1793.jpg	NorthKoreaAug09 1794.jpg	NorthKoreaAug09 1796.jpg	NorthKoreaAug09 1805.jpg
NorthKoreaAug09 1806.jpg	NorthKoreaAug09 1811.jpg	NorthKoreaAug09 1812.jpg	NorthKoreaAug09 1815.jpg
NorthKoreaAug09 1818.jpg	NorthKoreaAug09 1820.jpg	NorthKoreaAug09 1822.jpg	NorthKoreaAug09 1827.jpg
NorthKoreaAug09 1829.jpg	Arirang Mass Games scene 14 - Reunification	NorthKoreaAug09 1834.jpg	NorthKoreaAug09 1836.jpg
"One mind, one behaviour"	NorthKoreaAug09 1842.jpg	NorthKoreaAug09 1844.jpg	NorthKoreaAug09 1845.jpg
Military Demarcation Line	NorthKoreaAug09 1848.jpg	"Our President's will was for the country to unite"	NorthKoreaAug09 1851.jpg
"Make our country united"	NorthKoreaAug09 1857.jpg	NorthKoreaAug09 1858.jpg	"Pungseupdo (culture)"
"With our people"	NorthKoreaAug09 1864.jpg	Arirang Mass Games - map of Korea	NorthKoreaAug09 1865a.jpg
Map of Korea with the Monument to the Three Charters of National Reunification	Monument to the Three Charters of National Reunification	NorthKoreaAug09 1868.jpg	NorthKoreaAug09 1870.jpg
Arirang Mass Games scene 15 - Arirang for 3000 km	NorthKoreaAug09 1873.jpg	NorthKoreaAug09 1875.jpg	"Arirang for 3000 km"
"Independent. Peace. Friendly"	NorthKoreaAug09 1881.jpg	NorthKoreaAug09 1882.jpg	NorthKoreaAug09 1883.jpg
NorthKoreaAug09 1884.jpg	"Chosun goes to the world"	NorthKoreaAug09 1886.jpg	NorthKoreaAug09 1887.jpg
NorthKoreaAug09 1894.jpg	NorthKoreaAug09 1901.jpg	NorthKoreaAug09 1902.jpg	NorthKoreaAug09 1906.jpg
NorthKoreaAug09 1908.jpg	Panorama of the finale of the Ariang Mass Games, Rungrado May Day Stadium	Some of the most genuine smiles and waves we got...a group of Mass Games performers leaving the stadium