Arirang Festival
The Grand Mass Gymnastics and Artistic Performance Arirang (Hangul: 아리랑 축제 Hanja: 아리랑 祝祭) are held in the Rungrado May Day Stadium in Pyongyang, North Korea. The two-month gymnastics and artistic festival celebrates the birthday of Kim Il-sung (15 April).[1]
Contents |
[edit] History
The festival has been held from August until October since 2002-2005, and 2007 until the present.
[edit] Iconography
The Mass Games possess an important ideological character praising the Workers Party of North 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 purple 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.
[edit] Participants
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.[citation needed]
[edit] Events
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[2] 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.
[edit] World record
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.[3]
[edit] See also
- A State of Mind - UK produced documentary about child gymnasts in training for the Mass Games
- Juche
- Propaganda in North Korea
- Tourism in North Korea
[edit] References
- ^ "In pictures: Arirang Festival". BBC News. 30 April, 2002. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/1959610.stm. Retrieved December 2010.
- ^ Watts, Jonathan (Saturday 1 October 2005). "Welcome to the strangest show on earth". guardian.co.uk. http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2005/oct/01/northkorea. Retrieved December 2010.
- ^ "North Korea halts showcase mass games due to flood". reuters. Mon Aug 27, 2007. http://uk.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idUKSEO29172020070827. Retrieved December 2010.
[edit] External links
- Werner Kranwetvogel Massgames Pictures
- Steve Gong Arirang Festival, North Korea 2008
- Arirang Festival 1stopkorea.com
[edit] Further reading
- Mass Gymnastics in Korea, Foreign Languages Publishing House, Pyongyang, North Korea, 2002, Softcover, 48 pages
Coordinates: 39°2′58.47″N 125°46′30.79″E / 39.049575°N 125.7752194°E
 |
This North Korea-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
 |
This festival-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
