Arirang Mass Games

North Korea's Grand Mass Gymnastics and Artistic Performance Arirang -- or as we like to call them, the "Mass Games" -- are famed for the huge mosaic pictures created by thousands of school kids each holding up colored cards. Tens of thousands of gymnasts and dancers perform on the field while quick hand motions change the scenes in the stands. In 2007 the Mass Games were recognized by Guinness World Records as the biggest event of its kind. In recent years, North Korea has opened up the reclusive state to foreign tourists to watch one of the many performances. For many years, American tourists were only allowed in North Korea during the brief windows when Mass Games were held.

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Amazing May Day Stadium in Pyongyang, where the Mass Games are held. It is the largest stadium in the world, holding up to 150,000 people.

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Let the games begin! Gymnasts and performers use the whole field while thousand of children in the stands use flip cards to create some amazing imagery in the background.

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Closeup shot of the color card holders.

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I decided to go from widest angle to the maximum zoom setting on my camera in quick succession just to see how close I could get to the action on a single scene. The next 5 pictures show the striking results.

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The flip cards can also be used to make incredibly lifelike pictures such as this one of the Great Leader, which of course drew immediate and tremendous spontaneous applause from the locals in attendance.

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Part mass gymnastics show and part political indoctrination. The gymnastics were amazing.

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What we found to be the creepiest part of the show, a whole sequence of images and dances about food so plentiful it falls from the back of trucks, and animals so eager to be consumed that they practically smile on the way to your dinner plate. I couldn't help but think that only a country that experiences periodic bouts of famine could concoct something so preposterous.

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Traditional Korean dance is also a big part of the show, as North Korea likes to think of itself as the guardian of Korean culture (as opposed to the corrupt imperialist puppet traitors in the south).

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An elaborate song & dance number celebrating North Korea's textile industry.

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I just knew nuclear power would make an appearance at some point...

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Images of socialist strength are a common theme in the background.

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And just in case anyone missed the fact that North Korea is a power to be reckoned with, the sight of thousands of performers doing synchronized taekwondo certainly does the trick!

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A giant North Korean flag suddenly pops up in the middle of the scene from seemingly nowhere...

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The flip-card kids also create the image of the country's flag in the stands.

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What I find to be the most ridiculous of North Korean propaganda, that the current Dear Leader was born at sacred Mt Paektu (most Western experts believe he was born in Russia). Here in the Mass Games, that event is lovingly recreated. Even the log cabin where he was allegedly born glows with his angelic force...

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Notice the obvious joy of the people as they celebrate the birth of their beloved leader.

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Colorful renditions of the Pyongyang skyline today.

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Very moving depiction of the two Koreas, separate but yearning to be together. The projection in the background shows a giant barbed wire fence and the "Military Demarcation Line" sign as the people of the two Koreas try to reach out to each other on the field below.

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Korea at last reunited! Cue massive applause from the audience. The performers on the field arrange themselves into the shape of a reunited Korea (including, I noticed, the islands in the east that are still in territorial dispute with Japan today).

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One last closeup shot of the children holding up the color-coordinated cards. Simply amazing how they perform the routines with such precision!

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The grand finale, a world living in peace, harmony, and -- it goes without saying -- the socialist ideal. Also notice that Korea is represented in red as a single country on the big inflatable globe.