We went to see the Arirang Festival

Annyong he, this is Ken
※Annyong he means good bye in Korean, one of the few words we learnt in Korean.




This is a report on the Arirang Festival, which is well-known through the mass media such as TV.


※ To make sure for those who don't know it, the Arirang Festival is a massive festival, where a large number of people can enjoy playing mass games and making human letters.






The Arirang Festival goes on for 2 months. Did you know about it?




I thought it took place once a year on some kind of Memorial Day to show and entertain the general secretary. But that is not the case. During the 2 months it takes place around 3 times a week and is always incorporated into the itineraries targeting at tourists to the country..


 Specifically, you could just say that tourists from overseas visit DPRK for the festival. Some say that it is a government policy for getting foreign currency, but actually there are not so many tourists as we can call it a policy. (according to my rough estimate, there were only about 100 tourists from overseas on that day)




The venue is May Day Stadium, a sporting complex.

Not the Kim Yong-il Stadium where the World Cup Qualifier match was held.

By the way, heaps of local DPKR citizens visit May Day Stadium as spectators as well as audience from overseas.

Apparently there are many visitors coming far from the city

We were admitted into the stadium without waiting in the queue because regarded as VIP this time.











And the admission fee we paid was∙∙∙








100 Euros!!! (≒13500 yen)

Still 2nd class ticket. It is equivalent to category 2 in soccer game.

There are 4 tiers for tickets,


3rd class seat = 80 Euros

2nd class seat = 100 Euros

1st class seat = 150 Euros

VIP seat=300 Euros




※Basically, all transactions with foreigners in DPRK are done in Euros



Such expensive admission prices, we actually may be able to call it a policy for getting foreign currency. ww


Locals did not have such nice tickets like us, just tickets made of cheap thin paper. The price must be extremely low.

The seats with tables in green in the back are VIP seats, not much difference compared with not VIP seats.

While we were waiting, the human letter makers entered the back stands

The back stands are filled with people.

They are students. They look white, for they hold white panels for making the human letters.






Closing up on the picture above, this is how it looks.

People are lined up neatly and even the aisles are occupied. Is it not against fire and safety laws?

When they flip their panels after the signal from the main stands, large human letters appear.






No words necessary from here, just enjoy pictures and videos!!

The leader’s portrait is made with human letters.

 

part of the human letters is sometime spotlit.

 

A great number of people are dancing on the field,

 

Children take part as well.

 

the phenomenal number of total performers..

 

Actually, 120,000 people take part in one Arirang festival.


It reminded me of the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympics last year. It is like doing that every other day.


Someday in the future, if the Olympics is held in North Korea or the reunited Goryeo Republic, the opening ceremony will be massive as well.






Now, it is not much but we have compiled our coverage of the Arirang festival into a film, so have a look below.

A four-day tour cost us more than 100,000 yen even though we chose to go into the country by land via China, not by air. On top of that, we had to pay at least 80 Euros to see the show. But the 80-minute show was well worth paying for it.


But, when considering the high expenditure, I hope that a day comes when the festival becomes more accessible to anyone.


I think the festival is one of the tourist attraction to attract a huge number of people.

 On the way to go outside the stadium, we bumped into the performers who were dancing just a while ago.

All of them were still excited and even waved at us foreigners.

I left the venue hoping in the depth of our hearts to visit here again sometime in the future.






Follow us on Twitter to be updated news!! 


http://twitter.com/2010Libero