North Korean Army Girls
Gymnasts in army uniform at the Arirang Mass Games in Pyongyang, North Korea.
The Grand Mass Gymnastics and Artistic Performance Arirang (Chosongul: 아리랑 축제, Hanja: 아리랑 祝祭) are held in the Rungrado May Day Stadium in Pyongyang, North Korea.
Mass Games can basically be described as a synchronized socialist-realist spectacular, featuring over 100,000 participants in a 90 minute display of gymnastics, dance, acrobatics, and dramatic performance, accompanied by music and other effects, all wrapped in a highly politicized package. Students practiced every day from January onwards.
The 90 minute performance is held every evening at 7pm and features the 'largest picture in the world' a giant mosaic of individual students each holding a book whose pages links with their neighbours’ to make up one gigantic scene. When the students turn the pages the scene or individual elements of the scene change, up to 170 pages make up one book.
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.