Chinese National Day Tour
Chinese National Day Tour – September 30th – October 8th
My plans have changed; instead of a Rason trip I’m now being sent in to guide the finale of the Arirang Mass Games for Young Pioneer Tour’s Chinese National Day Tour.
Still time to arrange a visa to see the final Arirang Mass Games: €1195 – 7 days in DPRK, Train/Flight In, Train Out (Flight out +€120) Dandong option €795
Pyongyang Smiles
During preparations for my first trip to the DPRK I watched all of the online documentaries I could find, from dreary hit pieces on the DPRK Government to over sensationalized video travel guides, and common to them all was the depiction of a sad, colorless, and lifeless North Korea. But by coming to the DPRK myself I experienced something different; I found Pyongyang to be a clean, bright, colorful, and orderly city, with a people that smile, laugh, and despite the language barrier, interact with foreigners with a shy curiosity.
Sharing my pictures of the DPRK and its people is what this blog is all about. I’m trying to present a different perspective compared to the impressions put out there by the main stream media. I don’t deny that there are human rights violations, but there’s already plenty of material out there to explore on those issues. Instead I wish to pass on what I observed during my travels in the DPRK: that despite the hardships and pressures the North Korean people endure (whatever they may be), they remain a very human people, and just like us they love life and share the simple hopes and dreams common to all humanity.
The people of Pyongyang smile – below are pictures taken during the festivities and celebrations for 100th birthday of ‘Eternal President’ Kim Il-sung – all photos by Joseph A Ferris III
During the week of celebrations for the 100th birthday of ‘Eternal President’ Kim Il-sung, mass parades and celebratory gatherings were quite common. These events were not normally open to foreigners, but often we got caught stuck in traffic jams as tens of thousands of people clogged the roads on their way home. During these times our guides were gracious enough to let us interact with the people, here young boys wave and smile on their walk home.
Young girls laugh and smile while walking home from school.
Boys from a brigade of Young Pioneers enjoy an ice cream snack at a local park.
Young girls smile while taking a break from an afternoon of rollerblading.
Sharing a laugh with our guide on the USS Pueblo.
A cheerful Pyongyang Metro ticket attendant.
A festive spirit pervades the crowds at a mass gathering in Pyongyang’s Kim Il-sung square.
A festive spirit pervades the crowds at a mass gathering in Pyongyang’s Kim Il-sung square.
Last Chance to see the Arirang Mass Games?
2011 Arirang Mass Games – photo by Joseph A Ferris III
From my contacts at Koryo Tours: Word from our sources in Pyongyang is that the Arirang Mass Games of 2012 will be the last – so we suggest you sign up now to ensure that you can see this remarkable event while it is still running.
Don’t miss the Arirang Mass Games! Tell us a little about yourself, and I will hook you up with a great DPRK travel deal for visiting!
Visit North Korea!
100 Year Kim Il Sung Birthday Celebrations in Pyongyang, North Korea – photo by Joseph A Ferris III
Tell me a little about yourself and I will hook you up with a great DPRK travel deal for visiting! Please leave a quick comment here (so I will know to check my email) and email me privately at joseph@youngpioneertours.com with the following info:
Full name, how you learned about this blog, what your country of residence is, when you are interested in visiting the DPRK, and what you are interested in seeing.
As of Oct. 2012 I’m pleased to announce I can offer 5% off to people I refer for our scheduled trips to both the DPRK and Iran – so get in touch!
Mass Gymnastics Post #2
North Korean girls perform mass gymnastics at the Arirang Mass Games in Pyongyang, North Korea.
Beauty and Grace at the Arirang Mass Games
It’s not all about high kicking sexy military girls and mass flip card human mosaics at the North Korean Arirang Mass Games; experience the more delicate side of the games with the following set of photos showcasing the beauty and grace of North Korean women in their traditional Korean chosŏn-ot dresses.
Dancing Maidens at the Arirang Mass Games
Young North Korean maidens dancing in an orchard……
and then the nightmare begins!
Related articles
- Arirang Mass Games Taekwondo (josephferrispics.wordpress.com)
- The Arirang Festival Mass Games (americaninnorthkorea.com)
- North Korean Mass Human Mosaics (josephferrispics.wordpress.com)
Nightmarishly Strange Mass Games
Dancing chickens, cows, sheep, and even a giant pig – a nightmarishly weird boasting of agriculture and animal husbandry power and success during the North Korean Arirang Mass Games.
North Korean Mass Human Mosaics
I introduced the mass human mosaics of the North Korean Arirang Mass Games in my last post. Just adding a few more photos of these incredible mass flip book images.
“Great Leader” Kim Il-sung
Get your guns!
Proof that North Korea is a fun place!
All pictures above are from the Aug. 27th 2011 Arirang Mass Games at the Rungrado May Day Stadium in Pyongyang, North Korea.
Young Gymnasts of the Arirang Mass Games
Its been a very long day at work, I had to deal with a crew member showing symptoms of a heart attack – a long day indeed! My ship was in port, he got checked out by a doctor, and we are back to sea and sailing east along the coast of South Africa. All of this has nothing to do with North Korea, but if you would like to learn more about our current science expedition please check out our current underway science outreach project.
Like I said, its been a long day, I’m simply going to leave these pics of young North Korean gymnasts performing at Arirang Mass Games, DPRK, North Korea.
Related articles
- NKorea launches massive dance and gymnastics show (seattletimes.nwsource.com)
Arirang Mass Games
100,000 person synchronized Arirang Mass Games performance at the Rŭngrado May First Stadium, Pyongyang, DPRK, North Korea.
All over the capital, the Arirang adverts (« Grand mass gymnastic and artistic performance », « Welcome to Pyongyang » and so on) warn the profane…Between August and October, takes place one of the biggest and most impressive performances in the world. The tone is set : even the Beijing Olympics ceremony can’t compete with the mass games organized by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK). The show is held several times a week and welcomes tourists from all over the World, including the US, in one of the most isolated and despised country on earth. The well-called « mass games » are designed to emphasize group dynamics rather than individual performances as the supreme emblem of communism. Prepared by hundred of thousands performers all along the year, after their classes for the youngest of them, they are entirely dedicated to the NK’s leader Kim Jong Il and his deceased father Kim Il Sung, considered as the « Eternal president » and « sun of the 21st century »……...Read more at Eric Lafforgue’s Flickr
Related articles
- Kim Jong-il reveals fondness for dolphins and fancy dogs (telegraph.co.uk)
American in North Korea 