An artistic performance entitled "Arirang" will be staged from April 29 to June 29 at the May Day Stadium in Pyongyang, the capital of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, involving 100,000 performers.
It is part of a tourism promotion that also includes various cultural and economic events, according to Ho Tae-ho, member of the invitation and reception committee of the "Arirang Art Performance" at a press conference in Beijing.
"Arirang" has been Korea's most popular folk song since the end of the 19th century.
Originally sung by people who had left their homeland to express their sadness, it was sung with many different lyrics in the 20th century and has been transformed into an honourable and powerful song.
The performance has a long history in the country.
It is the main performance at the opening and closing ceremonies of some large-scale events such as the 13th International Youth Students Festival of July 1989, the Pyongyang Sports Culture Festival of April 1995, and the celebration ceremony for the 55th anniversary of the founding of the Workers' Party of Korea in October 2000.
Ho said: "With the improvement of the theatrical ideas and techniques, the coming 'Arirang' will be far better than any previous performance of this kind. It will be the first spectacular of this kind staged in history."
The performance, with "Arirang" as the accompanying music, is a perfect combination of folk music, traditional dance, skillful gymnastics and thrilling circus acts, he said.
The 100,000 performers include well-known Korean artists including the prize-winners of international and domestic contests, athletes and children.
The backdrop will be done by more than 20,000 students. Through hard practice, they have achieved a good degree of accuracy and have co-operated quite well.
O Myong-sung, an administrative member of the performance's invitation and reception committee, said: "Seeing is believing. I believe the performance will be an unforgettable experience for the audiences. So I invite people from all over the world to watch it and hope they do so."
Construction on Pyongyang's May Day Stadium finished on May 1, 1989. With a capacity of 200,000, the stadium stands on Rungna Island in the middle of the Taedong River.
(China Daily March 28, 2002)
