{"id":2099,"date":"2020-11-28T13:48:47","date_gmt":"2020-11-28T13:48:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/toonsarah-travels.blog\/staging\/?p=2099"},"modified":"2021-03-18T11:24:30","modified_gmt":"2021-03-18T11:24:30","slug":"gallery-dancing-on-the-streets-of-pyongyang","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/toonsarah-travels.blog\/staging\/gallery-dancing-on-the-streets-of-pyongyang\/","title":{"rendered":"Gallery: dancing on the streets of Pyongyang"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Only in North Korea, I thought, could you have a day of sightseeing like this! It was the country\u2019s National Day, marking the 71st anniversary of the founding of the DPRK, and our itinerary for the day had been carefully planned to allow us to see how Pyongyangites celebrated the occasion.<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

We had already paid our respects at the birthplace of Kim il Sung (Mangyongdae on the outskirts of the city). Later we would visit Moranbong Park to see locals barbecuing, picnicking, dancing and boating; and later still we would attend a revolutionary opera at the Grand Theatre, The Story of the Iron Works <\/em>(yes, only in North Korea would an opera be set in an ironworks, I suspect!)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dancing in the streets<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

But the highlight this morning was to join the mass dancing outside the Pyongyang Indoor Stadium (one of several locations for such gatherings). We were able to watch the colourful spectacle from the steps of the building. Many tourists were invited to join in too, and I had one dance with our young guide. I have a feeling I rather disappointed him in my slowness to pick up the steps; but as they were quite repetitive I did get the hang of them and got into the rhythm of the dance, which reminded me a lot of Regency era line dancing.<\/p>\n\n\n