Bigger than the Olympics

This year's event takes place from August 4 to the end of September - beginning four days before the Olympic opening ceremony in Beijing Photograph: AFP

The event is on an even bigger scale than the Olympic opening ceremony, with 120,000 participants performing in unison Photograph: Stringer/AFP

The field of the giant May Day stadium is filled with 100,000 dancers and gymnasts Photograph: AFP

Some of the performance is based on traditional Korean culture - Arirang is a popular traditional folk song Photograph: AFP

However, the mass games are also devoted to venerating the North Korean regime, including the country's late leader, Kim Il-Sung Photograph: AFP

The pictures are formed by 20,000 people on one side of the stadium, flipping cards in unison Photograph: Jonathan Watts/Guardian

The composite card pictures often spell out propaganda messages Photograph: Getty

The militaristic theme is also reflected in some of the dancing Photograph: AFP

The card pictures can be incredibly detailed - and some are even made to move Photograph: Getty

Just over 2,000 non-Chinese foreign tourists visited North Korea last year, with the mass games a key attraction Photograph: Jonathan Watts/Guardian

Apart from the relatively high cost of tours, visitors thinking of travelling to North Korea must weigh up the moral implications, given the country's human rights record Photograph: Elizabeth Dalziel/AP