North Korea: a spectacular glimpse into a closed society In Beijing we boarded a rather tired Russian-built Tupolev, the three pilots and crew laded down with carrier bags stuffed with Marlboro cigarettes and bottles of Johnnie Walker Red Label, and an hour later we landed at Pyongyang's deserted airport, a huge image of Kim Il-sung looking down on us as we walked to the terminal. We were told that all mobile phones, GPS equipment and compasses, camcorders and any camera that looked "professional" (telephoto lenses must be no longer than 150mm) would be confiscated and handed back on departure. We had been briefed about the rules for photography: "Do not, categorically, sneak any photos. Do not leave your hot el without a representative from KITC (the state-run travel ministry). Do not photograph from your bus. There will be ample opportunities for photography. We were warned about an incident in which a Dutch tourist managed to sneak out of his hotel and photograph Pyongyang's railway station - resulting in the rest of the tour being immediately stopped. Once there, two "minders" accompanied us everywhere we went. One, Miss Kim, was a svelte young woman in her twenties, university educated and confidently bilingual, elegantly dressed and clutching a designer handbag; the other, an older, somewhat sullen man always remained behind the group to ensure no one attempted to take a photograph of anything not on the designated itinerary. Even with these restrictions, there were many opportunities to photograph Koreans going about their daily lives. In the city, the "Flowers of Pyongyang" - the immaculately clothed all-in-white female traffic controllers - stand at major intersections and wave their batons at the few vehicles that pass across the street (only one in every 30,000 residents have a car). We were able to photograph children at an outdoor rifle range. North Korea is the world's most militarised nation, with one million front line troops and many more in reserve: the children we photographed would have been encouraged to learn to shoot from an early age. But my main aim was to attend the extraordinary Arirang. North Korea is starved of energy, and food remains rationed, but one of the few remaining resources it has is its 24 million people. The country is still able to mobilise thousands of acrobats, gymnasts and dancers who spend 10 hours a day for six months rehearsing for this meticulously staged, two-hour-long spectacle. In 2007, Arirang was recognised by the Guinness Book of Records as the biggest event of its kind. Miss Kim was assigned to accompany me to the evening's performance. Outside, hundreds of buses disgorged thousands of occupants who had been transported from the countryside to witness the spectacle. The May Day Stadium holds 150,000 spectators and a small section is allotted to foreigners, who must purchase their seats in euros. Miss Kim disappeared at the entrance, saying that she was going to sort out a seat for me. It turned out to be in prime position, right beside the official DPRK press corps. Once there, she happily left me alone so I could photograph anything I wanted. Around 50,000 teenagers use 2.2 million sheets of paper to create human mosaics of dazzling imagery, which synchronously change with unbelievable smoothness every 20 seconds or so. Every breath is co-ordinated. They are dazzling displays of unity. No one can go to the bathroom, no one can fidget, no one can yawn" said Suk-Young Kim, a professor at University of California in Santa Barbara. Spectacles like Arirang bring people together, eliminate individual will and have tremendous efficacy in running society. Visiting North Korea is rewarding at any level, not least being able to engage for a few days with what is probably the world's most closed-off society. Miss Kim returned as the final giant mosaic graphics were being displayed. What does this one say? "Arirang shows how we can work together as one to achieve anything we desire," she said. In pictures: Arirang, North Korea's synchronised extravaganza Jeremy Hunter's Arirang series of photographs will be on display at the High Resolutions exhibition at the Atlas Gallery, 49 Dorset Street, London W1, from Jan 16-Feb 16. A limited edition of 15 prints from the exhibition are available to buy from £1,200 to £2,000 (020 7224 4192; atlasgallery.com). The Mass Games: since the death of Kim Jong-il they will not take the name Arirang, but a similar spectacle is expected in August/September. Dom Joly's 'The Dark Tourist: Sightseeing in the World's Most Unlikely Holiday Destinations" is published by Simon & Schuster Koryo Tours (koryogroup.com) is an independent Beijing-based company specialising in group and independent tours to the Democratic People's Republic of Korea