 |
| Snow outside New Pyongyang, with the technical university in the background. The Blossom Festival is celebrated this week despite continued snowfall. |
The Blossom Festival, peihua ngoru in Yurtyzstani, is one of Yurtyzstan's four week-long seasonal holidays. It essentially marks the beginning of the year, and is celebrated with colourful and sweet foods, giving of flowers, planting of fields, and music. As with other holidays, it is also a time for volunteering, with ordinary citizens contributing to the construction of yurts and clearing of roads.
Though the ongoing winter has prevented agricultural activities and kept many inside, Yurtyzstanis are continuing unabated in their celebration. Yesterday a team of Yurtyzstanis helped out with various construction projects in North Yurtpyitaw, and they will be going back later in the week to hang decorations on buildings and in the street. This evening associates of Chairman of the Presidium J.J. Hakimoto will enjoy a banquet in the Foreign Residence.
 |
| The frozen riverbed of the Taedong Creek. |
The festival will end on the 27th, with the ceremonial casting of hopeful messages on coloured paper into the Yongkwa.
