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Every year, on April 8th, in accordance with the lunar calendar, a lantern festival is held to commemorate the birth of Buddha. The unique practice of Yeondeung, meaning the lighting of the lantern, is a Buddha offering originating from Shilla Dynasty (AD 866). The Yeondeung event has a long history, and is enjoyed by Buddhist devotees as well as the general public. The event is a traditional festival, an important holiday, and a prayer for peace. Also, since 1966, a variety of programs were added to the Lotus Lantern Festival, including the lotus lantern parade and other Buddhism culture programs, expanding into a festival for the whole world to enjoy.
If you want to learn more about the culture of Buddhism in Korea, immerse yourself in the festival from early morning until the late evening where you can enjoy the lotus lantern parade. Also, don’t forget to make your wishes and be sure to take plenty of pictures – the lotus lanterns make for a perfect backdrop. |
| Lighting of the Lotus Lantern & Yeondeung Nori |
| A symbolic lantern is placed at the City Hall Plaza in front of Seoul City Hall as an initiation of the Lotus Lantern Festival, and a symbol of the birth of Buddha. This large lantern stays lit throughout the festival, and upon the lighting of the lantern a prayer ritual is done. Furthermore, on the eve of the festival event, there is a lotus lantern parade in the streets of Insadong that goes to Jogyesa Temple as well as Yeondeung Nori, a performance of various dance and instrumental music by Buddhist monks. Following the parade, the participants and the spectators of the parade become one, who join together in the festive performances. |
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| Exhibition of Traditional Lanterns |
| The traditional lanterns are made in the shapes of fruits, animals, etc, and there are more than 40 different varieties. The materials are just as diverse, ranging from paper to silk. So, even if the lanterns look similar, difference exist in the atmosphere they give off depending on their materials. The lanterns also have different symbolic meanings according to their shapes and the patterns. Most lanterns symbolize health, longevity and rich harvests. During the Lotus Lantern Festival, Bongeunsa Temple at Samsung Station exhibits numerous lanterns made with care and wishful prayers. The traditional Korean lanterns made of beautifully colored hanji, traditional Korean paper, and elaborate patterns provide a glimpse into Korea’s traditional culture. |
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| Lotus Lantern Parade |
| The highlight of the Lotus Lantern Festival is without a doubt the lotus lantern parade, which extends from Dongdaemun Stadium to Jogyesa Temple. The procession lasts about 2 hours and 30 minutes. The lanterns come in a variety of shapes and sizes, including dragons, elephants, pagodas, lotuses, and more. A total of approximately 100,000 lanterns form the procession, joined by delightful Korean classical music. All along the parade route, the streets are crowded with spectators, but Topgol Park provides seats for the spectators’ comfort. As the highlight of the festival, the lotus lantern parade is rich with fun events both before and after. Before the parade, the parade participants sing and dance in celebration. Once the procession reaches Jogyesa Temple, the finale is celebrated with the parade participants and spectators joining hand-in-hand in a circular dance as countless pink papers rain down. Additional programs include the sacrificial wish-paper burning event and flying 100,000 wish-lanterns into the air. |
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| Buddhist Service |
 On the day of Buddha’s birthday, all temples throughout Korea begin the day by striking their bell 28 times to initiate the commemoration ceremony of Buddha’s birth. An interesting ritual is the bathing of baby Buddha, which is the rite of pouring perfume or water on the Buddha’s statue. Another ritual is a lantern lighting ceremony.
The monks and other ceremony participants line up to pour water on the Buddha statue, performing a rarely-seen rite which makes it all the more interesting. In history, it was believed that the water poured on the Buddha statue became holy holding some special virtue, therefore people would take the water home and drink it.
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| Buddhist Street Festival |
| This event provides you with the opportunity for a hands-on experience of the culture of Buddhism. A variety of programs are in store including the exciting Pungmul performance and Korean traditional games such as yunnori, neolttwigi, tuho, top spinning, along with many others. Also, traditional Thai, Myanmar, and Southeast Asian dance performances are scheduled to perform. If you feel hungry after enjoying the various cultural programs, then treat yourself to a traditional temple meal. The temple meals are not only tasty, but are very healthy. Temple meals are famous ‘well-being’ foods. You can also taste different Southeast Asian traditional food and drinks. The most popular program is the lantern-making program. You can make wish-lanterns shaped to your desire. Traditional lantern-making program for foreign tourists is also available. You don’t want to miss out on the chance to participate in the lotus lantern parade with your hand-made lantern. |
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[TIP]
The more you know about the symbolic meaning of a lantern, the more fun your experience will be! As early as ancient times, the lighting of lanterns while making wishes or personally making wish-lanterns was a popular event practiced on Buddha’s birthday. Each lantern has it own symbolic meaning, and personal world-views or religious views are reflected in the lanterns.
Large-sized lanterns symbolize justice, and the pattern of dragons and yin and yang are drawn on the lantern to symbolize rich harvests and truth respectively. Fruits rich with seeds like the watermelon symbolize fertility and abundance. The watermelon also symbolizes longevity because of its long stem. Other symbols of longevity include garlic, melons, and wild grapes. Animals are frequently used for the designs and shapes of the lanterns, and the crane symbolizes health and longevity as an animal that lives the longest. A dragon symbolizes rich harvests, for it is the god of water, which is essential for farming. The carp symbolizes honor, wealth and longevity.
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| Lotus Lantern Festival 2008 Program Itinerary |
| Program |
Date & Time |
Venue |
| Lighting of the Lantern |
April 21 (Monday) (scheduled for) 7:00 pm |
Seoul Plaza in front of Seoul City Hall |
| Exhibition of Traditional Lanterns |
May 2 (Friday) ~ May 12 (Monday) |
Bongeunsa Temple at Samseong-dong |
| Yeondeung Nori (festival eve celebration) |
May 3 (Saturday)19:00~21:00 |
Insadong ~ Jogyesa Temple |
| Buddhist Street Festival |
May 4 (Sunday)12:00~19:00 |
Jogyesa Temple(from Jogyesa to Boshingak and Anguk Rotary) |
| Opening Ceremony for the Parade |
May 4 (Sunday) 15:00 |
Dongdaemun Stadium |
| Lotus Lantern Parade |
May 4 (Sunday)19:00~21:30 |
Streets of Jongno(between Dongdaemun Stadium and Jogyesa Temple) |
| Daedong Celebration |
May 4 (Sunday)21:30~23:00 |
Jonggak 4-way intersection(from Jogyesa to Boshingak and Anguk Rotary) |
| Buddha’s Birthday |
May 12 (Monday) 10:00(lighting of lanterns 18:00) |
Jogyesa Temple and all temples throughout Korea | |
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For more information on the Lotus Lantern Festival, click here!
Dates: May 2 – May 12 (Lighting of the Lantern scheduled for April 21, Buddha’s Birthday Ceremony scheduled for May 12)
Venue: Jogyesa Temple, Seoul Plaza, and surrounding areas
Tourism Information: +82-2-1330 (Korean, English, Japanese, Chinese)
Inquiries: +82-2-2011-1744~7 (Korean, English)
Homepage: http://www.llf.or.kr/ (Korean, English, Japanese, Chinese, French) | |
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