The Lotus Lantern Festival (Yeon Deung Hoe Festival) is an annual festival associated with the celebration of Buddha’s birthday. This festival takes place in all countries where Buddhist temples are located, but the main celebrations occur in South Korea, where this tradition has over 1300 years of history. The Buddha’s birth was first celebrated during the Silla Dynasty.
Currently, more than half of Koreans declare themselves atheists, and Buddhists constitute the second denominational group after Protestants. Even though Buddhism is not considered a religion, Buddha’s birthday is a day off for all Koreans. The Lotus Lantern Festival is so deeply rooted in the local culture that it is considered the intangible national heritage of Korea.
Buddha’s birthday
The Buddha was believed to be born on a full moon day, and his birthday falls on the eighth day of the fourth lunar month. For this reason, the date is flexible and may occur at the end of April or in early May. According to legend, Prince Siddhartha Gautama—the future Buddha—was born around 563 B.C.E. in the royal family who lived in a place that today belongs to Nepal.
During preparation for the Buddha’s birthday, all Buddhist temples are decorated with colourful lanterns. In the past, all lanterns were made by hand from Hanji paper, which was famous all over Asia for its excellent quality, durability and beauty.
Currently, ready-made lanterns can be bought, although the tradition of hand-making them is still cultivated in traditional temples. Lanterns can have different shapes and colours. Most of them are in the shape of a lotus flower, which symbolizes the disappearance of ignorance and the emergence of wisdom. Lanterns are hung up, and lights are turned on. So, the faithful can find their way to the temple and prepare for this holiday in spiritual terms.
In preparation for celebrating the Buddha’s birthday, the faithful also prepare grand, ornate lanterns. They often depict figures of deities associated with Buddhism. A week before the Buddha’s official birthday, all grand ornate lanterns participate in the solemn parade that passes through the city’s main streets.
Schedule of the event
Several days before the Lantern Festival, colourful lanterns are hung in temples and in all cities. They decorate not only the area of the temples but also the road that leads to them. In cities, lanterns hang along main streets and the most prominent squares. In Seoul, they were also hung along the entire Cheonggyecheon Stream, a tourist attraction.
Grand ornate paper lanterns are exhibited in the main Buddhist temples. They depict various characters and forms. The theme can be deities, animals, children, historical characters, movie characters or even characters from fairy tales. All lanterns are beautiful, and how they are made can be considered works of art. After sunset, magic begins because all the lanterns are illuminated from the inside and shine with vibrant colours. Visiting the city and temples during this period is a great experience. Nothing looks realistic; the blaze of colours and the magic of lights are breathtaking.
In Seoul, the main places where grand ornate lanterns are exhibited are the Jogyesa Temple, Bongeunsa Temple and the Cheonggyecheon Stream.
Lotus Lantern Festival Day
The day the Lotus Lantern Festival takes place is 8 days before Buddha’s birthday. On this day, a great parade passes through the city with thousands of participants carrying lighted lanterns. During the march, all the big lanterns prepared for that day are also presented.
Official figures say 300,000 residents and around 50,000 guests from abroad attend the festival.
Buddhist Cheer Rally
However, all the celebrations begin with a Buddhist Cheer Rally. In Seoul, at the stadium of Dongguk University, all the parade participants meet. It is a feast of laughter and joy.
Children present folk dances in national costumes on the main stage, and all the dance groups participate in the parade. The most important guests sit at the honorary places. They represent various Buddhist schools from around the world. All guests are dressed in traditional Buddhist robes, which are characteristic of the countries they come from. I saw many of them, but I remember the most representative from Vietnam, Thailand, Myanmar, Mongolia, Sri Lanka, China, and Nepal.
At the stadium, there are also all those associated with individual temples and Buddhist schools. The majority of them are lay followers of Buddhism, however, dressed in festive costumes. Many women were dressed in traditional Korean hanbok-type costumes that day.
Everybody in the stadium has small paper lanterns, which are characteristic of the school they represent. These lanterns will also be presented during the solemn parade.
Some moderators appear on the stage during preparations and teach all the folk dances. Learning takes place with the sounds of loud music and the crowd’s singing. Everyone gathered in the stadium is laughing, dancing, and having fun—and such guests are us.
Anyone can enter this event.
Yes, anyone can enter the stadium. No entrance tickets or invitations are needed. You can sit anywhere, but you must reckon with the fact that around you will sit people in festive costumes and with lanterns in their hands. It is important not to disturb anyone. We were treated very kindly, we got seating pads to put on concrete benches, we were given some cookies and grapes. During the rehearsal of folk dances, I was dancing with the rest of the people gathered at the stadium. It was an unexpected experience, with extraordinary impressions and an unforgettable adventure.
Preparations at the stadium start at 4.30 p.m. and last 1.5 hours
Lotus lantern parade
At 7.00 p.m., a solemn parade sets off from the stadium of Dongguk University. Participants march along Jongno Street, which lasts about 1.5 hours. On this day, Jongno Street is closed to traffic. Bus stops, streetlights, and all road barriers standing in the middle of the road “depart” from the entire width of the road. It’s hard to believe, but preparing the streets for this festival takes only one day. Bus stops and lanterns stand there on unique, large, movable platforms. On this special day, they are taken from the middle of the road and set aside in neighbouring streets.
Along the entire road, on both sides, are thousands of plastic chairs with backrests. They are arranged in three rows, and you can sit on them according to the principle of “first come, first served.” We took seats in the first row about an hour before the parade began.
Before we saw the colourful crowd of festival-goers, we could hear the singing, prayer bells, and musical instruments that the march participants carried with them.
This festival is a significant cultural event. There was a laughing and dancing crowd—positive and smiling people. In front of us, more than a few thousand people dressed in colourful costumes were marching, carrying lighted lanterns. Participants marched in groups; each group represented their school or temple. Guests from abroad also had national flags with them.
Lanterns
However, the biggest impression on us was the show of grand ornate lanterns. Some were towed on special platforms, some were carried on the shoulders of the participants, and the largest were transported on specially prepared car trailers.
All grand ornate lanterns were beautiful, and the largest of them aroused admiration and a great ovation from the viewers. Figures of the Four Heavenly Kings of Korean Temple Gates made a special impression.
The movable dragon that breathed fire and the beautiful peacock with the spread tail that flickered with colourful lights also aroused great admiration.
White elephants, tigers, big drums and an impressive dragon boat appeared.
Everyone waved at us and we waved at them. My blonde hair stood out against the background of residents, so many people greeted me with a special hand gesture, popular in Korea, meaning love.
A few people stopped before me and gave me their lantern, which was shaped like a lotus flower. It was a wonderful and touching gesture. I had three such lanterns.
Post-Parade celebrations
After passing the parade, all participants gather at Gwanghwamun Plaza, at the Jonggak metro station (Line 1). From 9.30 p.m. to 11.00 p.m. there is excellent urban fun. They come together to end the festivities in a spirit of dedicating one’s merits to others. Buddhist entertainers put on a show, and the audience gets into the act, dancing hand in hand. On the stage set up especially for this day, there are artists and the same fun moderators we saw earlier during rehearsals at the stadium.
Finally, I could show what I had learned earlier today. The artists on stage played and sang the same songs I had learned to dance to at the stadium. Finally, I could feel the city’s energy, the positive vibrations of the people around me, and the child’s joy of knowing steps and dancing with the locals 😊.
Along Jonggak Street, all the grand ornate lanterns participating in the parade were exhibited. It is possible to look at them closely and take a picture. All lanterns were beautifully illuminated. You can see all the minor details and appreciate the high craftsmanship skills.
We entered the Jogyess Temple for a while, which looked stunning that evening. Above the temple hung a colourful roof woven of a thousand lanterns. Inside, there was a fantastic atmosphere, and the temple visitors that day were accompanied by reverence, admiration, and calm.
City by night
When the party ended, all the grand ornate lanterns were packed into cars, and parade attendees went home. We were returning to the hotel tired but full of impressions. We did not take with us those lanterns that I had received from festival participants that day. They all had a burning candle inside, so I knew I couldn’t take them to the hotel. After taking the pictures, I gave them to a lovely girl who ran to me and asked if I could give them to her.
On the way back to the hotel, we noticed that Jongno Street, which the entire procession had recently gone through, was almost completely ready for use. Bus stops, lanterns and road barriers returned to their original place. Nearly all chairs were taken from the street and stacked on the trucks. We were surprised by how many people worked at night to clean up after the party. We were impressed by the efficient organization of the entire undertaking and the cleanliness of the streets and pavements. Despite the thousands of people who marched this street during the festival, there was no rubbish, drink cups or abandoned lanterns. We were impressed.
Traditional Cultural Events
A day after the Lantern Festival, and a week before the Buddha’s official date of birth, the Traditional Cultural Festival takes place. The festival takes place from 12.00 to 6.00 p.m. In Seoul, all booths are set up along the street leading to the Jogyessa Temple. It is the largest temple of the Jogye Seoul Order and one of Korea’s most thriving Buddhist schools.
On this day, all Buddhist schools that visited the Lotus Lantern Festival display their information booths. There are one hundred exhibits where you can learn about the possibility of visiting a given school or the principles of its functioning. You can also buy small souvenirs prepared by each school: guides, tea, cookies, temple food, herbs and hand-made paintings. It is also possible to learn their Buddhist art techniques, how to meditate or even receive a simple massage tip.
However, the genuine curiosity of the day is street multiculturalism. All honourable guests are dressed in their national Buddhist robes: in white, orange or red clothes.
A cultural festival is taking place on the street. In the central place is a stage where numerous folklore performances occur, mainly dances and martial arts shows.
People sit on the street and represent various fields of art: painting with a brush on silk, glueing lanterns, painting flowers or drawing mandalas with colourful grains of sand.
A great place, close to the local culture, and an unforgettable experience.
Buddha’s birthday
Buddha’s birthday celebrations (Seokgatansinil) are very festive. That day is a sacred moment in Buddhist temples. In all main temples, a joint meal is prepared for monks living in the temples and for the faithful visiting the temple that day. Inside, bowls with sacrificial rice grains and fruit are placed in front of the Buddha statues.
A small statue is erected in front of the main temple, symbolizing the young Buddha. Visitors take water from a bowl placed next to it and pour it on the statue of a tiny Buddha. This ritual symbolizes the purification of sins.
There are tables set up on the temple grounds. Early in the morning, monks and lay employees prepare a small complimentary refreshment: bamboo or seasonal fruit juice, fruit, rice and tea. Everyone can taste it. Again, there are no restrictions or regulations. You can visit any temple on this day. You can walk around and take pictures. However, your visit should be short and quiet.
From early morning, you can hear the sounds of the wooden knockers used by monks, songs, and prayers. That keeps in mind not to disturb those who want to participate in the festivities. Due to the many visitors, benches or chairs are placed outside so everyone can sit.
Also, that day, you can order a prayer or simply enter your name on a piece of paper. The card will be hung by temple staff on lanterns hanging over the temple to guarantee happiness and success. This service is paid and quite expensive (about $12,5), but it is one of the temple’s methods of earning money.
Donghaksa Temple
We spent Buddha’s Birthday at the Donghaksa Temple in Gongju. I will write more about our visit in my next post.
Lotus Lantern Festival in the following years
Detailed information about the event dates, addresses and maps can be found on the Lotus Lantern Festival official website: llf.or.kr
Lotus Lantern Festival – can’t be missed.
Without any doubts, coming to South Korea just during the Lantern Festival week was an excellent decision. Taking part in the festivities allowed us to get to know the local culture, history, and customs better. From the entire stay in South Korea, this event was the most important to us. We had the opportunity to experience close interpersonal relationships. We had fun together, celebrated the joy of life, and shared mutual acceptance.
Koreans are often said to be conservative and not very friendly to foreigners. However, if you make a little effort and spend a few days with them, e.g., during such cultural events, it will open the door to mutual respect, understanding, and many expressions of kindness. Unforgettable moments, great emotions, and priceless memories will stay in our hearts forever.
UNESCO Heritage List – update 12.2020
At the end of 2020, the United Nations announced that a famous festival from South Korea had received very special recognition. UNESCO decided to add South Korea’s Lotus Lantern Festival to the list of humanity’s intangible cultural heritage. The Lotus Festival was one of 25 things the UN decided to add to its heritage list this year.
A spokesperson said, “We will try to make the festival a cultural heritage that people around the world can love regardless of their religion.”
SOUTH KOREA – MY OTHER POSTS
I also encourage you to read my other posts about Seoul and South Korea:
TRIPS: