2010 Seoul Lantern Festival: Lanterns, Parades, and Art

The “Korea Lantern Festival” is an event held in the days leading up to Buddha’s Birthday. This year, it took place from May 14 to May 23. Originally, the festival was a Buddhist practice where devotees lit lamps to illuminate the dark world filled with suffering, as a form of offering to accumulate personal merit. Passed down through the Goryeo and Joseon periods, it has preserved traditions such as lantern processions, light displays, and parades. Today, beyond Buddhist followers, the Lantern Festival has become a celebration in which visitors from all over the world can participate.

This year’s festival kicked off with a lighting ceremony at Seoul Plaza. On May 14, a traditional lantern display was held at Bongeunsa Temple, and on May 16, a lantern parade took place along the route from Dongdaemun to Jogyesa Temple. Over 100,000 uniquely designed lanterns and artistic lantern installations, accompanied by lively traditional Korean music, made the parade the highlight of the festival. Lasting about two and a half hours, visitors could enjoy the beautiful lanterns and the slowly moving lights from the roadside or from designated viewing areas at Tapgol Park. During the Lantern Festival period, there were also hands-on activities such as lantern-making, temple food tasting, and rubbing prints, allowing visitors to engage directly with the culture.

Exhibitions of various traditional lantern designs. Image courtesy / Korea Tourism Organization

During the festival, Bongeunsa Temple in Gangnam, Seoul, showcased a variety of traditional lanterns representing people's wishes. These lanterns, modeled after traditional designs or drawings, carry different meanings. With their elegant and serene Korean hanji paper and vibrant illustrations, they offer visitors a glimpse into another facet of Korean traditional culture. Additionally, at the Buddhist Cultural Plaza in front of Jogyesa Temple, a cultural event for citizens and tourists was held on May 16. The event featured over 100 booths, offering experiences such as tea ceremonies by monks, Buddha painting tracing, meditation sessions, temple food tastings, and sutra copying. Visitors who participated in making traditional lanterns could even carry their self-made lanterns and join the parade.

2010 Korea Lantern Festival
Event Dates: May 14 – May 23
Event Locations: Bongeunsa Temple, Jogyesa Temple, and the Jongno area
Event Website: www.llf.or.kr/


Traditional Korean Festivals


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Further Reading: Lanterns Are the Symbol of Hoi An Ancient Town in Vietnam (Provided by Tripass Attractions)