When I was booking flights for our Seoul vacation, the primary consideration was the availability of redemption flights on Singapore Airlines.
Like numerous other KrisFlyer members, our substantial stash of miles would be expiring by the end of this year. Reduced supply and huge pent up demand meant that securing seats was, to say the least, challenging.
After our dates were confirmed, I googled to see if any interesting events would be happening during that period. Interestingly enough, the dates for the annual Yeon Deung Hoe (연등회), or Lotus Lantern Festival, coincided with our trip.
It was totally unplanned for, just like how our previous trip to Seoul in 2019, when we were lucky enough to catch the Cheonggyecheon stream beautifully lit up with countless lanterns.
There were several locations where lanterns would be displayed, including Jogyesa Temple, Bongeunsa Temple and Gwanghwamun Square.
So, after our early dinner at Ikseondong, we decided to take a long and slow walk to Gwanghwamun, with a short detour to Gyeongbokgung Palace along the way.
A 20m-tall replica of the Sumano Pagoda at Jeongamsa Temple in Gangwon-do was the first display that greeted us. It was an impressive recreation of the “pagoda made of green stone from the Dragon King’s palace”.
Dark clouds were gathering that evening, and the ominous backdrop made it look like something that could easily have appeared in the Lord of the Rings trilogy.
Traditional and historical themes were prevalent in many of the lanterns, including representations of various kings of the Silla dynasty.
The attention to detail of the craftsmen creating these works of art was quite amazing when observed up close, especially the imposing facial expressions of these former rulers of the land.
In addition to the lifelike recreations, there were also numerous abstract and colourful pieces depicting various elements of nature.
One of my favourites that night was a mushroom-shaped tree. The wavy lines and vibrant colour scheme made it look like a stained-glass panel, but rendered in 3D. It was quite mesmerising to look at, especially when viewed from multiple angles.
The lantern displays were just one component of the week-long festival leading up to the Buddha’s birthday celebration. It has a long traditional of more than 1,200 years and has been recognised as a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, drawing in both local and foreign visitors.
Starting with the Eoulim Madang (어울림마당), or Buddhist Cheer Rally, typically held in a large stadium, followed by various cultural events and performances in various temples. Festival organisers even suggest a handy one or two day itinerary on how to enjoy the festivities.
But the highlight has to be the lantern parade held on the last Saturday night before Buddha’s birthday. It’s a huge event involving thousands of participants, with the main streets in the central Jongno District shut down for several hours to accommodate the procession.
Since it was right smack in the middle of our trip, we decided to add the lantern parade into our itinerary. I’m glad we did, and I’ll share photos from our seats at Jongno 3-ga in a later post.
As for the lantern display at Gwanghwamun Square, we spent a couple of hours strolling down the expansive pedestrian-only public space. From Gwanghwamun Gate, to the imposing statue of King Sejong the Great and finally reaching Gwanghwamun Station on Line 5 of the subway.
It was time well spent. For our future vacations to Seoul, I might even consider timing our trip so that we can spend some time admiring the lanterns in Jogyesa and Bongeunsa Temples.
