You know that an event is a huge deal when a 3km stretch of road, right in the heart of a major city, is shut down for several hours on a busy Saturday night.
We didn’t specifically plan our travel dates to coincide with the Lotus Lantern Parade, but since we happened to be in Seoul that weekend, it would have been a waste not to join in the festivities.
By joining, I don’t mean marching in the parade itself, since participation is not open to the general public. Instead, the plan was to find a nice spot to park ourselves and watch the floats and procession go past.
The parade was scheduled to start at around 7pm, but in order to snag the limited and highly coveted seats, we decided to head over to Jongno 3-ga an hour earlier.
Clearly, we weren’t the only ones with the same idea, because the front row seats were all gone by the time we reached. The best we could manage was the third row, which wasn’t too bad, as long as the people in front didn’t decide to spontaneously stand up.
As we got closer and closer to kick off, more and more event-related personnel started streaming in. Including those tasked with maintaining safety and order, as well as those in media who were there to cover the event on-site.
A big crane-mounted truck started firing up its engines, and a small camera crew was hoisted up high into the air. They were suspended right above the centre of the road, offering them a bird’s eye view of the entire proceedings.
While there was no jostling for seats during the wait, people were clearly trying their best to secure seats, or improve the ones they already had.
A mother who had her bags on several chairs had to constantly defend her turf, while the rest of her family left to buy food and drinks. When they finally came back, she was visibly annoyed at how long they took and made sure they knew how she felt.
An elderly haraboji was trying his best to squeeze his chair into the row in-front of him, oblivious to the disapproving looks from his immediate neighbours. But by the time the opening performance started at 7.30pm, the seated audience had mostly settled down.
About two dozen men in their colourful costumes pranced in and did what I assume must have been a well-known traditional dance. Those with drums strapped across their chests hammered out fast beats, all in unison.
This was followed by the start of the parade proper, marked by flag bearers in official garb marching slowly but steadily forward.
The rest of the parade was much less solemn and way more festive. Wave after wave of participants walked down the empty road, with many of them carrying colourful and brightly-lit lanterns.
Many of them, especially the halmonis and ajummas in their long and flowing hanboks, seemed to be really enjoying themselves. They had a spring in their step and huge smiles on their faces as they waved merrily to the crowd.
Larger than life lanterns depicting religious and historical figures joined the procession, powered manually by teams of people pushing them forward. As the sky got darker and darker, they shone brighter and brighter.
Across the street, we could see many groups of people happily dancing away as the night progressed. It seemed like those standing were having way more fun than the ones seated comfortably.
Whenever a contingent of kids appeared, the crowd seemed to get especially excited, letting out loud and exuberant cheers.
Perhaps it was due to family members recognising their relatives as they walked past. Or perhaps it was the sight of the precious younger generation, in a country with one of the lowest fertility rates in the world.
One common theme among the numerous groups taking part was their bright and colourful costumes, paired with matching handheld lanterns. Some were in traditional Korean hanboks while others were in modern dresses.
Another common theme was dragons. Many different interpretations made multiple guest appearances throughout the night.
Like this impressively large dragon ship, mounted on a makeshift vehicle and carefully driven down the parade.
And its less high-tech counterpart, powered by more than a dozen pair of legs. Similar to the dragon dance commonly seen during Chinese New Year celebrations, but larger and longer.
We stayed to watch the parade for more than an hour, but decided to leave before the entire procession had passed through.
Given the sheer number of people who were there, we didn’t want to deal with the inevitable post-parade crowd, all rushing into the subway station at the same time.
The Lotus Lantern Parade was quite an experience, and definitely worth watching at least once. Dates for 2024 are now available, and if you just happen to be in Seoul on Saturday 11 May 2024, you might want to consider spending a few hours there.
Just remember to get there before 6pm if you’re planning on getting seats.
Seoul Spring 2023
Trip planning: Hansik, sijang and hanok (Seoul Spring 2023)
Our flights are booked, hotel rooms are reserved and all that’s left is to count down to the day that we finally take to the skies again.
Up in the air again with Singapore Airlines in Business class
For our very first post-pandemic flight, we redeemed 208,000 KrisFlyer miles for a pair of Business class return tickets to Seoul.
Ryse Hotel is right in the heart of bustling Hongdae
During our previous trips to Seoul, we stayed in Myeongdong, Dongdaemun and City Hall. This time, I decided to try a new neighbourhood in the Western part of Seoul.
Comforting pork soup at Donsubaek for our first meal in Seoul
After a six plus hour flight and faced with an unexpected drop in temperature, a piping hot bowl of pork soup really hit the spot.
Masan Seafood and their ugly delicious agujjim
Monkfish may possibly be the ugliest fish in the world, but it also happens to be one of the most delicious.
A relaxing afternoon interlude at Tteuran Teahouse in Ikseondong
As you step through the heavy wooden doors, you can’t help but feel a sense of serenity sweep over your entire body.
For jeongmal delizioso Korean fusion food, head to Banjoo Iksun
Beautifully browned potato dumplings and generous chunks of smoky bacon floated on a pool of vibrantly green perilla leaf cream.
Traditional Korean rice cakes and pour over coffee for breakfast
Rice is a staple in many Asian countries. Besides being the main source of carbohydrates, it’s also used to make different types of sweets.
Lotus Lantern Festival at Gwanghwamun Square
The lantern displays were just one component of the week-long festival leading up to the Buddha’s birthday celebration, a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
Baek Nyeon Baekse just took the top spot in our samgyetang shortlist
Samgyetang, or ginseng chicken soup, is easily one of our favourite Korean dishes. It’s great on cold, rainy days and even better when we’re feeling under the weather.
When Korean executives need a quick meal, Hanilkwan is where they go
Bibimbap is a dish that requires audience participation, and it’s always fun to mix all the ingredients into a beautiful mess.
Strawberry tea and desserts at bright and breezy Mil Toast
The Wife went with a hot Strawberry Tea, not knowing exactly what to expect but confident that it was a good choice. South Korea was, after all, famous for their high quality strawberries.
Bus ride to Mangwon Market for our Korean street food fix
Dessert was in the form of spicy eomuk skewers, from the very first stall we saw when entering the market. Just look at that fiery and luscious sauce!
The hanjeongsik at Hangaram was easily our best meal in Seoul
Despite being mentally prepared for the large number of incoming items, when the food started arriving, we were hopelessly overwhelmed by the non-stop cascade of dishes.
Mall hopping at The Hyundai Seoul and Starfield Coex
Given a choice between hiking up a mountain or wandering around an airconditioned mall, I choose the latter. Any time of the day, any day of the week, any week of the year.
Jeon and makgeolli at John Makgeolliano in Yeonnamdong
One mission of our recent vacation in Seoul was to drink as much makgeolli as possible. And since jeon is the perfect accompaniment to makgeolli, we found an interesting place to have both.
Wandering the jinjja yeppeuda alleys of Ikseondong Hanok Village
Of all the neighbourhoods we’ve been to in Seoul, Ikseondong is the prettiest by far. Here are five memorable places that we visited.
There’s a reason why Myeongdong Kyoja is so popular
After mixing everything into a beautiful mess and taking in a big mouthful, the first thing that hit me was a pleasant nuttiness, followed by deep umami. The noodles were firm and chewy, releasing flavour with every bite.
From now on, Novotel Dongdaemun is where we’ll stay in Seoul
Five months before check-in, I booked a 53sqm Residence Deluxe Room on a fully flexible rate. Our four night stay in May had an average daily rate of ₩256,000.
The Wife walked into Pleats Mama and almost didn’t make it out
I could tell that she was very pleased with her purchases, and I was pleased that she was pleased.
The complete Hanwoo K-BBQ experience at Majang Meat Market
Our 422g platter with four different cuts of Grade 1++(9) Korean beef cost ₩71,000 at the butcher’s shop. The total bill after adding the table charge, drinks and transport came up to only ₩89,800.
Buying African beans from Blue Bottle Coffee in Samcheongdong
A wide selection was on display, together with their origins, tasting notes and prices. They were sold in unusually large 300gm bags, with blends going for ₩25,000 and single-origins for ₩35,000.
Our very first taste of ganjang gejang, courtesy of Keun Giwajip
I found out the hard way that ganjang gejang is an acquired taste. One that, unfortunately, I wasn’t able to acquire.
Strolling down Gyeongdong Market for a truly local sijang experience
One thing we like to do when visiting a foreign city is to explore grocery stores and traditional markets. It gives us a chance to glimpse into the lives of people going about their day-to-day activities.
The tragic fate of the jjukkumi at Najeongsun Halmae
Somewhere in the Yongdu-dong neighbourhood, within the Dongdaemun-gu district, a brass octopus stands at attention, solemnly saluting all who walk past.
Jeolla-do grilled eel two ways at Songgang Freshwater Eel
In South Korea, jang-eo (장어) is considered a health food that boosts energy, and is especially popular during the hot summer months.
Shopping for souvenirs at Emart Cheonggyecheon
Grocery shopping is probably not on the minds of most tourists. But coming from a non-agricultural country like Singapore, the opportunity to bring home fresh, tasty and cheap produce was simply too good to miss.
Last minute dash for Goraesa Eomuk just before boarding our flight
The Wife had a look in her eyes that hinted that she was thinking about buying one of everything. But she managed to restrain her impulses and only picked out three pieces.
Our 10 day Seoul itinerary and how much we spent
We spent a total of ₩5,450,000 for our entire trip. Here’s the cost breakdown by flight, hotel, food & drink, shopping, transport and other travel-related expenses.
And just like that, The Wife turned into a kkaennip addict
I can still remember the precise moment that it happened. We were having dinner at Hanilkwan and one of our banchan was a simple salad of shredded cabbage and kkaennip, tossed in a light vinaigrette.
StarHub Giga data roaming works like a charm
We used gigaRoam in Seoul and had no issues with mobile data access throughout our entire trip. It was easy to buy, seamless to activate and convenient to extend, making it the default choice for our future travels.
Lotte Mart Seoul Station is a Korean snack food paradise
Our extensive haul only lasted us a few weeks. We could have stretched it out a bit longer, but when faced with a convenient stockpile of addictive Korean snacks, the first thing that goes out the window is self-control.
