SEOUL, May 19 (AJP) - On an early summer night, thousands of colorful lanterns lit up the streets of Seoul as small lights gathered into a massive procession. The glowing lanterns reflected not only a long-standing tradition, but also a sense of community and shared hope.
Ahead of Buddha's Birthday, the annual Yeondeunghoe took place on May 16 across central Seoul. Citizens and foreign visitors gathered along the route stretching from Heunginjimun Gate through Jongno to Jogyesa Temple, where the lantern parade slowly moved through the city under the night sky.
As lanterns filled the streets with vivid colors, many spectators paused to photograph the scene with their phones, capturing one of Seoul’s most iconic spring traditions.
Yeondeunghoe, also known as the Lotus Lantern Festival, is held to celebrate the birth of Buddha. The tradition of lighting lanterns ahead of Buddha’s Birthday has evolved over centuries into one of Korea’s best-known cultural festivals. In Buddhism, lanterns symbolize wisdom and compassion that illuminate darkness, while the act of lighting them represents prayers for peace, hope and the well-being of others.
Korea’s lantern tradition dates back more than a thousand years. Historical records in the Samguk Sagi mention Silla kings viewing lantern displays at Hwangnyongsa Temple, while during the Goryeo Dynasty, the lantern festival developed into a nationwide state event with lanterns decorating palaces and streets alike. Even after the Joseon Dynasty, the custom survived as a folk tradition and continues today.
Recognized for its historical and communal value, Yeondeunghoe was inscribed on the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2020.
Today, the festival has expanded beyond a religious ceremony into a large-scale public cultural event. Programs featuring child monk characters, traditional cultural performances and interactive street festivals encouraged both citizens and tourists to participate rather than simply observe.
The lantern parade began at 7 p.m. near Heunginjimun Gate and continued for about three hours through downtown Seoul. About 50,000 participants from Buddhist temples and organizations across the country carried nearly 100,000 handmade lanterns through Jongno, sharing what organizers described as the light of wisdom and compassion with the public.
The streets featured a wide range of lanterns, from traditional lotus-shaped lanterns to giant dragon and child monk displays. Foreign tourists, children and Buddhist monks walked side by side beneath the glowing lights as the lanterns swayed between the neon signs of Jongno.
This year’s festival also drew attention for the participation of a robot monk and North Korean defectors, highlighting the festival’s message of inclusion beyond religion, nationality and generation.
Jinwoo, head of the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism, said during the lantern ceremony, “May our minds find peace, and may the world find harmony,” emphasizing the importance of lighting “lanterns of unity” to overcome division and hardship.
Even after the procession ended, lantern lights continued to glow across Jongno late into the night. Swaying gently in the warm breeze, the small lights quietly illuminated the fast-moving city around them.
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