Various lanterns are displayed during last year's Lotus Lantern Festival at Jogye Temple.

/ Courtesy of Yeondeunghoe Preservation Committee



By Park Jin-hai

The Lotus Lantern Festival, held in celebration of Buddha's birthday on May 21, will begin on Friday and run for three days.

The annual event, which draws 300,000 participants each year, will see more than 100,000 colorful lanterns light up central Seoul on May 6-8.

The Yeondeunghoe Preservation Committee held a lighting ceremony on April 20 with a giant lantern shaped like the Four Lion Three-story Stone Pagoda of Hwaeomsa Temple in Gwanghwamun Plaza ahead of the festival. The pagoda (national treasure No.35) is one of the two most uniquely-shaped stone pagodas in Korea along with Dabotap Pagoda of Bulguksa Temple.

The festival dates back to the Silla Kingdom (B.C. 57-935 A.D.) and was conducted as the Lotus Lantern Assembly in Goryeo Kingdom (918-1392). It continued as the Lantern Celebration (Gwandeung-nori) during the Joseon Kingdom (1392-1910).

The theme for this year's festival is youth. "This year's event has been organized to encourage the young people, who are increasingly losing hopes and dreams faced rising unemployment rate," said Hong Min-seok, a spokesman for the Yeondeunghoe Preservation Committee. "We included more activities for young visitors this year."

Counseling sessions from specialists and art therapy will be provided during the festival.

Last year, the festival was held under the theme of "Peaceful Mind, Harmonious World," marking the 70th anniversary of the nation's liberation from the Japanese colonial era (1910-45), and participants prayed for peace.

This year's Lantern Parade, the highlight of the festival, will extend its course from Dongdaemun, Jongno and finally to Gwanghwamun Plaza from 7 p.m. until 9:30 p.m., Saturday.

A large number of traditional North Korean lanterns, made by referring to North Korean documents, will join the street parade for the first time. As an increasing number of foreigners are interested in the festival every year, the committee will provide "Yeondeunghoe Global Supporters" or a youth volunteer group to assist festivalgoers. Some 2,000 foreigners who booked for the parade will also join the parade, holding lanterns they have made.

The parade will close up with Hoehyang Hanmadang, a post-parade celebration, which begins from 9:30 p.m., at Jonggak Intersection. All the participants will enjoy performances of Buddhist entertainers and dance together under the falling paper flower rain.

During the festival, a lantern exhibition will be held in Jogye Temple, Bongeun Temple in Samseong-dong, southern Seoul, and Cheonggye Stream, central Seoul. Traditional lanterns of various shapes, such as dragons, elephants, phoenixes, drums, turtles and lotuses, crafted by monks at nationwide temples will be on display until May 15.

On May 8, various traditional cultural events will be held in front of Jogye Temple, with booths providing Buddhist art, temple food and folk games to visitors.

The festival is designed to pray for the welfare of the community and achievement of personal wishes among Buddhists, and to reflect Buddha's teachings of compassion and wisdom every year. The lanterns mean the light, compassion and wisdom, and sharing them with others suffering in the world.

For more information, visit the festival's official website at www.llf.or.kr. Reservations are recommended via email at ipogyo@buddhism.or.kr and call to 02-722-2206 to watch the May 7 parade and participate in the May 8 lotus lantern-making competition for foreigners.