Thousands of Buddhist practitioners and festival-goers gathered in downtown Seoul on 26 April to celebrate Yeondeunghoe (연등회), Korea’s annual Lotus Lantern Festival commemorating the birth of the Buddha. Participants, including many dressed in traditional Korean hanbok, carried colorful lotus-shaped lanterns through the city’s streets, creating a vibrant nighttime spectacle.

Originally rooted in Buddhist religious tradition, Yeondeunghoe has evolved into a major cultural event that draws participants and spectators from across South Korea and abroad. According to the Korea Tourism Organization, more than 300,000 people typically take part in the celebrations each year. The festival’s enduring popularity highlights the continuing influence of Buddhism in South Korea, where about 16 per cent of the population identifies as Buddhist, according to a 2020 government survey.

The Lotus Lantern Festival traces its origins back more than 1,200 years to Korea’s Silla period (57 BCE–935 CE). Recognized by UNESCO as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2020, and designated as Korea’s National Intangible Cultural Heritage, Yeondeunghoe aims to “illuminate the entire world with the light of Buddha’s enlightenment,” according the Visit Korea website. (Visit Korea)

This year’s parade began at Dongdaemun (Heunginjimun) Gate and proceeded along a route covering four major Seoul subway stations, before culminating at Jogyesa Temple, the headquarters of the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism. Handmade lanterns, crafted by temples and Buddhist organizations across South Korea, depicted a range of traditional images, including representations of the Buddha, dragons, elephants, lotus flowers, and phoenixes.

While monks and lay followers carried smaller lanterns by hand, larger thematic lanterns were transported on vehicles. The streets were lined with rows of seats for spectators, and vehicle traffic was closed to allow the procession to pass.

In addition to the parade, lanterns lit up Seoul’s Jogyesa Temple, other temples nationwide, and along the Cheonggyecheon Stream, where visitors viewed elaborate paper lantern installations.

A highlight of the festivities was Daedong Hanmadang, the post-parade celebration held under the night sky. The event featured traditional Korean activities, including the Ganggangsullae circle dance, and offered experiences such as lantern-making and sampling of temple food, aimed at introducing Buddhist culture to younger generations and visitors of all backgrounds.

Festival organizers emphasized that participation in Yeondeunghoe is open to all, regardless of religious affiliation. In promotional materials, the tourism site Visit Korea stated: “You don’t have to be a Buddhist to enjoy Yeondeunghoe. It is a festival where everyone, regardless of their belief, gender, and nationality, can come together as one.” (Visit Korea)

The celebrations coincide with the lead-up to the Buddha’s Birthday, which will be officially observed on 5 May this year, according to the lunar calendar. Many Buddhists will visit temples across the country to participate in ceremonies and continue the spirit of reflection and celebration initiated by Yeondeunghoe.

Last year, Korean Buddhists used the festival in part to show their new embrace of new avenues used to reach young people. Ven. Myojang, a key figure in organizing a temple-based matchmaking program, said then: “Buddhism is stepping forward to address issues of low birthrates and aging populations. We started the program with hopes that the natural encounters between men and women [in temples] may lead not only to relationships, but also to marriage and childbirth.” (The Korea Times)

The Lotus Lantern Festival remains an important expression of Korea’s Buddhist heritage and continues to evolve as a living tradition that fosters cultural exchange, community spirit, and the aspiration for peace even as large numbers of Koreans no longer identify with the religion of their birth.*

* Buddhism and Christianity Lead Global Trend in Religious Switching (BDG)

See more

AP PHOTOS: Thousands of Buddhists participate in Lotus Lantern Festival in South Korea (AP)
Lotus Lantern Festival, Celebrating Traditional Buddhist Culture (Visit Korea)
Seoul’s Lotus Lantern Festival to welcome all in illuminating weekend nights (The Korea Times)

Related news reports from BDG

Seoul’s Festival of Light Marks the Birth of the Buddha in a Blaze of Color 
Korea Resumes Annual Lantern Festival to Celebrate the Birth of the Buddha
Korea Cancels Annual Buddhist Lantern Festival for a Second Year amid Pandemic Caution
UNESCO Lists Korea’s Buddhist Lantern Festival as Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity
Korean Buddhists Cancel Lotus Lantern Festival as Pandemic Caution Lingers