Seoul’s annual Yeondeunghoe (연등회) Lotus Lantern Festival illuminated downtown streets in a blaze of light and color on Saturday as tens of thousands gathered to celebrate the birth of Shakyamuni Buddha, with four humanoid robot monks joining the procession.

Dressed in traditional monastic robes, the robots bowed, clasped their hands in prayer, and waved to spectators as they walked alongside glowing lanterns and floats during the three-hour parade.

Traditionally held each spring, the Lotus Lantern Parade is the centerpiece of the annual festival. This year, more than 60 organizations and some 20,000 participants joined the three-hour procession of light through downtown Seoul.

Ven. Jinwoo, head of the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism, encouraged people attending the festivities: “Following the light of truth revealed by the Buddha, we must light a lamp that brings peace to our inner selves and raise a lamp of harmony that drives away the darkness of the world.”

“Through Seon meditation, we should find the wisdom within ourselves and use it to benefit our neighbors and the world,” he added. (Korea JoongAng Daily, The Korea Herald)

Commemorations for the birth of Buddha, a public holiday in South Korea, are known as Bucheonim Osin Nal (부처님 오신 날) meaning “the day the Buddha came,” and Seokga Tansinil (석가탄신일), “the Buddha’s birthday.” The festival is observed on the eighth day of the fourth month of the lunar calendar, which usually falls during May. The annual celebration symbolizes sharing the light of wisdom, compassion, and peace with the world.

Korea’s largest lantern celebration draws some 300,000 visitors each year. The festivities run through much of May this year, with traditional lanterns illuminating Buddhist temples and public spaces across the country to commemorate the Buddha’s 2,570th birthday. Formal Dharma ceremonies for the occasion will be held on 24 May. 

This year, the Jogye Order estimated that 500,000 people—including parade participants and spectators—attended Saturday’s procession, up from a combined 430,000 last year.

The four humanoid robots—Gabi, Seokja, Mohui, and Nisa—were among the parade’s most notable participants. They were accompanied by two autonomous wheeled robots decorated with the words “healing” and “hope,” and displaying blessing messages to spectators. Gabi recently attracted media attention by participating in a Buddhist refuge ceremony at Jogyesa on 6 May.*

Senior Buddhist leaders, including Ven. Deoksu of the Cheontae Order and Ven. Sangjin of the Taego Order, led the parade, alongside various government officials. Meanwhile, foreign nationals in Korea from Buddhist cultures, including Bangladesh, Myanmar, Nepal, and Thailand, also participated, wearing traditional attire and bearing lanterns reflecting their own Buddhist traditions.

“Every lotus lantern we have today will be a light that illuminates the world.” Ven. Jinwoo remarked. “This light will be a light of hope that will overcome all hate and prejudice, and advance a world where mercy and wisdom flow like a river. I hope that the light of mercy spreads over everyone’s lives, bearing in mind the true meaning of Buddha’s coming day.” (Maeil Business)

The Yeondeunghoe lantern festival has a history that stretches back more than 1,200 years to Korea’s ancient Silla (신라) period (c. 57 BCE–935 CE). Historical records in the Samguk Sagi (History of the Three Kingdoms), completed in 1145, describe King Gyeongmun and Queen Jinseong visiting Hwangnyong Temple to observe lantern displays in 866 and 890 during the Unified Silla kingdom (668–935 CE).

Yeondeunghoe: Lantern Lighting Festival in the Republic of Korea was confirmed as an intangible cultural heritage during the 15th session of the UNESCO Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage in December 2020.** South Korea is now home to 21 UNESCO intangible heritage assets, including ssireum (traditional Korean wrestling), kimjang (the making and sharing of kimchi), the folk song “Arirang,” the royal ancestral rites and ritual music of the Jongmyo shrine, and pansori narrative folk songs.

UNESCO’s designation recognizes cultural traditions, knowledge, and skills passed down through generations, helping preserve them for future generations.

The lantern festival has been canceled only four times in modern history, including once in 1961, when martial law was proclaimed in Seoul during the April Revolution, and in 1980, during the Seoul Spring pro-democracy movement. The festival was canceled twice in 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Although the festivities resumed in 2022, they were held on a reduced scale due to ongoing pandemic restrictions.

According to survey data from 2024, the majority of South Korea’s population—51 per cent—holds no religious affiliation. Christians make up the largest religious segment of the population at 31 per cent, while Buddhists account for 17 per cent. Buddhism is reported to be the fastest-growing religion in South Korea in recent years, amid growth in interest among young people.

* AI: Humanoid Robot “Gabi” Takes Precept Vows at Buddhist Temple in South Korea (BDG)

** UNESCO Lists Korea’s Buddhist Lantern Festival as Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity (BDG)

See more

Yeon Deung Hoe
Humanoid robot monks draw even more attention than usual to Seoul’s lantern festival — in pictures (Korea JoongAng Daily)
Lotus Lantern Festival lights up Seoul with robot monks (The Korea Herald)
Seoul lantern festival draws crowds before Buddha’s Birthday (Dong-A Ilbo)
100,000 Year-Light Seoul Night Lights Up (Maeil Business)

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