Yeon Deung Hoe (Lotus Lantern Festival)

A traditional festival season highlight (literally), the Lotus Lantern Festival is now clearly advertised in original version, as "Yeon Deung Hoe" (연등회), and that's a good thing.

This year again, part of the events will be held in Bongeunsa (Samseong-dong, Gangnam-gu) to alleviate foot traffic at Jogyesa (Gyeonji-dong, Jongno-gu).

Yes, I like Seoul by night (here, Jogyesa in 2008)

The festival will run between May 10 and May 17 and as usual*, you can check the program on the offical website (llf.or.kr). Note in particular the following dates:
. Saturday 11th for the lantern parade between Dongdaemun and Jogyesa, along Jong-ro (19:00-21:30)
. Friday 17th for Buddha's birthday (events across the nation)


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* see previous years: "Seoul Lantern Festival" (2012), "Seoul Lotus Lantern Festival" (2011), "Lotus Lantern Festival" (2010), "King Danjong and Korea's Curse" (2009), "Festival Season(s)" (2008)

Seoul Lantern Festival

Get ready for Yeondeunhoe: this year, Seoul's Lotus Lantern Festival* culminates on May 19 with the Lotus Lantern Parade from Dongdaemun to Jogyesa.

You've probably already seen lantern garlands along major streets, or even bumped into some Disney-like Joseonesque character. If the usual hotspot for kitsh installations remains Cheonggyecheon, don't underestimate the Graceland potential of Bongeunsa, now a major player in that field.

The atmosphere is usually more special in Jogyesa (but you never know - remember all those soccer-ball lanterns back in 2002?), and all along Jongno for the parade.

Buddha's birthday will follow, on May 28. But he already blew the candles out in many other countries (April 28). I guess one month doesn't make that much difference when you turn 2556.

Seoul Lantern Festival 2012
May 18-20, 2012
Program: see website (llf.or.kr)

Seoul Village 2012
NEW : follow Seoul Village on Facebook and Twitter * see also "Seoul Lotus Lantern Festival" (2011), "Lotus Lantern Festival" (2010), "King Danjong and Korea's Curse" (2009), "Festival Season(s)" (2008)

TempleStay? Check

For the best ad of the year, HomePlus / Cheil Worldwide sure made a splash with their QR code based 'virtual store' campaign in Seoul subway*, but I'll vote for this one instead:

Advertising is always somehow lying or selling what you don't have but here, the announcer is telling the truth and insisting on what it doesn't offer. TempleStay invites you to check in if you're not interested in the usual perks (bed, tv, phone, shopping, oversleep, neon sign, coffee, meat), but in a journey in search of yourself. The best loyalty program around.

If you're not aware of this successful program, Korean temples have always been welcoming but now, even families give it a try. The concept gained international momentum around the 2002 World Cup, to the point Jogye Order moved its TempleStay Info Center to brand new headquarters, right across Jogyesa (in 71 Gyeonji-dong, Jongno-gu, +82.2.2031.2000 - check their website eng/TempleStay.com, and the video below).

Note that KNTO has been promoting "Hanok Stay" along a similarly labelled path. Another way of experiencing a more traditional side of Korea.

Seoul Village 2011
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* remember "HomePlus virtual stores in Seoul subway : from your smartphone to Cannes festival screens"? The concept has been extended IRL ("HomePlus subway virtual store gets "real" (from click and mortar to billboard and click)"). That video was seen over 25,000 times, see if you can do better with this one from Arirang TV (about Songgwangsa in Suncheon, Jeollanam-do) -and don't worry, the film starts after a few seconds of test pattern:

Seoul Lotus Lantern Festival

The season of festivals is in full swing, and a photo-op favorite about to bloom : this year, the Lantern Festival will stretch between May 6th and Buddha's Birthday (May 10th), and the always spectacular lantern parade conveniently set for Saturday evening (May 7th between 7 and 9:30 pm).

Follow the parade from Dongdaemun to Jogyesa, and enjoy the temple's festive atmosphere after dark, with all the lanterns lit, unless you decide to stay around Jonggak for the dances and illuminations (9:30-11:00). I guess organizers cannot cope with too big a crowd at the main temple. That must be the reason why, this year, the festival reaches South with an exhibition of traditional lanterns at Bongeunsa (the Samseong-dong temple)... and why organizers are looking for foreign monitors to help cope with a crowd more and more international every year.

For the full schedule, check as usual the Yeongdeunghoe website (llf.or.kr) :



Seoul Village 2011

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20110504 UPDATE

From today's Korea JoongAng Daily ("An ocean of light honors Buddha"), interesting statistics confirming the international trend : last year, 30% of all visitors were non-Koreans. Half a million visitors are expected for the 2011 edition.

Lotus Lantern Festival

After the coolest month of April since 1908, weather is not supposed to get back to normal before mid-may, on time for the Lotus Lantern Festival.

Let's hope this year's Lantern Parade won't be spoiled by rain or wind : two years ago, the atmosphere was almost magical. As usual, the spectacular procession will walk along Jongro, between Dongdaemun and Jogyesa. That shall be on Sunday (the 16th), between 7 and 9:30 pm*.

This year, Buddah birthday is May the 21st. To be celebrated in every temple, sometimes in surprising ways : back in 2002, the paper lanterns covering Jogyesa were painted as soccer balls.

Don't forget your cameras.

Seoul Village 2010

* check the program of festivities on LLF's website : llf.org.

Haeinsa Temple Janggyeong Panjeon

Over 80,000 delicately carved woodblocks have been resting peacefully on the beautiful slopes of Gayasan for 750 years in buildings that let the air and the eyes of the visitor circulate freely.
Considered the Chinese buddhist canon, this Goryeo Tripitaka or Tripitaka Koreana) is actually a second edition : the original blocks (printing material carved 3.5 centuries before Gutenberg's Bible) were destroyed during a Mongol invasion in the early XIIIth century.
The contrast between the value of this treasure and the simplicity of its shell is striking but refreshing. The perfect reward after climbing a few steep flights of stairs under an unforgiving sun (I confess I used the bus shuttle to skip the hike from the parking lot).
Overlooking a sea of trees, the temple itself is quite welcoming and belongs to the Jogye order (HQs in Jogyesa - temple stay website : templestay.com).

Haein-sa and the Palman Daejanggyeong : haeinsa.or.kr , 80000.or.kr (check for the opening times : the Janggyeong Panjeon will be closed all year in 2010, a recess year)
10 Chiin-ri , Gaya-myeon, Hapcheon-gun, Gyeongsangnam-do

Seoul Village 2008

ADDENDUM 20090924 :

Even from space the area looks gorgeous :


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Festival season(s)

Busy week in the 'hood : Jogyesa's Lotus Lantern Festival telescopes with Seoul City's Hi Seoul Festival (now a 4 times a year event). Not to mention a candlestick march of 10,000 opponents to US Beef imports near Cheonggyecheon on Friday night.

Even if rain is expected tonight for the lantern parade, both operations seem big successes. Last night at the Gyeonghuigung, thousands gathered to attend an outdoor concert. An opportunity for many kids and families to hear a La Boheme aria, to see conductor CHUNG Myung-whun arrive like a rock star, or to welcome the next president (OH Se-hoon a little ahead of CHUNG Mong-joon at the event - and probably in the polls as well).

Definitely more glamourous than the concert at Sajik park the other night (one of these corny singers exposing their wigs and fake teeth on Tuesday evenings at the TV).

Lotus Lantern Festival : llf.or.kr
Hi Seoul Festival : hiseoulfest.org