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)


Seoul Village 2013
Welcome to our Korean Errlines! Follow Seoul Village on Facebook and Twitter

Add this page to your favorites
* 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)

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

-----
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.

King Danjong and Korea's Curse

It's festival season again, and every year, the end of April - beginning of May period is getting more crowded. Beware : all events cannot be as exciting as advertised, and you must brace yourselves for a collection of kitsch decors, not so cute mascots, or noisy and colorful "eebents".

What to think of those corny lantern-sculptures on Cheonggyecheon, for instance ? The Danjong Culture Festival is making a big splash in Seoul for its 43th edition, inviting tourists to the real party : not here, but in front of Jangneung.

That's King Danjong's tomb in Yeongwol-gun, Gangwon-do.

Doesn't sound as "exciting" as the "Ddeokbokki Festival" or Incheon's "Jjajangmyeon Festival" ? Not an easy sales pitch, granted. But beyond the festival and the show, this King's story deserves to be narrated.

To tell you the truth, I didn't know the story until a few days ago. But it struck me as a turning point in Korea's history, the reason why Joseon Dynasty failed lamentably in spite of the glorious heritage of King Sejong. Instead of continuing its spectacular and positive mutation, the country stalled and shut itself down in front of any form of progress. For the benefit of its neighbors.

I guess Danjong, the king who never was, somehow symbolizes this country which didn't happen.

To be fair, Danjong once became a King, but he was stripped of his title soon afterwards, and recovered it only two and a half centuries later (in 1698, under King Sunjong). Proper funerals were eventually performed, along with a yearly day of mourning, which became much later the Danjong Culture Festival.

Danjong didn't die as a King but as a kid : crowned at 11, overruled at 13, wed and overthrowned at 14... and murdered at the tender age of 16 (1441–1457).

Sad ending for a beloved kid whose grandfather believed could eventually become his true successor. This granpa was none other than Sejong. And the great king worried a lot for Danjong because his own successor was too weak. So he built protective walls around his apt pupil : members of his own dream team (the Hall of Worthies), people of trust and sound judgement, who could help him rule the country as well as he did.

Poor Danjong never knew his mother, who died giving birth (he was raised by his grandmother, Sejong's wife), and as feared, he lost his father (Sejong's first son King Munjong), way too soon.

The bad guy in this sad familial saga is Sejong's second son, Prince Suyang (Suyang Daegun) : Danjong's evil uncle became King Sejo in 1455 after forcing his nefew into exile to Gangwon-do.

But don't picture Suyang as just an ambitious man fooling a kid with a one way ticket to a nice resort area : this criminal has a lot of blood on his hands.

In 1453, he destroyed Sejong's first protective shield, murdering the premier and vice-premier (Hwangbo In and General Kim Jongseo), who actually ruled the country. After that, the young king was directly under his spell. He simply kicked him out once he controlled everything.

But loyalists tempted a coup. The new king poisoned Sejong's brother, and in 1456, decapited at the same time 6 leaders and Korea's future. For good measure, he killed about 70 male members of their families, and even Kim Jil, the Judas who betrayed them. Their wives were forced into slavery and prostitution. One newborn was saved... but at a tragic price : traded with a servant's baby.

The 6 leaders were Sejong's second protective shield around his grandson, 6 prestigious ministers who actually carried out most of his outstanding reforms, starting with the creation of Hangeul. Ha Wi-ji, Pak Paeng-nyeon, Seong Sam-mun, Yi Gae, Yu Eung-bu, and Yu Seong-won are referred as the "Sayuksin" or the "six martyred ministers", or even "six bodies who became gods", according to a more lyrical yet unorthodox translation using similar Chinese characters. They were beheaded at "Saenamto", a place in Noryangjin where centuries later, Catholics martyrs would meet the same fate...

Danjong's murder was a little more subtle : because King Sejo wanted his death to look accidental or suicidal, he had him trapped home and pushed ondol heating to a quasi fire. The young heir died of suffocation... and the whole country fell into lethargy.A noble man wrote a beautiful poem about his trip to Gangwon-do : he came to see the king, but met his ghost. No poem was ever written for the country that never was, and no one ever met its ghost. The closest thing we have could be the expression "The Hermit Kingdom".


* Danjong Culture Festival : April 24-26th (same dates as the 2009 Lotus Lantern Festival)

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