Lotus lantern festival to return full-scale

The Exhibition of Traditional Lanterns at Cheonggye Stream in central Seoul during last year's Yeondeunghoe (Yeondeunghoe)

The Lotus Lantern Festival, or Yeondeunghoe, will be held for three days starting Friday in Jongno-gu, central Seoul, celebrating Buddha's 2,567th birthday, which falls on May 27 this year.

This year's festival promises to be the biggest ever, as it is the first full-scale festival since Yeondeunghoe was officially inscribed on the UNESCO list of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in December 2020. This year marks the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic that people will be able to participate without any social distancing restrictions.

Yeondeunghoe, which originated in the Silla Kingdom (57 BC-AD 935) and prevailed through the Joseon era, is continuing its legacy to the present day.

This year's Yeondeunghoe will kick off Saturday.

Performers dance during the Eoulim Madang ceremony last year at Dongguk University. (Yeondeunghoe)

Eoulim Madang, a Buddhist "cheer rally" will be held at 4:30 p.m. at the Main Stadium in Dongguk University. Performances will be showcased and the audience will be welcomed on stage to join in the dancing.

The Lantern Parade, one of the highlights of Yeondeunghoe will take place from 7 p.m. to 9:30 p.m., starting at Heunginjimun. The parade will make its way through Jongno and end at Jogyesa.

What sets this year's Lotus Lantern Festival apart from the previous years' is that citizens can take part through prior registration. Those who are interested can refer to Yeondeunghoe's official website for further details.

A parader waves to the crowd during last year's "Lotus Lantern Parade." (Yeondeunghoe)

The events on Saturday will come to an end with "Daedong Hanmadang," or the Post-Parade Celebration, which starts at 9:30 p.m. at the Jonggak Intersection. This event will wrap up at 10:30 p.m. with a traditional folk dance of ganggangsullae danced by a large group.

All three events on this day will be broadcast live on two Buddhist television channels, BTN and BBS. It will also be shown on Yeondeunghoe's official website and YouTube channel.

On Sunday, cultural events such as lantern-making sessions and traditional performances are scheduled from noon to 6 p.m. at Jogyesa. "Yeondeungnori," the final celebration event of this year's Yeondeunghoe will begin at 7 p.m. in front of Jogyesa and end at 9 p.m.

Traditional lanterns made with traditional paper are currently on display at two different locations -- Gwanghwamun Square and Jogyesa temple in central Seoul -- through May 28. At Bongeunsa in Samseong-dong, another lantern exhibition will be held through June 6.

Poster for 2023 Yeondeunghoe, or Lotus Lantern Festival (Yeondeunghoe)

By Lee Jung-joo(lee.jungjoo@heraldcorp.com)