Seoul lantern festival draws crowds before Buddha’s Birthday

Seoul’s Jongno district was filled with lanterns and large crowds on May 16 and 17 as the Lotus Lantern Festival, a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage event, illuminated the city ahead of Buddha’s Birthday on May 24. This year’s celebration drew particular attention with humanoid robots joining the parade, including one that recently underwent a Buddhist ordination ceremony.

Held under the slogan “Peace in mind, harmony in the world,” the festival opened on May 16 with a lantern ceremony at Dongguk University’s main field in Jung District. Ven. Jinwoo, head of the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism, said in his remarks, “We must light a lantern of inner peace within ourselves and raise a lantern of harmony that dispels darkness in the world.”

The main event, the lantern parade, drew about 50,000 participants from Buddhist orders and the general public, stretching from Heunginjimun Gate to Jogyesa Temple in central Seoul. Senior Buddhist leaders, including Ven. Deoksu of the Cheontae Order and Ven. Sangjin of the Taego Order, took part alongside government officials such as Culture, Sports and Tourism Minister Choi Hwi-young and Korea Heritage Service Administrator Heo Min. Seoul mayoral candidates Oh Se-hoon of the People Power Party and Jeong Won-oh of the Democratic Party of Korea also joined as members of the organizing committee.

A key highlight this year was the appearance of robots dressed in Buddhist robes. Four humanoid robots, including “Gavi,” which underwent a Buddhist precept ceremony on May 6, and others given Dharma names “Seokja,” “Mohi” and “Nisa,” marched at the front of the organizing delegation.

They were joined by two autonomous robots labeled “Healing” and “Hope,” which moved along both sides of the parade route while displaying blessing messages to spectators.

Leading the procession was a ceremonial formation recreating the royal guard escort from the Goryeo-era Lotus Lantern Festival, known as yeondeung-wijang. It featured a palanquin carrying a baby Buddha figure, flanked by guardians representing the Four Heavenly Kings. The route was lined with lantern displays depicting phoenixes, dragons and turtles, along with traditional designs such as jija lanterns and horo lanterns, restored from North Korean folk lantern traditions.

On May 17, the festival continued with a traditional culture fair along Ujeongguk-ro in front of Jogyesa Temple. About 70 organizations ran 129 booths offering meditation experiences, temple food tastings and lantern-making activities for foreign visitors.


Min Kim kimmin@donga.com