LASeoulGuy's Experiences Living Abroad and Living in America: Seoul Lantern Festival (November 2017)

Wednesday, February 28, 2018

Seoul Lantern Festival (November 2017)

One of my favorite events in Seoul is the Seoul Lantern Festival. When I first went to the festival in 2010, there used to be a parade that would come down the main street in Jongno near YBM and Insadong. My friends and I would save some chairs and watch as various people and floats. They would pass by with decorations and lanterns that moved down the streets of the busiest area north of the Han River. You could see the parade from various stations such as City Hall, Gwanghwamun, Jonggak, Euijiro-1(il)ga, and Euijiro-3(sam)ga Stations.

Today, it is held along Cheongyecheon (Cheongye Stream), which you can reach from the east end near Euijio-3(ga) Station or the west end, which starts near Gwanghwamun Station. It's annually held from the first Friday of November to the third Sunday in November. It starts from 5:00pm and ends at 11:00pm. Last year the festival from November 3 until November 19 and the theme was for the promotion of the Pyeongchang Olympics in 2018.

There was a bit of controversy with this event in the past. In 2009, the city of Jinju criticized the city of Seoul for copying its idea from the Jinju Namgang Yudeng Festival. The city of Jinju held its event every year beginning in the year 2000. The reason for the event was to have a public requiem for 70,000 people and soldiers that died in a battle at Jinju Castle in 1593. The cities of Jinju and Seoul came to a compromise to allow Seoul to continue its event. Seoul couldn't use any of the name that Jinju used in its original event. Next year will mark it's 10th year anniversary of the event in Seoul.

Here are some of my favorite pictures from last year's event. Enjoy!