Celebrating the Buddha’s Birthday in Seoul: Yeon Deung Hoe Parade
May marks a very important holiday in Korea that I’m super excited to share with you all. That holiday is none other than the Buddha’s Birthday! This post will specifically be talking about the Yeon Deong Hoe (Lotus Lantern Festival) Parade, Korea’s biggest celebration of the holiday.
What is the Buddha’s Birthday?
The Buddha’s Birthday (seokgatansinil/석가탄신일 in Korean) is a holiday celebrated primarily in South and East Asian countries that celebrates the birthday of the historical Buddha and founder of Buddhism, Siddhartha Gautama, or Gautama Buddha. Due to differences in historical records from country to country, practices performed on the holiday can vary. For example, in Tibet, Mongolia, and in South and Southeast Asian counties, the Buddha’s birth is celebrated alongside his enlightenment and death (called Vesak), while most East Asian countries, including Korea, celebrate the Buddha’s birth and enlightenment separately.
When is the Buddha’s Birthday?
The Buddha’s Birthday follows the lunar calendar, so the actual date of celebration changes yearly and differs between countries. In Korea, the Buddha’s Birthday falls on the eighth day of the fourth month of the lunar calendar, though festivities usually begin one week before. Most notably, the week before the Buddha’s Birthday is the kick-off of Yeon Deung Hoe, the Lotus Lantern Festival.
Yeon Deung Hoe 연등회 (Lotus Lantern Festival) Parade
Yeon Deung Hoe takes place every year in Seoul and is regarded as the biggest celebration of the Buddha’s Birthday in Korea. It is said to have a history of more than 1,200 years, first appearing during the Silla Dynasty as a state-sponsored event. It was briefly canceled during the Goryeo Dynasty (918-1392) under the rule of King Seongjeong due to opposition from Confucian scholars. However, the festival was reintroduced by citizens during the later Joseon period (1392-1897). Today, Yeon Deung Hoe amasses more than 350,000 visitors each year.
The highlight of the festival is the parade, during which thousands of various lights and floats make their way down Jong-ro Street, starting at Dongguk University and ending at the foot of Jogyesa Temple. This year was the first time I was able to experience the parade for myself.
The parade was set to begin at 7:00pm. I made sure to arrive about half an hour early to secure a good seat, choosing to sit at the end of the parade near Jogyesa Temple rather than at the start. Even then, chairs filled up fast. Yeon Deung Hoe was canceled in 2020 following the COVID-19 outbreak, so it’s return after three years brought out an especially large and ecstatic crowd. I was getting equally excited, camera in hand and donning a blinking lotus flower headband, which were being given out for free to children and foreigners.
The Lotus Lantern Festival was designated as an UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2020. So, the 2022 parade marked not only its return after 3 years, but also its first performance as an officially designated cultural treasure!
The parade kicked off with a traditional folk music performance (pungmul), the steady booming drums further building everyone’s anticipation. Soon enough, as the sun began to set, various floats and paraders began to pass by in a flurry of bright lights and colors.
Many of the floats were Buddhist-themed. However, there were also a few floats depicting famous cartoon characters like Charlie Brown or Po from Kung Fu Panda.
Many of the participants donned hanbok-traditional Korean dress. As they walked by, onlookers would yell out compliments to them, saying, “You look so pretty!” to the older ladies and, “You’re almost to the end! Good job!” to the men carrying the floats on their shoulders. It was quiet the joyous occasion.
The most impressive part of the parade were the animatronic floats; the various animals and mystical creatures would move their limbs, blink their eyes, and even shoot fire out their mouths!
In all, the parade was remarkably grand in scale, lasting a total of two and a half hours with thousands of people walking. Besides the striking floats and décor, the most memorable part of the parade for me were the people attending; the joy and excitement exuded by the crowd and participates was extremely contagious and made the night even more enjoyable. If you’re in Seoul during the Buddha’s Birthday, I highly urge you to see the parade for yourself!
After the parade, Yeon Deung Hoe continued to host daily events leading up to the Buddha’s Birthday, including a Traditional Cultural Events exhibition, Buddhist Cheer Rally, Post-Parade Celebration, and Buddha’s Birthday Dharma Ceremony. For more information regarding those events, along with festival dates and times, check out their official website (linked below; English available).
Yeon Deung Hoe website: http://www.llf.or.kr/eng/
Jogyesa Temple: 서울특별시 종로구 우정국로 55
55 Ujeongguk-ro, Jongno-gu, Seoul