Lantern Festival

Last Sunday I found myself in Jeong-ro and attended my first ever lantern parade (despite living in or near Seoul for the past 4 years), in celebration of the Buddha's birthday (tomorrow). Of course I went camera in hand, but shooting in the dark is not something I'm all that accustomed to so it took me a long while to get used to the conditions and adjust my camera settings.

And a word to the wise for next year - rather than be crammed in with all the crowds being scowled at by frustrated policemen who can't keep the masses back, head up the road toward Kyobo where all the larger floats park up and where you are free to walk among them taking as many pictures as you want.

Speaking of pictures:

Earlier in the day a number of people, having made their own lanterns at Jongyesa walked the parade route in reverse to get to Dongdaemun and show off some of their handy work.

For some reason I like the thought of a tiger and a rabbit sitting around getting high sharing a pipe.

Outside Jonggak station these static lanterns (above) were on display. Mixed in among the more traditional depictions of dragon boats and dervas there was the prerequisite cartoon characters and so forth.

The parade left Dongdaemun at 7:30 and made it's way to the Jonggak intersection about an hour later. 

Fire breathing peacock on the back of a dragon. Obviously.

A paper pagoda, and detail.

 

This was my favourite - 

especially the back.

I really liked this, my first lantern parade. Others have also covered the event - Jason has the lanterns (all lit) at Jogyesa itself. Chris has a two posts, the first of those covering actually making some lanterns. While out and about it seems I narrowly missed a couple of people (Sorry Joe) and somewhere in the crowd directly opposite where I was, Michael Hurt was sending me a message "I can see you..." but alas I could not see him. 

If you ever get the chance go see the lantern parade, it is one of those unique things that you would never see in a western Judeo-Christian sort of setting, plus, they look pretty. 

And by the way, Happy Buddhamas!

Comments

[Andy]

Nice pictures, a positive post and a day off. Me and 진희 were standing right at the intersection where they parked up. It was funny watching confused crowds of people running back and forth as the floats and people went in 3 different directions at the end the route. (Most people not knowing it was the end of the route)