Jongno-gu area was packed on Sunday with Seoulites and tourists having fun in the streets, participating in activities for both the Lotus Lantern Festival and Hi Seoul Festival. These two highly-anticipated events entertained visitors to the neighborhood with a collection of various exhibitions. During the day, the streets were busy with Lotus Lantern festivities, including lantern-making activities at Jogyesa Temple and an exciting Buddhist Street Fair in front of the temple. With a large, patterned canopy of vibrant lanterns in above the courtyard, the temple was especially colorful this weekend. The street fair offered many opportunities for tourists and Seoulites to learn more about Buddhist culture.
There were many stalls with dedicated volunteers who provided information to interested visitors, and some staff even gave away books on temples and Korean history to better inform English-speaking visitors. Sightseers were also kept entertained with various performances near the temple, including a traditional music concert and a neol ttwigi (Korean traditional see-saw) demonstration. The crowd was really impressed by the group of young boys and girls who performed dynamic acrobatics on the see-saw in the afternoon.
There were also opportunities for visitors to participate in the festival and create various crafts, like greeting cards, clay sculptures, or mini lotus flowers. As well, visitors could play a variety of traditional games, such as top-spinning, and taste some delicious temple food. The light rain throughout the day didn’t hinder anyone from having a great time. The street fair was crowded with Seoulites and foreigners alike, all sampling in everything the afternoon had to offer.
Jongno Street was the place to be on Sunday night, as visitors were entertained by two spectacular and sparkling parades that represented both festivals. The rain showers continued into the evening, but Jongno Street was brightened up by the dazzling display of floats, costumes, and lights and large cheering crowds. The Hi Seoul parade, Manmindaerorak, started things off at six o’clock with “everyone having fun in the street” as its name suggests. The crowd spilled off the sidewalk and into the street, sometimes mixing with the parade performers to create an atmosphere of togetherness.
At the start of the parade, multiple groups of colorful flagmen carrying tall red, yellow, and blue flags marched from Dongdaemun down Jongno Street, followed by a furry red unicorned-lion and large lively floats. A giant marionette puppet delighted the parade-watchers, young and old. The air was filled with the musical talent of many bands, including the ROK Army band, traditional percussion groups, and a modern rock performance on one of the floats. The whole parade was a fusion of different sounds and flavors—there was something for everyone. Ladies in vibrant hanbok and groups of citizens in attention-grabbing modern costumes joined the past with the present.
As a multi-cultural city, no parade in Seoul would be complete without representation from the city’s international groups, and this parade certainly satisfied the global communities here. The crowd was entertained by an African drum and dance troupe who banged their drums to a unique beat. A large display of belly-dancing talent from dancers young and old wowed the crowds. Diverse samba, flamenco, and Eastern-European dance troupes also performed for the audience. Hi Seoul’s Manmindaerorak parade was a fun, exciting event that captured the spirit of Seoul with its unique connection between traditional and contemporary, local and global, performers and audience members.
After that dazzling display, the crowd wanted more—and we were given it. The Lotus Lantern Parade kept the excitement levels high from the first sight of the hundred-thousand individual lanterns on display. A bright spectacle of lanterns in every shape and size lit up the darkened night sky. There were lantern pinwheels, lantern hats, and lantern flags. There were elephants, butterflies, fire-breathing dragons, and even a pig on a motorcycle with a fire-gun—all amazingly intricate lanterns that glowed vibrantly into the night. Everyone was represented, including wheelchair-bound citizens, foreigners, monks, elderly citizens, students, families, children, and even babies in strollers. Thousands of people participated in this parade, marching down Jongno Street in a sea of colourful lanterns to celebrate Buddha’s birthday.
Day and night, rain and shine, Sunday was an exciting day full of celebration. Everyone was having fun in the street, participating in the festival activities and watching the parades march by in dazzling displays of light, color, costume, dance, and song.
