[BACKLOG, May'13] 2013 Lotus Lantern Festival at Cheonggyecheon Stream

Every year during the annual Lotus Lantern Festival, Seoul displays a remarkable line-up of lanterns at the Cheonggyecheon Stream in downtown Seoul. During the festive period, hundreds of lanterns, each with a unique shape, design and story, will light up the Cheonggyecheon Stream.

Organized to celebrate Buddha's coming into the world, the 2-week long lantern exhibition offers visitors a chance to experience Buddhist culture that has been celebrated for more than a thousand years. The meticulously crafted lanterns are made of hanji, traditional handmade Korean paper made from mulberry bark. Each lantern tells its own story with its bright, but warm and cheerful colors.

Before night fall.

Crowd, slowly building up.

Buddha's Birth Day.  Happiness to our Mind, Hope to our World.

A week prior to the lantern exhibition, a lighting ceremony Jeomdeungsik 점등식 is held to mark the start of the lantern festival. According to Buddhist beliefs, lanterns symbolize wisdom in that they bring light to the world. Yeondeung 연등 which means 'lighting lantern', is an important ritual in Buddhism which gives respect to Buddha.

Beautiful displays

Every lantern conveys a Buddhist teaching, as elaborated below each lantern. The shapes and designs of each lantern also brings with it different meanings, such as hopes for good health, longevity, or a bountiful harvest.

The Lotus Lantern Festival is held between end of April to mid-May, so if you're there during these period, don't give this place a miss. On an ordinary day even, Cheonggyecheon Stream makes a nice place to visit.

How to get to Cheonggyecheon Stream?

[SUBWAY]
1. Gwanghwamun Station (Seoul Subway Line 5), Exit 5.
2. City Hall Station (Seoul Subway Line 1, 2), Exit 4.
3. Jonggak Station (Seoul Subway Line 1), Exit 5

[BACKLOG, April'13] Hangang Yeouido Cherry Blossom (여의도 봄꽃축제)

Every year during spring, both locals and foreign visitors flock to Hangang Yeouido Park to see cherry blossoms and other spring flowers which are in full bloom. In April, this park becomes a venue for the Hangang Yeouido Spring Flower Festival, where visitors can enjoy the spring flower blossoms, street performances, art exhibitions and the alluring Han River (there's just something about it).

I arrived in Seoul during spring, my first time in this country and first time living in the cold. It was zero degrees then, as opposed to an average of thirty degrees in KL, which I've stayed in 94% of my life. Seeing  cherry blossoms for the first time in-person, I must say, they're really pretty, and the weather is just right for long walk. To cover the entire park (entering from one end, exiting the other), it can take more than 2 hours. But trust me, you'll be too caught up in the view and excitement to realize how far you've actually walked.

But really, if you're tired, grab some snacks, find a good spot, and have an impromptu picnic at Hangang Park. You won't feel like leaving ;)

I'm no longer in Seoul, but I'm hoping to go back to Korea again next April for another round of 벚꽃 (cherry blossom).


How to get here?
1) Dangsan Station (Subway Line 2 or 9), Exit 4. 20 minutes walk.
1) Yeouinaru Station (Subway Line 5), Exit 1. 20 minutes walk.
3) Yeouido Station (Subway Line 5 or 9), Exit 5. Take Bus 162, 262, or 461 to National Assembly.
4) National Assembly Station (Subway Line 9), Exit 1 or 6. 5 minutes walk. *best option

- Cherry Blossoms are in full bloom in mid-April.
- Another place to see Cherry Blossom during spring is at Seokchon Lake 석촌호수, which I also went, but personally, Hangang Park is still my number one since there's more to see. To get to Seokchon Lake, alight at Jamsil Station (Seoul Subway Line 2 or 8), Exit 2 or 3. Seokchon Lake is located 200m ahead.