Two Korean Festivals to Enjoy at Night in November!

**Last updated on: 15 October 2020**

If you are going to Korea in November, there are two annual festivals which you could enjoy at night, one in Busan and another in Seoul.  However, due to Covid-19, depending on the circumstances, these festivals may be postponed or cancelled in 2020. You may refer to the respective websites mentioned below for the updated information.  For the purpose of this blog post, I would use the information based on the festivals held in 2019. Continue reading

Let’s enjoy Lotus Lantern Festival in Seoul!

In late April every year, the Lotus Lantern Festival (or in Korean,연등회 – Yeon Deung Hoe) is held in Seoul to celebrate the Buddha’s birthday (which falls on the 8th of the fourth month of the lunar calendar).  In 2017, this Festival will be held from 28 to 30 April. This Festival has a long history of over 1,200 years, beginning as a religious festival in the Silla Dynasty (57 BC – AD 935), and is designated as Korea’s National Intangible Cultural Property. Nowadays, it has become a festival to be enjoyed by people from all walks of life, whether they are Buddhists or not.

Every year the Festival has a theme/slogan, and for the 2017 Festival, it is “We Can Make a World without Discrimination” with the aim of promoting respect and kindness among the people.  During the Festival, a number of events and activities are held.  Let’s talk about some of the interesting events and activities in this post.   Continue reading