Lotus Lantern Festival

The department of Yeondeung of International Dharma Instructors’ Association(IDIA)

is in charge of arranging and gathering audiences for the Lotus Lantern Parade and Lotus Lantern Making Event for foreigners. The department arranges the activities of global supporters for various events of the lantern festival held on both Jongno Street and Ujeonggukno Street on both Saturday and Sunday a week before Buddha’s birthday.

YeonDeungHoe

The Yeon Deung Hoe (Lotus Lantern Festival) was a Buddhist dharma assembly which began during the reign of King Jinheung of Silla Dynasty and became a national event during the Goryeo Dynasty.
The first lantern parade, which started in 1955, was newly renovated in 1996, and it has developed into a cultural festival since then.

It has been designated as National Intangible Cultural property no. 122 and has become Korea’s representative lantern festival that is now known around the world.

Lotus Lantern Parade

Every year on Buddha’s birthday, the parade begins at Dongguk University and proceeds to Ujeonggukno Street in front of Jogyesa Temple. During the parade, Jongno streets are lit up with hundreds of colorful Lanterns.

For this day, IDIA invites foreign ambassadors, embassy staff and their family members, international organizations residing in Korea, and CEOs of foreign companies to help guide visitors to their reserved seats in front of Topgol Park to watch the parade.

Lotus Lantern Making Event for Foreigners

Over 100 diverse culture experiences are held on Ujeonggukno Street so that the Lotus Lantern Making Event becomes an occasion for both foreigners residing in Korea and abroad.

The Lotus Lantern making event at Ujeongguk is held on Sunday, the second day of the lantern festival.
The Lotus Lantern Festival is attended by Individuals, friends, family and groups and exhibits the lanterns made sincerely by participants. There are also several traditional Korean games that participants can play during the festival.
By creating lotus lanterns, participants can learn about the significance of the lotus, an important symbol of Buddhism, while also engaging in mindfulness meditation through the act of and concentration on “lotus making.”
More than 200 foreigners from all over the world participate in the event annually.

Global Supporters

IDIA is responsible for the volunteer activities of global supporters organized by Yeon Deung Hoe. Our volunteers are young Koreans and foreigners, usually in their 20s and 30s, who would like to learn about traditional Korean culture and who can communicate in English to promote the Lantern Festival as a world cultural event while aiming to encourage cultural exchange.
After the selection process at the end of March, volunteers are active until the Lotus Lantern Festival and Buddha’s Birthday.

Beginning with the lighting ceremony in front of Gwanghwamun, volunteers participate in the general events of the Lantern Festival such as the traditional lantern exhibition, Eoulimmadang, the lantern parade, Hoehyanghanmadang, and traditional culture events, Yeondeungnori, and act as public relations ambassadors.