Marching in the Lotus Lantern Parade

I arrived at the Buddhist Cheer Rally not quite sure what the event would all entail, nor did I know what should/could do as a waguk who probably wouldn't understand a single word of what was said. I did know that it would be a colorful event and I was determined to capture it through my camera. I certainly didn't expect to be handed a metal pole containing two identical hanji paper lanterns and invited to march along in the Lotus Lantern Parade, starting from Dongguk University, through the busy streets including cultural Jongno Street, and ending up near Jogyesa Buddhist Temple.

With a lantern in one hand, bag around across the shoulder, and a camera in the other, I marched alongside Koreans who were carrying identical lamps. Each lamp had been outfitted with a tiny light powered by a D-volt battery - a nice modern touch to a tradition dating back over a thousand years. Behind our group was one of several rowdy bands playing folk-style music and twirling the streamer attached to their hat. 

With the parade going through major intersections of the metropolitan city of Seoul, traffic cops let a group of lanters through and then allowed some of the backed-up traffic cross. This gave me some precious moments to take some better photos, properly gripping the d-SLR camera with both hands in the now night sky. At some intersections, floats bearing large sculptural figurative lanterns also made out of hanji paper proceded to wiggle their way into the parade. The combination of traditional and modern, coupled with the neon lights of buildings and huge LG screen displays was quite spectacular. Crowds consisted of people of all ages and nationalities. They cheered the marchers on, many of them holding illuminated lamps of their own. As the parade neared the end, some of the lantern-bearers began to give their lamps to spectators. Some spectators, particularly expats, wiggled their way into the parade, adding their own flair.

Although I knew I missed seeing some of the spectacular floats (including one animatronic dragon that spewed flames) and scenes as seen from the sideline, I knew that marching in the parade was an exciting participatory experience that also gave me a photographic perspective not possible as a spectator. I definitely plan on returning to next year's parade, but perhaps as a spectator. Who knows? 

See more photos on my Flickr page.

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Samgwangsa Temple, Buddha's Birthday

True to virtually every place we visited, we arrived late at Samgwangsa Temple due to the traffic. Thankfully it was not as crowded as the temple we had visited in the morning. Although it was still daylight, nightfall was soon upon us. Intent to view and photograph the main temple buildings all decorated for Buddha’s birthday while it was still light, we walked a bit more quickly past the tall clothed zodiac sculptures near the entrance. 

Established in 1983, Samgwangsa (otherwise spelled as Samkwangsa) is an expanding collection of ornate temple buildings dedicated to the Bodhisattva of Compassion. During Buddha’s birthday, the large courtyard, stairways, walkways and levels of the multi-storyed buildings are transformed into colorful displays of lanterns and other light displays. Rather calm music and chanting (likely recorded) emanated from the speakers scattered throughout the complex. Massive colorful dragons flanked both sides of the stairway leading up to main hall. Their heads moved back and forth, sometimes even shooting bursts of flames from their mouths. On the back of each dragon stood a calm Buddhist statue, whose clothing and skin reflected the glow of the ever-changing colors of the lights on the dragon’s scales. To the side of the main hall was a tall pagoda, whose base was surrounded by several rows of colorful lanterns. A dazzling display of neon Hangeul characters and colorful (changing) background would have fit right in with the displays in Los Vegas. 

Visitors willing to take off their shoes were allowed inside the main hall. The elaborately  carved wooden altar was piled with gifts and offerings of food and flowers. A large golden statue of the Historical Buddha commanded the center, while the Bodhisattva of Compassion and the Bodhisattva of wisdom and Power occupied the right and left murals of the triptych. More relief-style figures surrounded the sculptures enclosed in ornate frames. Above, blue-scaled dragon heads spit out their tongues. In typical Korean style, the ceiling and column tops were elaborately painted. Heads of even larger dragons emerged from the painted beams. Devotees kneeling on square cushions bowed, gazing towards the beautiful altar.

The sky now a deep, dark sapphire blue, the entire scene outside was illuminated. Eager to get a better view, we entered into the building containing a large auditorium and ascended the steps to some open windows. The scene before us was magical. Lanterns everywhere glowed. Selective lanterns in the middle of the canopy of lanterns glowed in the shape of the swastika. The dragons were even more impressive, casting their glow. Higher strands of lanterns looked like beads, twinkling against the dark hillside. 

We followed an ascending canopied pathway to another massive building. From above, the canopy of colored lanterns along the curved path looked like an expressway of color. White and cream lanterns glowed on the building’s balconies. Following a winding path up a hill also illuminated by lanterns, we reached a tall pagoda created from handmade hanji paper. The stark white of the illuminated paper pagoda contrasted against the inky black sky and meandering strands of taller colorful lanterns. 

I’d love to read statistics on this temple’s preparation for the festival. How many lanterns were used? How many meters of hanji paper, silk, etc. were needed to create the lanterns? How long did it take to erect the scaffolding and string all the lanterns? How many visitors come to the temple? I read that this year’s celebrations at Samgwangsa was downscaled a bit out of reverence to the lives lost in the Sewol ferry disaster. Considering the display before me, how magnificent it must be in typical years? Truly a must-see.

See more photos of Samgwangsa Temple at my Flickr album.

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Seoul Lotus Lantern Festival Parade - Marching with the Lanterns

Two years ago, I found myself marching in Seoul's Lotus Lantern Parade. This annual parade is kickoff for the annual celebration of Buddha's birthday and is a very popular event for locals and foreigners alike, regardless of religious affiliation. Everybody loves a parade!

During the nearly two-hour long parade, people of all ages marched, carrying lanterns of all shapes and varied sizes. Some were lit by candles, while others used a more modern (and safer) methods such as 9-volt batteries. 

This time I wanted to be a spectator and actually "see" more of the parade; a very different viewpoint and experience. Along with some friends, we staked out a coffee shop with an open second-story window; perfect for seeing the events below without any of the jostling, along with the benefits of drinks service, a soft chair, and access to the restroom. 

Most of the lanterns would have been made out of hanji paper (thin, but strong traditional Korean paper made from mulberry fibers). Some, such as the lotus lanterns above, would have dyed tissue paper covering the main hanji shell. The sheer artistry of the lanterns in such varied shapes and colors is quite amazing.

Stay tuned for more photos of the Lantern Festival!

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Lotus Lantern Parade 2015: Illuminated Hanji Animal Floats

In addition to the myriad of smaller lanterns that participants carried on poles, the Lotus Lantern Parade in Seoul also featured some very impressive floats. Also made from the same hanji handmade paper as the lanterns, many of the floats were of animals. Most were pushed along by dedicated volunteers who grasped the long handles placed on the sides and/or front & back. A few were pulled by a scooter, but somehow an electric motor just seemed out of place.   

Many of the floats had Buddhist symbols prominently displayed. Others weren't quite as apparent to me. Irregardless, they were enjoyed by all.

As the daylight faded, the illumination became more apparent, and the true beauty emerged. 

Which is your favorite?
See more of my Lotus Lantern Festival parade photos on Flickr.

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Seoul Lotus Lantern Festival - Pencil Lines and Brush Strokes

Although I find the night illuminated lanterns to be magical, I still enjoy looking at them during the daylight. Such viewing enables me to see the brilliant paint carefully applied on the delicate, but strong hanji paper. Pencil lines revealed the hand-drawn nature of the patterns. A slight bulge of the supportive framework is also noted.

All lined up as if parked at the Jogyesa Temple.

Lantern display at night in front of the Jogyesa Temple

Daytime view

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Seoul 2013 Lotus Lantern Festival

As a prelude to the birthday celebrations of Buddha, the Cheonggycheon stream in Seoul has once again been transformed into a lantern wonderland. Made from silk, traditional hanji paper, and other materials, the lanterns could better be described as glowing, delicate sculptures. In early November, a more contemporary Lantern festival took place in the same location. Wedding scenes, horsemen, gates of Seoul, children from around the world, and Korean cartoon characters were amongst some of the many lanterns in fall. On the way home from Bible Study, we took a quick walk through part of the displays. Although I only had my cell phone camera with me, these photos should give you a bit of an idea of what beautiful lanterns were displayed. At the Lotus Lantern Festival, we saw dragons emerging from a drum, lotuses and hands in the namaste pose, cranes, and mythical-looking Buddhist scenes.

For more information on the 2013 Lotus Lantern Festival, visit Korea's tourism site.

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Rainbows All Around Me

Reflection of the lanterns and a large Buddha statue through the window of the temple

Jogyesa Temple is a magical place in early May. This is when the place is all decked out for Buddha's birthday. In addition to the large hanji lantern sculptures and flowers, the courtyard is bathed with a rainbow canopy of lanterns. Some are arranged in striped rows of colors, while others help spell some words in hangeul. Tags dangle from the lanterns, bearing the name of donors. Such color to behold!

Rainbow canopy through the big tree

Lanterns framing a central pagoda

Canopy with hangeul lettering

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Fire Monkeys, Olbrich Gardens

One of the most popular artist installations within the GLEAM exhibition at the Olbrich Gardens, "The Fire Monkeys" is the creation by local artists Laurie Rossbach & Jennika Bastian. According to the Chinese (and Korean) zodiac, it is the year of the Monkey. 

The installation hearkened me back to the beautiful lanterns I saw while in Korea, in the Lotus Lantern Parade, at the Jogyesa Buddhist Temple, and at Seoul's annual fall Lantern exhibit.  The Fire Monkeys were also created out of paper (in Korea it was called hanji paper), wire, and paint. 

While walking around the gardens at night, I heard the yelping monkey sounds well before I arrived at the willow tree. Each of the monkey sculptures glowed as if on fire, which is one of the four purified elements within Buddhism.

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Seoul Lotus Lantern Parade; Traditional with the Modern

Interspersed amongst the parade members wielding small lanterns and others banging drums were the large floats. Although traditional in theme, the sculpted hanji paper dragons, Buddhas, pagodas, haetae beasts, and elephants were also distinctively modern. Some of the exceptionally well-crafted pieces were animatronics; Dragons breathed out flames, rhinos appeared to walk, and an elephants moved their articulated trunks in and out. Truly magical. 

The next day, I saw some of the floats near the temple. Without illumination and the contrast of the night sky, they were still beautiful, but lacked the magic I had seen just hours before.  

See more floats from the Seoul 2013 Lotus Lantern Parade on my Flickr site. 

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Seoul Lantern Festival 2015

Yesterday evening I attended the Seoul Lantern Festival with some friends. Although I don't typically like to attend events during a school night, past experience convinced me that this was the only feasible time to go to such a popular event. 

When we arrived prior to dusk, I was so pleased to see that we could walk right in the entrance and down to the Cheonggyecheon Stream. Contrast that to last year, when the decision to attend on a Friday night resulted in a packed wait in line for well over an hour and a mob of people pushing down by the stream. Not a very ideal photography scenario!

This year, we started at the far end where the first set of hanji paper lantern sculptures were geared towards kids. Cartoon characters popular in Korea, as well as some of a more international flair. 

There were also some lantern displays with an advertising component and still others of different countries, including one of Mount Rushmore. It felt a bit out of place, but rather interesting to see such an iconic piece of Americana down in Seoul.

My favorite ones were of a traditional theme. The throne room of Deoksugung Palace was particularly impressive, in its scale, detail, and sculptural aspects. 

If you're in town this month, do be sure to come and visit the Seoul Lantern festival. The display will be up until November 22.

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Seoul Lantern Festival, 2013

This past Tuesday,  I attended  the Seoul  Lantern Festival.  Since 2009,  this festival has been taking place at the Cheonggyecheon Stream in downtown Seoul.  It’s amazing to think that all  that all these sculptures were created from hanji, traditional Korean handmade paper. Although they were pleasant to look at during the day, their illumination at night breathed new life into these works of art. The stream was a popular destination at night for young and old alike, but especially so for young couples.  Despite the large number of people, movement was orderly. speakers  set up by the Jongmyo Daeje sculptures emanated traditional Korean music.

See more photos at http://flic.kr/s/aHsjCMGUFR. 

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