How to enjoy Lotus Lantern Festival in Seoul this weekend

The Lotus Lantern Festival held in Seoul in April 2025 / Captured from Seoul Metropolitan City’s X account

Celebrating Buddha's birthday, May is peppered with a variety of celebrations among Buddhists around the world.

In Korea, the annual Lotus Lantern Festival is one of the major celebrations taking place at temples and cities across the country leading up to Buddha's birthday on May 24, with local parades, lantern displays and community events nationwide.

Visitors in Seoul can encounter colorful lanterns hung at Gwangwhamun Square, Jogye Temple and Bongeun Temple.

A highlight will take place this Saturday and Sunday when the soft glow of lotus lanterns fill the central capital, drawing crowds into a rare blend of spiritual ritual, spectacle and shared festivity.

The Seoul edition remains the largest and most prominent, and here's what you can expect at the festival.

Lanterns are displayed at a Buddhist temple near Jogye Temple in Seoul, Thursday. Korea Times photo by Lee Hae-rin

Lantern parade with robot monk

The centerpiece is Saturday evening’s lantern parade, which will take place in the main boulevard between Heunginjimun (Dongdaemun) and Jogye Temple, which covers 3.5 kilometers.

Starting at 7 p.m., more than 200 large-scale lantern installations — from towering pagodas and lotus blossoms to elephant and dragon-shaped installations — will illuminate downtown Seoul.

Lotus, elephants, dragons and fish are the common shapes of lanterns. In Buddhism, lotus and dragon symbolize enlightenment, while elephants mean mental strength. Fish, meanwhile, represents freedom.

This year’s parade adds a contemporary twist, featuring North Korean-style lanterns carried by defectors and foreign visitors taking part in the celebration.

An artificial intelligence-powered “robot monk” will also be part of the lantern parade, leading the procession. The robot monk, named Gabi, generated buzz in Korea last week as it participated in a Buddhist celebration in Seoul.

For visitors, arriving early would be the key, as the venue and surrounding areas will become heavily crowded before the parade. Comfortable walking shoes and light layers are recommended, as most events are expected to take place outdoors into the evening.

Get your own lantern

Purchasing a lotus lantern may allow visitors to join the festive atmosphere. Near Jogye Temple, Buddhist supply shops sell lotus lanterns in a wide range of colors and sizes, typically priced between 10,000 and 20,000 won ($6.7 to 13.4).

A lotus-shaped lantern priced 10,000 won is available at a Buddhist temple near Jogye Temple in Seoul, Thursday. Korea Times photo by Lee Hae-rin

Visitors can choose their own and mount them on sticks fitted with battery-powered lights that keep the lantern safely illuminated throughout the night. Many also write wishes on lantern tags, reflecting the event’s spiritual roots.

Electronic dance music

Following the parade, crowds are expected to gather at Jonggak Intersection for Daedong Hanmadang, a large-scale street celebration beginning at 9:30 p.m.

The program includes traditional drum performances and electronic dance music by monks, communal dancing such as ganggangsullae, as participants move in circles to rhythmic Buddhist chants.

On Sunday, festivities will continue with the Traditional Culture Fair from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. around Jogye Temple, with a lantern-making class, among other activities. Sunday's highlight will be the evening dragon lantern procession organized by Hanmaum Seon Center, where a massive moving dragon lantern, animated by more than 20 participants inside, will wind through Insa-dong. For more information, visit www.llf.or.kr/eng/