Korea University Toastmasters Outing - Lotus Lantern Festival

Last May 19, Jongak-Jongno-Dongdaemun area, the main roads here in Seoul was blocked in the afternoon to celebrate this lotus lantern festival. This event was a part of one big day in Korea, the Buddha birth. Even this was happen before the date of Buddha birth, lots of Buddhist are around and celebrated this together with us.

My friends from Korea University Toastmasters Club, the President from Yonsei University Toastmasters Club  and I where enjoying that day. We gathered first in Jogyesa, the central Buddhist temple that located in the heart of Seoul. When we first arrived there we were welcomed by sea of lanterns, beautiful colorful in any shape of lantern can be found in this temple. The best thing is, they gave us a free lantern to bring to celebrate the event. Actually, you could have a better lantern with different and more unique shape if you open ur wallet and give some money. But, we just went for the free lantern one. In the temple, we also had experience trying the temple food. Unfortunately, I forgot to take pics of the food because we’re all so hungry and forget to take a pic.

Then we moved our way to Cheongyecheong, the stream in heart of Seoul that become the favorite tourist spot here. In here, they also put different unique lanterns such as, the lantern of baby Buddha, General Yi, and others. Since the parade will across the Jongno-2-ga street soon, we moved away there. We were sit on top of electrical substation to get a better view while eating icecream.kkk.

In the parade, you could see tons of lantern, from big to small, from black and white to the colorful one, and stream of people as part of parade that bring the lantern. My favorite lantern was the big dragon lantern, because the dragon also splashed some fireworks from the mouth~awesome.

The parade was finished at 10pm and there was a traditional dance and music performance in the Jongak area. But since we got hungry again, so we move to cheongyecheong, had chicken n drinks, and talked till the past midnite.

It was so fun to have outing experience with my toastmasters friend~so look forward for the next outing on summer, which is RAFTING! omg, so cant wait!