kellyshepherd.com

More photos of the Lotus Lantern festivities, as they progressed into the evening (and I went home long before it was finished). Massive paper lanterns in long stationary rows, or moving down the street as parade floats: all sorts of mythical beings and characters . . . and more loud, colorful drumming-and-dancing groups . . . 

Processions of hundreds of people from all walks of life, all sorts of organizations including high schools and universities, representatives from other nations . . . and of course Korean Buddhist monastics . . .

And lanterns! More colors and shapes and sizes than you could ever imagine: bells, animals, drums, and all sorts of geometric shapes - and lotus flowers! Bobbing, bright, blurry waves of color as each new crowd of marchers passed by . . . also a giant lantern fashioned after San-shin (the mountain spirit or mountain god of Korean folk religion).

Please see the rest of the photos here.

The festival itself: early part of the day. Here is another view of the sky over Seoul’s Jogyesa temple, hung with lanterns. Setting: an old Buddhist temple in the middle of an otherwise very large, technologically-advanced, fast-paced urban center.

The colorful costumes and instruments of the traditional drum and dance groups, or “farmer’s dance groups” – hourglass-shaped drums (above), and brass cymbal and hat-mounted ribbon (below). People everywhere, colorful clothing, and loud rhythmic music.

More colorful costumes . . . lion dancers and clowns . . .

See a few more pictures here.

This will be the first of two (or three?) posts on the annual Lotus Lantern Festival, held in honor of the Buddha’s birthday. All over Korea in April and May, Buddhist temples in the biggest urban centers, and on the most remote mountains, are decked out for the event.

Daylight. Sharp contrast of old stone and wooden buildings, and old trees, and colorful paper lanterns hung everywhere – the prestigious and beautiful Jangamsa temple, nestled on a hill within the city of Seoul.

Night. Enormous paper lantern sculptures glowing and reflecting up and down the Cheonggyecheon stream, and endless strings of lanterns above competing with the city skyline…

…See more photos here.