What is Lotus Lantern Festival?
Yeondeunghoe, “lantern-lighting gathering”, has roots in Korea that go back more than a thousand years. Lighting a lantern is an offering of light, a symbol of wisdom chasing away ignorance.
Korea named the festival a national intangible cultural heritage in 2012, and UNESCO added it to its list of the intangible cultural heritage of humanity in 2020.
When is Lotus Lantern Festival? Dates for 2026 and 2027
2026
- Saturday 16 May 2026Lantern parade from Heunginjimun Gate to Jogyesa Temple
- Sunday 24 May 2026Buddha's Birthday
2027
- Thursday 13 May 2027Buddha's Birthday
Buddha's Birthday follows the lunar calendar (the 8th day of the 4th month). The lantern parade is held on a weekend shortly before it, and the organisers announce the programme each spring; the 2027 parade has not been announced yet.
How people celebrate
- The lantern parade from Dongdaemun (Heunginjimun Gate) along Jongno to Jogyesa Temple.
- A street festival near Jogyesa with lantern-making, temple food and performances.
- Lanterns hung with wishes in temple courtyards across the country.
Good to know
- Make your own lantern from Korean paper (hanji) at the hands-on booths.
- Find a spot along Jongno early on parade night; the celebration after the parade is open to all.
- Jogyesa's canopy of lanterns stays up until Buddha's Birthday, so it is worth a visit even after the parade.