Angela and I recently spent an evening watching Seoul's Lotus Lantern Parade, which is held every year in honour of Buddha's birthday. During the parade, thousands of people carry lanterns and musical instruments down Jongno Street, marching alongside giant floats in the shape of lotus flowers, elephants, dragons, and other enchanting wonders.
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| We arrived at late dusk, and the streets were already lined with thousands of spectators. |
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| The parade begins! |
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| More spectators arrive, while Angela and I shift spots to try get a better view. |
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| Apparently, over 100'000 lanterns are carried along Jongno Street during the parade. |
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| Some of the lantern floats were parked by the side of the road so people could get a closer look at them. |
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| Angela stands before Jongno Tower, which itself was lit up like a lantern. |
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| These ladies from the parade stopped by the side of the road to greet the crowds before giving away their lanterns. I managed to grab one for Angela. |
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| Angela, delighted with her new glowing lotus flowers. |
We didn't stay around for the end of the parade (during which, supposedly, lotus flowers were dropped from the sky onto crowds), as it was late and we had friends to meet elsewhere in Seoul. But we had a fun time enjoying the festivities and the carnivalesque atmosphere while we were there.
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