Travel. South Korea. Festival.
Four reasons you should go to Jinju Lantern Festival!
Spectacular two-week lantern festival in South Korea summed up in four words
1. Historical
The festival originates from the use of floating lanterns (yudeung) as military signals to prevent Japanese armies from storming the Namgang river during the Jinjuseong Fortress Battle of the Imjin War (1592–1598). It is a world heritage festival that honours and commemorates the thousands of Koreans who lost their lives. Many of the lanterns are replicas of the fortress itself and of historical figures, animals and Korean cultural symbols.
2. Interactive
Many of the giant lanterns themselves are interactive. You can walk inside a lion’s mouth, sit astride a tiger, or on a lantern’s lap. They are a lot of fun and makes for great photo opportunities. There are parades and cultural performances every day. You can head to a workshop to make your lantern, which you can write on your future goals or wishes, and then set off down the river for good luck. Or you can choose to walk under the tunnel of lanterns.
3. Delicious
Who doesn’t like a good food stall?! The festival doesn’t disappoint with all your Korean favourites, from hot and spicy rice cakes to giant kimchi filled dumplings, bowls of sweet shaved rice with fruit and brown sugar syrup filled doughnuts. You can get all sorts of foreign favourites too, like hurricane potatoes, kebabs, and skewers. Wash it all down with lightbulb juice, a glow in the dark soda!
4. Beautiful
The art and the craftsmanship that makes these handmade paper lanterns are astonishing. It’s lovely to walk around in the daytime and really see the detail in them and then to see them lit up so delightfully at night. To set it all off are the astonishing firework display over the river, just when you thought it couldn’t be more beautiful.
So there you have it, four reasons to go to the Jinju Lantern Festival! It’s held annually in the first two weeks of October, and it’s free and open to all ages. To get there, go from Seoul Nambu Terminal, take a bus to Jinju Intercity Bus Terminal. Then walk for about 5 minutes. More information on their website:
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Georgina Nelson. Traveller. Writer. Photographer. Yoga teacher.
Sh*t Happens — because the things that go wrong make the funniest stories.
