Yeon Deung Hoe (Lotus Lantern Festival) 연등회
Every year in Apr or May
2026 edition ended May 17.
Next: usually Apr or May.
Source: Opening-day report on the 2026 festival (Newsis, May 16, 2026)
About
A Buddhist lantern festival held in central Seoul before Buddha's Birthday. Records mention a lantern festival at Hwangnyongsa Temple in Gyeongju in 866, in the Silla period. It is a Korean national intangible heritage and has been on the UNESCO intangible heritage list since 2020.
The main event is the lantern parade. In 2026 it set off at 7 p.m. on Saturday, May 16 at Heunginjimun Gate and went along Jongno to Jogyesa Temple. The organizers said about 50,000 people carried 100,000 lanterns.
On the second day, a traditional culture fair ran on the street in front of Jogyesa Temple. It had meditation and temple food, and booths from eight countries. The closing party, Yeondeungnori, started at 7 p.m. around Insadong.
Good to know
- The dates follow Buddha's Birthday and change every year: 2025 was Apr 26–27 and 2026 was May 16–17.
- In 2026, cars were banned on Jongno-daero from Heunginjimun to Jonggak (about 4.5 km) from 4 p.m. on parade day, and buses were rerouted. The organizers asked people to use public transport.
- Admission is free. The nearest Line 1 stations are Jonggak, Jongno 3(sam)-ga and Jongno 5(o)-ga.
How busy is Gwanghwamun
Live crowd level for the area, and a normal week. It does not show the festival crowd itself.
Eat here
Memil guksu
Buckwheat noodles in an anchovy-kelp broth, made from 100% buckwheat.
Memil mukbap
Buckwheat jelly over rice.
Memil jeonbyeong
Buckwheat crepe rolled around a filling.
Sources
Checked Oct 16, 2026. Dates can change, so check the notice before you go.