Lotus Lantern Festival or Yeon Deung Hoe (연등회) is a Korean festival that commemorates the birthday of Buddha. Buddha’s birthday is on the 8th day of April according to the Lunar calendar and falls on a different day each year. The festival has been celebrated for over 1200 years and it is on the list of UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. South Koreans also celebrate the festival as a national holiday. Samgwangsa Temple in Busan is a Buddhist temple and it is especially famous for its Lotus Lantern Festival celebrations where people come together for parades and to present thousands of bright, colorful lanterns. Lighting and hanging a lantern symbolize the offering of light, wisdom, and compassion.
Samgwangsa belongs to the Cheontae Order in Korean Buddhism. It is a fairly new temple according to South Korean standards and it was built in 1983 on the slopes of Mount Baekyang.
Over time, the grounds of Samgwangsa have been enlarged and now it occupies around 120.000 square meters.
Lanterns represent enlightening the world with Buddha’s wisdom and compassion against darkness.
Every year thousands of people visit the temple to join the festival.
Various stupas and statue lanterns are presented to celebrate the birthday of Buddha.
9-tiered Daebo Pagoda with carvings of 53 Buddhas, zodiac animals, and depictions from Buddha’s life.
