Seoul Lantern Festival

Last night I attended the Lantern Festival.

The 2014 Seoul Lantern Festival runs from the Novemember 11 to 23, at Cheonggyecheon (청계천).

You can get to Cheonggyecheon by taking Line 2 to City Hall Station (시청역), exit 4.

Walk 300 meters, and you’ll see the main entrance to Cheonggyecheon.

Two ladies are sitting making Kim Chi.

“Hey do you want to go the lantern festival?” “Yea that sounds nice.”

“Let me just get our coats out of this barrel. I think it will be chilly tonight.”

Nearby was the walled city of Seoul.

In Korea the alphabet is very simple and easy to learn. It was created by the court of King Sejong the Great. Here he is!

And knowledge flowed like a river to the people. I was very impressed by how easy it is to learn to read the alphabet it took me just a few subway rides. If you have a little time and want to learn the alphabet give this a go. (http://ryanestradadotcom.tumblr.com/post/20461267965/learn-to-read-korean-in-15-minutes)

This lantern represents one of China’s national treasures it is around 3000 years old. It represents worship of the sun and sacrifices to the gods for prosperity.

These are silver smelts a type of fish that voyage under the ice in the late fall. They are known to sun their bellies in the sunlight during the day.

A couple Koreans just chilling in their Hanboks (traditional outfits literally translates to Korean clothes). They are celebrating Gangneung Danoje a fall harvest festival. There is often ritual ceremony, making of wishes for good harvest and haul of fish to gods of Daegwalyeong and Guksaseonghwang. There are also often many traditional folk games such as masque play, swimming, ssireum (Korean wrestling) and nongak (a really cook music and dance routine involving really cool hat ribbon dancing and music http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9rNzgQo9Yew )

There was a really neat display of paper sculptures. Along with an area where you could try making your own.

My favorites were this dancing woman with drummer.

Hunter with his Hawk

There were some lanterns celebrating Admiral Yi Sun-Shin who is arguably the best naval commander in history. He is famous for being undefeated against the Japanese in many wars and most famously in a last stand held off an entire Japanese fleet of 113 ships with only 13 ships managing to sink 33 of the Japanese ships and driving them off. His diaries are one of the best accounts of the war and still studied today by strategists.

The general modernized and used Turtle ships very effectively in the wars.

Hawking was used for over 4000 years to assist hunting. Here are a couple lanterns celebrating this practice.

There was a lantern of a tradesman building a wooden house. The traditional wooden architecture of Korea is considered important cultural heritage here.

Korean Christmas Tree

There was some under one of the bridges. This one is a two sided picture of the innocent faces of children showing the horrors of war ant terrorism in their eyes.

This depiction of moon and starlight is made on traditional Korean paper.

This is a depiction of the music used for ceremonies in the temple for kings and queens during the Joseon Dynasty (조선시대). It is the first Korean intangible cultural asset listed by UNESCO.

This is a depiction of the Chang-Deok Goong Palace (창덕궁). That palace most major ceremonies such as the kings coronation or receiving an envoy took place.

This tree comes from the Philippines and it is cade of Capitz Shells to celebrate Christmas.

If you decide to go to the Lantern festival remember to dress warmly. It takes quite a while to go through with long lines but the sights are very nice.

Article by Read from Canada