Seoul Lantern Festival facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Seoul Lantern Festival |
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Seoul Lantern Festival
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| Genre | Exhibition |
| Frequency | Annual |
| Location(s) | Seoul |
| Years active | 15 |
| Inaugurated | 2009 |
| Most recent | 19 December 2022 – 24 January 2023 |
| Attendance | 1.3 million (2022) |
| Patron(s) | Seoul Tourism Organization |
The Seoul Lantern Festival is a super fun event held every winter in Seoul, South Korea. Imagine a city lit up with thousands of beautiful lanterns and cool light displays! It's like walking through a magical wonderland. You can also find a Christmas market and special activities to try.
This festival used to happen for about two weeks in November along the Cheonggyecheon stream. But since 2022, it moved to Gwanghwamun Plaza and now lasts for more than a month in December.
Contents
The Story of the Festival
The Seoul Lantern Festival first started in 2009. It quickly became a popular event. For many years, the festival would light up downtown Seoul. Visitors could walk along the Cheonggyecheon stream, seeing all sorts of amazing lanterns. It was a perfect way to enjoy the city as winter began.
Festival Themes and Highlights
Every year, the Seoul Lantern Festival chooses a new and exciting theme. This makes each festival unique and special!
2009: The First Spark
The very first festival in 2009 celebrated 'Visit Korea Year'. It had four main themes, all related to Korean culture:
- Exchange Zone
- Headwaters Zone
- Korean Wave Zone (about popular Korean culture)
- First-Class Zone
2010: Growing Brighter
The second festival in 2010 was a huge hit! About 2.3 million people came to see it. Many of these were visitors from other countries. Lanterns from 24 different countries were displayed. These included lanterns from Korea, Japan, China, and many more. The festival was so popular that it was extended for an extra week!
- Theme: Seoul, the forest of the glimmer of hope.
2011: A Journey Through History
In 2011, the festival's main theme was 'The History of Seoul by Lanterns'. Imagine seeing Korea's past come alive through beautiful light art! The lanterns told stories from the Joseon Dynasty all the way to modern times. There were even special stories just for kids.
- Theme 1: History of Korea
- Theme 2: Memory of childhood
- Theme 3: Characters for children
2012: Ancestors and Old Seoul
The 2012 festival explored 'The Roots of Seoul, the Life of Ancestors'. It ran for 17 days, with lanterns glowing from 5 PM to 11 PM. Over 35,000 lights from Korea and other countries were displayed. The lanterns stretched for over 1.5 kilometers!
- Theme 1: Fortress Wall of Seoul
- Theme 2: Stories of ancestors from the Joseon period
- Theme 3: Life of people in Joseon
- Theme 4: Opened Seoul
2013: The Dream of Baekje
The fifth festival in 2013 focused on 'Millennial dream of Hanseong Baekje'. Baekje was one of the ancient kingdoms of Korea. Visitors could make their own hanji lanterns. There were also musical shows and other fun events. A giant falcon lantern showed the brave spirit of Baekje.
- Theme 1: 500 years of Hanseong Baekje
- Theme 2: Woongjin (Gongju) Baekje Period
- Theme 3: Buyeo Baekje Period
- Theme 4: The harmony, spirit of Baekje
2014: Lights and Wishes
In 2014, the festival's Korean name changed to Seoul Bitchorong Festival. This was because it now included both traditional lanterns and modern LED lights. About 30,000 light bulbs and 300 lantern art pieces were shown. A special 'wish tree' stood 8 meters tall. It held wishes from people in Seoul and visitors from all over the world. Over 3.14 million people enjoyed the festival that year!
- Theme 1: Wonderful world heritage of Seoul
- Theme 2: Invitation from local and foreign places
- Theme 3: Famous characters
- Theme 4: Light Arts
2015: Dragons and Art
The 2015 festival continued to amaze visitors with its themes.
- Theme 1: Amazing World heritage in Seoul
- Theme 2: From local governments and overseas invitation
- Theme 3: Corporation and the character
- Theme 4: Light Art author show
2022: New Location, New Magic
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In 2022, the festival moved to Gwanghwamun Plaza. It became even bigger and brighter!
- Theme 1: Sea of courage
- Theme 2: The light of Companionship
- Theme 3: Garden of Light
- Theme 4: My Soul Seoul
Where to Find the Festival
The festival is held at Gwanghwamun Square, Cheonggye Plaza, and along the Cheonggyecheon Stream.
Getting There by Subway
It's easy to get to the festival using the subway!
- Line 1 and 2: City Hall Station, use exit 4 or 5.
- Line 5: Gwanghwamun Station, use exit 5 or 9.
- Line 1: Jonggak Station, use exit 1, 5, or 6.
- Line 2: Euljiro 1(il)-ga Station, use exit 1-1.
See also
In Spanish: Festival de la Linterna de Seúl para niños
