Scene in Seoul: Preparing for Buddha's Birthday

We’ll have a 3-day weekend next month as we’ll celebrate Buddha’s Birthday on May 21, which thankfully is a Friday. On my way to work on a rainy Thursday afternoon, I saw this scene near Dongdaemun. The men in their raincoats were busy hanging the lanterns in preparation for Buddha’s Birthday.
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Every year, a lantern parade is held in central Seoul Dongdaemun to Jongmyo. This is a must-see event as thousands of lanterns from countries where Buddhism exists are paraded along the busy avenue. I was there last year as well as the previous years. If you’re ever in Seoul on May 16, don’t miss this spectacular event. It’s just so much fun – the lanterns, music, dances, costumes!
You can even participate by bringing your own lantern. It doesn’t have to be expensive, you can use a carton and use a box cutter to make it into a lantern. If you want to be more “artistic”, paint some lotus on it.
Hopefully, I’ll be posting some pictures of the parade next month. Before that, I’ll be posting some Buddhist temples in Korea that I’ve visited over the years.

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