Photo Essay: Buddha’s Birthday

Most years since I have been in South Korea, Buddha’s birthday meant going to Seoul to enjoy the Lotus Lantern Festival, something I highly recommend to those who have yet to visit Seoul at this time.

However, there are other events to mark Buddha’s birthday in Korea, and one such event is the celebrations that happen in Suncheon. The magic of a lantern festival is of course at night, and seeing hundreds of lanterns floating down the main river that runs through Suncheon was truly enchanting.

My one lament was it took me until my fifth year in Korea to see this, though lack of information about this event did not help. Keep in mind some of the best photo opportunities can be right under your nose, so always keep your eyes open and look around.