The weekend of April 29-30 was very festive here in Seoul especially in the Insadong and Jongno area. The streets were adorned with lantern in honor of Buddha’s birthday.
The Annual Lantern Parade happened on this weekend and I (at last!) successfully persuaded my husband to watch the parade and bring the kids for a cultural experience. I wish for these boys to see and feel and embrace people, places and events around them so they, hopefully, would grow up gaining knowledge and perspective as they encounter them. It is a far cry from just reading about them. Anyways….
If you want to watch the Lantern Parade and you want to have a good view, you can either:
- Choose a coffeeshop along Jongno and get a good spot that has a clear view of the street and of the parade. Coffee shops are filled up quickly and you can see people leisurely sitting and chatting hours before the parade begins.
- If you want to be closer, go to Jongno early for seats along the road. That’s exactly what we did!
There were still a lot of vacant chairs when we arrived at almost 5pm. The boys entertained themselves with their books while waiting. Me? As soon as the police cleared the road from traffic, I claimed it!
This is an annual thing. The long stretch of Jongno is closed to traffic every Lantern Parade. And we all know if you want to be comfortable and get a close-up view, be early for the seats.
So, if you haven’t had the chance to do it this year, you know what to do next year!
Don’t despair! It took me 11 years before I finally did!
(reprinted from http://myrockingcradle.com)
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