Seoul Lantern Festival Lights Up Cheongyecheon

Lantern Festival takes place from Oct. 11-15

The skyline over Cheongyecheon Stream in downtown Seoul changed into a fascinating landscape for pedestrians along the tourist attraction as the Seoul Lantern Festival got under way from Oct. 11-15.
The lighting ceremony of the festival at Cheonggyecheon Plaza at 7 p.m. on Nov. 11 coincided with a ceremony to celebrate the countdown of the opening of the “Visit Korea Years 2010-2012” campaign.
Lanterns from about 20 countries were illuminated during the festival, which was held under four themes - Gyoru (Exchange) Zone, Weonru (Mainstream) Zone, Hallyu (Korean Wave) Zone and Illyu (Top-class) Zone.
The Gyoru Zone featured “nebuta” lanterns displayed at the Aomori Summer Festival in Japan; lanterns of the Akita Kanto Festival, bamboo and umbrella lights from Yamaga, Gumamoto; lotus-shaped rectangular lanterns from Zigong, China; lanterns from Kaohsiung, Taiwan; and “lights of rain” that decorated the lower part of the Tonggyo. Also catching spectator’s eyes were miniatures of global attractions including the Moai, the Pyramid and the Leaning Tower of Pisa.














































The Weonru Zone appeared like a tunnel of lights on the wooden Gwangtonggyo Bridge, showing such colorful things as Ulluks, traditional Korean musical instruments, folklore plays, traditional Korean wresting and mythical animals. A special stage was set up below the bridge for a variety of events.
The Hallyu Zone was shaped like Seoul’s landmark N-Tower and Gwanghwamun Plaza and was decorated with pictures of Hallyu superstars Rain and Lee Jun-gi, sports superstars Park Chan-ho and Park Tae-hwan and Korean creative characters “ttalgi” (strawberry), “mashimaro” and “bbororo.” Foreign visitors to Cheonggyecheon Stream were sure to have a good opportunity to sample the essence of Seoul and Hallyu.
The Illyu Zone was a place for showcasing the future of Seoul through a combination of IT and design. Such landmarks as the projected DMC Seoul Light Building, the new Seoul City Hall Building, Korea’s first spacecraft Nahoro, the floating island of the Han River, the planned Dongdaemun Design Plaza, mobile phones and automobiles blossomed under the skyline over the stream.
A variety of events and performances took place during the festival period. nw

An art troupe performs on the stage near Cheonggyecheon stream during the Seoul Lantern Festival.

Tidbits of the Seoul Lantern Festival

The festiva, which ran from Oct. 11-15, highlights a panorama of charming lantern from around the world.