Humanoid robot monks draw even more attention than usual to Seoul's lantern festival — in pictures

About 100,000 lanterns illuminated central Seoul’s Jongno District on Saturday, as tens of thousands of people gathered for an annual parade ahead of Buddha’s Birthday on May 24.

The year’s festivities included the unusual addition of humanoid robot monks, which drew widespread attention.

The lantern parade began at Heunginjimun Gate at 7 p.m. and made its way to Jogye Temple over the course of about two hours.

The parade is part of the Yeondeunghoe, or Lotus Lantern Festival, which is recognized by Unesco as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity and by the Korean government as a National Intangible Cultural Heritage.

This year, the festival drew approximately 50,000 participants, including citizens, major temples and Buddhist groups such as the Jogye, Cheontae and Taego orders. 

The streets of Jongno were illuminated by elaborate lantern displays, with some featured as part of a recreation of the yeondeungwijang, the royal ceremonial procession of the Yeondeunghoe during the Goryeo Dynasty (918-1392). 

One lantern display took the form of a palanquin carrying the baby Buddha, escorted by guardian deities, including the Four Heavenly Kings, who are seen as protectors of Buddhist teachings. Other lanterns, shaped as lotus flowers and elephants, also filled the streets with light and color. 

Among the parade’s more unusual participants were four humanoid robot monks marching alongside two autonomous driving robots decorated with the Korean words for “healing” and “hope.”

One of the humanoid robots was Gabi, which recently drew attention by participating in a Buddhist ordination ceremony on Wednesday. 

Dressed in jangsam, a long Buddhist robe, and kasaya, the traditional outer garment worn by monks, the robot monks marched for about 40 minutes from Heunginjimun Gate to Tapgol Park.

Foreign residents in Korea from Buddhist countries, including Thailand, Nepal, Bangladesh and Myanmar, also participated in the parade. They wore traditional attire from their respective cultures and carried lanterns reflecting the distinct characteristics of their countries’ Buddhist traditions.

The Jogye Order estimated that a total of around 500,000 people — including parade participants and spectators lining the streets — attended the procession, up from 430,000 last year.

“Following the light of truth revealed by the Buddha, we must light a lamp that brings peace to our inner selves and raise a lamp of harmony that drives away the darkness of the world,” said Venerable Jinwoo, the president of Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism, during a dharma ceremony at Dongguk University in Jung District, central Seoul.

The Lotus Lantern Festival will run through Sunday.

Every day, booths offering various hands-on cultural activities, including seon (Korean Zen) meditation, temple cuisine and lantern-making, will open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. along the street in front of Jogye Temple in Jongno District. Music performances, ranging from gugak (traditional Korean music) to EDM, will follow, starting from 7 p.m.

BY KIM JI-YE [[email protected]]