Lotus Lantern Festival

One thing to know about me, I am a sucker for a good lantern festival (as I would imagine most people are). Luckily for me, a temple nearby was holding its annual lantern festival in honor of Buddha's birthday on May 15th. I knew I would regret it for the rest of my life if I did not attend, so I spent my Saturday night surrounded by 70,000 lanterns and a boyfriend who acted as my dedicated photographer. Thanks, Tom!

Samgwangsa Temple is a Buddhist temple located right on the outskirts of downtown Busan. The temple itself consists of several buildings and pagodas all beautifully decorated with ornate paintings and elaborate statues. The temple is considered new seeing as how it was built in 1983, but the architecture makes it feel centuries old. Each vibrantly painted building holds a balcony that offers a stunning view of Busan. 10/10 would recommend seeing.

Riding up to the temple (yes, we did take a bus, but we honestly should have just walked the bus was so packed), we were met with the glowing light of thousands of lanterns. People and cars were everywhere, and my head was constantly turning every which way simply taking in the views. Stepping off the bus, we walked over to the parking lot where the entire outdoor space was covered in lanterns, creating a lantern roof. Rows upon rows upon rows of blue, green, orange, pink, red, and yellow lanterns hung down. I was fascinated, to say the least. With Tom leading the way, we walked up a flight of stairs leading to a balcony. The sun had just finished setting, so we could see the beginnings of nighttime hitting the city in the background with the beautiful lights in the foreground.

Continuing along, we walked over to a giant pagoda that had to have been at least 40 feet tall. It was stunning and certainly something I would like to see in the daytime. The balcony overlooked the main courtyard where thousands of lanterns were strung; glimpses of the underside of the beautifully painted roofs were visible, which made the lanterns feel even more special. Traditional solid colored lanterns surrounded us, but there were also ones that looked like flowers and others, still, that held ancient Buddhist symbols. I felt as though I was in a fairytale.

The next big area was a building with a gorgeous statue of Buddha. I chose not to step inside the hall since I am not religious and had no desire to impede upon those who were praying, but I was still mesmerized from what I saw on the outside. I could have stayed there forever, but alas, we had to keep walking. Tom and I found a secluded area, so we had to do a silly photo shoot. All throughout the night, I would make silly faces at the camera; sometimes they make the best candids. Once at the special spot, we quickly realized why no one was up there taking photos. The ground was covered in weeds, and we both definitely got bit/ crawled on by some kind of bug. Oh well, we did it for the memories.

The last portion of the temple involved a lit pathway that took us along the mountainside. The view was stunning from every angle; on one side was the temple, and the other was downtown Busan. The city lights were sparkling along the night sky, and the temple was glowing in front of the mountain. The weather was absolutely perfect and really rounded out the magical night. I might not have been releasing a lantern while sitting in a boat on the water (a la Tangled), but it was still amazing. Now I just need to visit the temple in the daylight!

Not feeling quite yet tired on this Saturday evening, we stopped for some ice cream and made our way to Children's Park nearby. It was about 9pm, yet there were so many people out and about. People were running on the paths, children were playing on the playground, families were sitting on blankets. The two of us simply walked along the trails and enjoyed the rest of our night. There were many areas of the park to see, such as the pond with a fountain that lit up or the spinning water wheels straight out of 17th century rural England. I love exploring parts of Busan that are not quite as well known or touristy; makes the moments feel more special.

Also, as a special side note, Tom's parents sent him a lovely care package with all kinds of sweets and treats from England (he is British). Of course, I get to try all of the delicious food since I am not British, and therefore have never had them before. I do have to admit British chocolate is spectacular (sorry Hershey's), and I have enjoyed getting to rate the different chocolates and treats I have tasted. So far, the Cadbury Caramel Bites and the Cadbury Whispa bar are my top 2 favorites. I also enjoyed the Terry's Chocolate Orange a lot more than I thought I would. Seriously, who puts chocolate and orange together and expects it to be good? It has been quite fun for both myself and Tom rating the various sweets. Thank you to his parents!

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