Seoul Lantern Festival

Last weekend I went to the Seoul Lantern Festival with some of my friends and it was both breathtaking and ridiculously crowded. It's definitely a plus to be a 5'10" American woman in such situations, though, because I had a pretty good view of the lanterns, and my friends could find me easily if we got separated.

Some hanging lanterns and some lotus lanterns in the stream. Lovely!

This one was my favorite - a woman in a hanbok sitting in a lotus bloom.

The hanging lanterns up and down the stream really made the whole night sparkle.

Some of the lanterns were two stories high!

There was a special lantern in honor of the G 20 Summit... President Obama sure looks happy about it!

Not sure what this lantern is... looks like an angry red genie bursting out of a flaming box.

Hey! I know that lady!

If you ask me, the Seoul mascot is a bit... cheesy. It's hard to believe this is what they want representing them to the world.

Yay! It's almost Christmas!!

I had a great time taking in the glowing sights and spending time with my good friends. I highly recommend seeing a lantern festival if you come to Korea - they're spectacular! Luckily you don't have to plan your travel itinerary around one because they happen quite frequently in different areas all over SoKo. In fact, festivals of any nature always seem to be going on! I like that they find ways to celebrate even the little things in life, like kimchi. Yes, there is a kimchi festival and I want to go!