Festival Season: Lantern Festival

This past weekend filled with fall festivals, my favorite kind!  First on our agenda was the Lantern Festival. in Jinju, South Korea.

After a relaxing Friday night at the beach (i'm afraid it may be our last) the boy and I were on our way to see some lanterns.  What originally began as a way for soldiers to pass military signals, turned into one of the most famous festivals in all of Korea.  The festival gives people the chance to make their own wish lanterns to send down the river, take a speed boat around the river to see all of the life-sized lanterns on the water (for the bargain price of $5), witness an amazing fireworks display, eat an amazing array of food from multiple countries, be entertained by local performers and so much more.

We were able to spend the day just meandering around the beautiful city of Jinju and take in everything the festival had to offer.  We took pictures with as many characters as we could (did you expect anything else?), ate the Korean version of carnival food (basically just meat on a stick or dough balls in a cup) and took in the sights of all things with lantern associations.  There were lanterns hung on the pathways.  Lanterns placed at the entrance to the swaying bridges that crossed to different parts of the festival.  Lanterns in the water.  Lanterns with fire coming out of them.  Lanterns with smoke coming out.  Lanterns that moved.  You get the idea.  There were lots of lanterns.

Tiny little guys welcoming us to the Lantern Festival

Just a few of the dozens of water lanterns

Hundreds of lanterns

Dan making our "wish" lanterns.

We got our portrait drawn.  I think it looks like
a Koreanized version of us.  What do you think?

Yup.  That's my boyfriend.  

Quick shot of us at the tail end of the festival

Between the beautiful lanterns (these pictures don't even remotely do them justice), great atmosphere and  incomparable company this is at the top of my list for festivals to experience in Korea.  Keep a lookout for my next festival post.  The next one?  The Gyeongju Rice and Liquor Festival.  Sounds like fun eh?