iBooknow.com Has Hotel Discount Room Rates For Seoul, Korea’s Lotus Lantern Festival May 10–12, 2013

iBooknow.com invites all travellers to take advantage of their discounted room rates and instant booking confirmation with no hidden fees for Seoul, Korea’s Lotus Lantern Festival. Travel to Seoul and enjoy the history, culture, food and festivities.

As the chilly winter winds reside, the sun shines, temperatures climb, and the trees begin to blossom, Seoul welcomes spring each year with its annual Lotus Lantern Festival, or Yeon Deung Hoe as the locals call it. As the flowers bloom in pleasant mild temperatures the residents of Seoul prepare their fastidiously fashioned and beautiful paper lanterns made of hanji, prepare food, and make merit and pay respects to the Lord Buddha in their very own unique way. Although this holiday is celebrated worldwide by Buddhists, the week-long festivities in Korea are one of the year’s best times to visit and join in celebration.

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There are activities all week long but the main events will commence on Friday and run till Sunday. The annual lantern exhibition at Bongeunsa Temple is the kick-off event and the following day the opening ceremony, Eoulim Hanmadang, is when the song and dance begins.

Koreans and tourists from all over the world will flock to Seoul to join the festival. Rooms are always at a premium but iBooknow.com has hotel discount reservation rates and some of the best hotel booking deals for Seoul, and all with no hidden charges and secured with instant booking confirmation. Log-on to iBooknow.com and book your Lantern Festival holiday now.

The highlight of the festival is the nearly three hour Lotus Lantern Parade which begins at the Dongdaemun History and Culture Park and winds its way along Jongno Street to end at the Joygesa Temple. With well over 100,000 participants all dressed in their finest traditional hanbok, lanterns in hand, this sight is a magnificent spectacle unique to Korea. The favorite viewing area for the parade is in the vicinity of Jongno-sam-ga Station.

Although the parade in and of itself is a fantastic event, it has a serious side to it as well. For Buddhists the lantern signifies wishes for health, long life and richness. When taking part in the parade participants, by lighting a lantern, pledge to perform acts of merit and thus become a beacon of light in a world of darkness.  Koreans have been holding this festival for over well over 1,000 years dating back to the Goryeo and Joseon dynasties.

The Hoehyang Hanmadang celebration, which is held following the parade, involves everyone’s participation in a Korean style circle ganggangsullae dance where everyone joins hands while flower petals fill the air. Following the dance everyone will write down their wishes and resolutions for the upcoming year and then burn them while releasing thousands of floating lighted lanterns into the evening sky.

On Sunday, the last day of the festivities, is the Buddhist Street Festival. With over one hundred kiosks showcasing food, lanterns, Korean crafts, tea ceremonies, and meditation demonstrations the final day is the perfect way to end the weekend.

Held between Friday, the 10^th of May and Sunday the 12^th The Lotus Lantern Festival of 2013 is not to be missed. Here is a complete schedule of the events:

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