S. Korea's Lotus Lantern festival listed as UNESCO intangible cultural heritage
- 3 years ago
불교 행사로 출발한 연등회, 인류 무형유산된 이유는?
The Lotus Lantern festival, a thousand years old festival held dear by South Koreans, has been listed as one of UNESCO's intangible cultural heritage.
Kim Yeon-seung reports.
The South Korean government announced Wednesday that... South Korea's annual springtime Lotus Lantern festival has been listed as a UNESCO intangible cultural heritage.
"I will do my best to uphold and preserve the lantern event. I will make it into a dear cultural heritage that is loved by people all over the world regardless of their religions."
The Lotus lantern festival is a long standing Korean tradition that dates all the way back to the 9th century.
People in South Korea put on parades of lotus lanterns and decorate streets with brightly lit lanterns every April 8th on the lunar calendar... to celebrate the birth of Buddha.
The lanterns themselves symbolize... lighting up the world with wisdom.
UNESCO doesn't usually list exclusive religious events as one of its intangible heritages... but they made the exception for the Lotus lantern festival, despite it being a Buddhist ceremony,... because the event transcends religion.
It upholds the message of harmony and unity.
During the festival, it's customary to look out for children and the disabled... and let them have front row seats at the parade so that they can enjoy the ceremony as much as everyone else.
"The festival received high praise from the organization in that its operation was considerate of the weak and that it valued restraint."
Also during the tragic year of 2014, when the nation saw the Sewol Ferry sink along with more than 300 lives, the festival turned itself into a memorial service and grieved alongside the people.
The Lotus Lantern event now marks the 21st South Korean cultural heritage to be listed as one of UNESCO's cultural heritages.
Kim Yeon-seung, Arirang News
The Lotus Lantern festival, a thousand years old festival held dear by South Koreans, has been listed as one of UNESCO's intangible cultural heritage.
Kim Yeon-seung reports.
The South Korean government announced Wednesday that... South Korea's annual springtime Lotus Lantern festival has been listed as a UNESCO intangible cultural heritage.
"I will do my best to uphold and preserve the lantern event. I will make it into a dear cultural heritage that is loved by people all over the world regardless of their religions."
The Lotus lantern festival is a long standing Korean tradition that dates all the way back to the 9th century.
People in South Korea put on parades of lotus lanterns and decorate streets with brightly lit lanterns every April 8th on the lunar calendar... to celebrate the birth of Buddha.
The lanterns themselves symbolize... lighting up the world with wisdom.
UNESCO doesn't usually list exclusive religious events as one of its intangible heritages... but they made the exception for the Lotus lantern festival, despite it being a Buddhist ceremony,... because the event transcends religion.
It upholds the message of harmony and unity.
During the festival, it's customary to look out for children and the disabled... and let them have front row seats at the parade so that they can enjoy the ceremony as much as everyone else.
"The festival received high praise from the organization in that its operation was considerate of the weak and that it valued restraint."
Also during the tragic year of 2014, when the nation saw the Sewol Ferry sink along with more than 300 lives, the festival turned itself into a memorial service and grieved alongside the people.
The Lotus Lantern event now marks the 21st South Korean cultural heritage to be listed as one of UNESCO's cultural heritages.
Kim Yeon-seung, Arirang News