‘Seoul Lantern Festival is an annual celebration of the history and culture of the South Korean capital city. For 2018, the theme of the festival is ‘The Dreams of Seoul Flow as Light’…

Since arriving in South Korea, everything we’d experienced had been fantastic. We had no reason to think Seoul Lantern Festival would be any less impressive.

The festival is celebrating its 10th Anniversary in 2018 and attracts around 2 million visitors. It. Was. Fabulous.

Despite the festival being in the centre of Seoul, as the lanterns are displayed on a canal just below street level, it has a real air of calm about it. Don’t get me wrong – it’s busy, but it’s not too crowded and the photo opportunities are plentiful.

How To Get There

The festival is held at Cheonggye Plaza in the Jongno-gu neighbourhood. You can hop any bus bound for Gwanghwamun or Jongno, or take the metro to Gwanghwamun Station (Line 5, Exit 5)

Admission to the Seoul Lantern Festival is free of charge.

The 2018 festival is split into 4 main themes:

The Launch Point for a New Dream

Departing from the main city station, this section of the festival lets you live like a local, showing you some of the amazing things Seoul has to offer.

Seoul’s Dream for the Future

This section showcases some of the amazing things the city has achieved. These include the fabulous DDP Design Plaza, advances in virtual reality, the age of robots, sky cars and delivery drones, amongst others.

Seoul’s Shining Memories/A Child’s View of the World

Seoul’s memory lane is a brilliant way to get to know the city and its history. From Seoul’s changing fashions, child’s toys, transport and tourism; this is a look back at the things that made the city what it is today.

It’s also in this section that you can wander through the wonderful tunnel of light.

Seoul Filled with Tradition

The lanterns in this section of the festival concentrate on the traditional heart of Seoul; including the rich culture of South Korea. Check out amazing traditional dress and dances, the Royal Family, traditional Korean weddings, in addition to a host of other lanterns to guide you through Seoul’s past.

Check out the sensational lanterns for 2018: