Lotus Lantern Festival draws thousands in Seoul to celebrate upcoming Buddha's birthday


Buddhists carry lanterns and walk in a parade during the Lotus Lantern Festival, ahead of the birthday of Buddha at Dongguk University in Seoul, South Korea, Saturday, May 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)

SEOUL, South Korea (AP): Holding umbrellas and pink paper lotus flowers, thousands of South Koreans joyously filled the wet streets of Seoul in an annual festival anticipating Buddha’s birthday the coming week.

Despite the rain, organizers expected a turnout of around 50,000 people for Saturday’s Yeon Deung Hoe, or Lotus Lantern Festival, whose evening parade draws huge crowds out to see the featured floats, some carried and others rolled on wheels along the downtown area of the capital, Seoul.

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