Samgwangsa Temple Lantern Festival ( 삼광사 연등축제 )

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Samgwangsa Temple (삼광사) was founded 1986 and is located in the Busanjin area which is very close to Seomyeon. It is situated on the side of Baekyang mountain and is open 24 hours a day for praying. Samgwangsa Temple (삼광사) holds a lantern festival every year which normally lasts for about a month. It is famous for displaying a large amount of different types of lanterns. The festival is held around Buddha’s birthday.

To get to Samgwangsa Temple, simply catch bus 81 or 133 from the bus stop shown here: http://dmaps.kr/4nrn8 (Seomyeon station exit #2 – walk about 2-3 mins and the bus stop is in front of Holly’s Coffee).

Below are some of the photos from my night spent at the Samgwangsa Temple Lantern Festival ( 삼광사 연등축제 ). Hope you enjoy them 🙂

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After getting off the bus and walking for about 10 minutes you will finally arrive at the temple – just follow the crowds of people.

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As you approach the bottom of the temple you will start to see an abundance of colourful lanterns

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A bright array of colours can already be seen

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This is main staircase leading up to the temple

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It was quite busy however was easy enough to walk around freely

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Fantastic colours from the never ending amount of lanterns

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There are actually quite a lot of buildings at Samgwangsa Temple and most of them are 2 or 3 levels

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I was reminded of the movie ‘Spirited Away’ for some reason when I was visited Samgwangsa Temple

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Rows and rows of lanterns

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This is a shot from just in front of the main Buddha statue

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On certain days there will be some small performances in which dancing and chanting will take place

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Up close to one of the lanterns

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You can’t miss the good luck/wishes that are attached under every lantern

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Such a nice view with all the different coloured lantern on display

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One of the small statues located near the main Buddha

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A tall statue near the main Buddha

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Even though there were lots of people attending the festival, you would often find yourself alone

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A nice view from above

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The lanterns are supposedly individually made by students

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I cant imagine how long it took to set up all these lanterns haha

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View from the east side of the temple

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Good luck/fortune charms everywhere

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There is a nice path off to the left hand side of the main Buddha statue which is definitely worth seeing

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Some pineapple looking lanterns

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Main praying area

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I never get sick of the detailed roofs on the temples in Korea 🙂

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Making our way to the top west side of the temple

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It’s never ending (and I’m not complaining)

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Large building with mostly white lanterns

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Follow the blue lanterns over to the next building

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These white lanterns are suppose to show respect for people who have passed

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Keep walking through until you hit a small dirt trail

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Was surprising how tall this particular building was

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Once you have exited the building you can follow a nice small trail back to the main area

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Some lanterns showing you the way

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The dirt trail is great as it allows you to get a nice view of the front part of the temple

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A look back towards the building with all the white lanterns

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A great view of the sheer amount of lanterns that have been set up

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lanterns lanterns lanterns

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A small Buddha statue can be seen

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Once you have enjoyed the view and felt like you have seen everything simply walk down the main road to exit the temple

 
For other festivals in Korea, please look at my time spent at the Jinhae Cherry Blossom Festival,  Jinju Lantern Festival, Busan Fireworks Festival and the Daegu Lantern Festival. If you are wondering what else there is to do/see in Busan, please see my must-visit places in Busan. Please also see my extremely detailed Busan Itineraries. Not sure where to stay in Busan? Don’t worry, I have that covered in my post on the Best Areas to Stay in Busan.

As usual, if you have any questions please leave a comment 🙂

8 thoughts on “Samgwangsa Temple Lantern Festival ( 삼광사 연등축제 )”

  2. Hi, do you have any recommendations as to which area is the best for countdown in Busan? I will be celebrating the new year in busan. Thank you

    Reply

    1. Hi Chris,

      I have done both the countdown at Gwangalli Beach and Busan Tower. Depends what you like to do really. If you want a casual countdown and then carry on eating/drinking I would recommend Gwangalli beach. If you go to Busan Tower (in Nampodong) they have a proper countdown and there are fireworks.

      Reply

  3. Hi, although it’s stated the temple is open 24 hours, just want to confirm that in April, would I still be able to see the lighted lanterns if I were to go at 9 or 10pm? Thank you

    Reply

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