Hey there! So its back to Day 2 Part 2 of the Seoul 2014 series!
This is a continuation from my previous post
Seoul 2014: Day 2 Part 1 (Myeongdong Jjajangmyeon 짜장면 - Insadong 인사동)
After some really hearty fried chicken for dinner, I made a leisurely stroll down to Cheonggyecheon 청계천 to catch the amazing Seoul Lantern Festival. Lanterns of various sizes were placed down about 1.2km of the stream (inclusive of the Cheonggye Plaza).
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| Passing the magnificent Namdaemun 남대문 as I made my way to Cheonggyecheon 청계천. |
The starting point for the festival is at Cheonggye Plaza so I took a 15 minute walk down from the residence I was staying at.
Cheonggyecheon Stream and Cheonggyecheon Plaza
110, Sejong-daero, Jung-gu, Seoul | 서울특별시 중구 세종대로 110 (태평로1가)
Beginning in 2009, the annual Seoul Lantern Festival puts on remarkable displays of lanterns on the famous
Cheonggyecheon Stream in downtown Seoul.
During the festival, hundreds of lanterns, each with a unique
design and story, will be lit on Cheonggyecheon Stream creating a spectacular view in the cool night. Visitors can
expect to see lanterns made by international artists, as well as local
citizens depicting not only international icons but also local Korean culture and history. Admission is free for all visitors!
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| When I got there, I was really surprised! There was a HUGE crowd and there were policemen there to do some crowd control! These metal barricades were also used to create a crazy winding queue to accommodate the large crowd. This festival was filled with local Korean citizens with a splatter of foreigners (like myself). |
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SOLO TRAVEL TIP: When going to such crowded events and places, always be mindful and wary of your belongings and valuable items like your phone, wallet and passport. Pickpockets tend to strike in such crowded settings because its easy to swipe your belongings without you even realising.
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| Never-ending queuing! I literally queued for a whole hour before I actually got to the lanterns. |
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| Going round the Christmas Tree at Cheonggye Plaza and caught a vertigo photo of this building! |
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| Making the last turn of the queue before heading into the Lantern area and you're entertained by this little moving display! |
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| Please excuse my bad photos. I've just switched to a new laptop and do not have a photo editing software yet. I promise they'll be better soon! |
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| Finally heading into the entrance walkway into Cheonggyecheon! 신난다! |
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| Sorry about all the double photos. I want to show you guys the true colour of the lanterns but also show you the surroundings. |
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| Walking under the bridge to the next section! |
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| An endless stretch of walking behind many heads inching to look at the lanterns. It can be a photographer's nightmare or dream come true (depending on what kind of photographer you are). |
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| This ship lantern was so cool! Everyone went "wah 와!" when the sail started coming down! |
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| FISH LAND! 물고기!ㅎㅎ 하루 좋아하는 동물! It was so bright but the surroundings so dark that I had no idea what settings to put my camera in and ended up with pretty crappy photos! |
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| A pretty Christmas tree lantern but I didn't manage to get a good shot of it and almost fell off the steep slope being pushed by other people =( |
Decided to make my exit since I was almost done with the lantern exhibits and I wanted to make my way back to the hotel before dying or becoming a casualty at Cheonggyecheon from being pushed around.
My verdict: One of the best things I did this trip and while the pushing around was annoying, the massive crowd provided the best atmosphere to this spectacular view. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND you attending this festival if you are able to make the festival dates this year and the following years on!
The night will always end right when you have banana milk. "FRESH" BANANA MILK instead of the packet ones that are sold in Singapore! Can someone please get these ones to be sold here? I'm willing to pay $2 for it!
Well I hoped you enjoyed my photos! I'm sorry that they are really bad photos though! Wish I had the patience to stay in one spot and take better ones but as a solo traveller I don't have as much space possession as a group.
Till then,
Fly Safe and Eat Happy,
V
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