<Anchor>



Today (30th) in downtown Seoul, the lotus lantern procession is in full swing ahead of the Buddha's birthday, which is coming next Sunday.

It was closed due to COVID-19, but reopened after 3 years.

A reporter is on the scene.



Reporter Ha Jeong-yeon, let me tell you about the atmosphere of the place first.



<Reporter>



Yes, I am now at Tapgol Park in Jongno-gu, Seoul.



Now, behind me, a procession of 70,000 lanterns is unfolding.



The procession departs from Dongdaemun at around 7pm and is on its way to Jogyesa Temple in Jongno-gu, and softly shining lotus lanterns continue along the road for a long time.



The motto for this year's Buddha's birthday is 'to a daily life where hope blooms again'.



It contains the meaning of wishing for a return to daily life after Corona 19, and citizens are enjoying the return festival while making lotus lanterns and watching the procession.



[Lim Eun-hee: My child passed the exam and it was the weekend, so I haven't been able to go out too much.

I came out to have fun.

I can hear the singing, and I feel so excited and excited.]



<Anchor>



Is this the first large-scale lantern parade to be held since it was registered with UNESCO?



<Reporter>



Yes, the lantern festival, which consists of a lantern procession and a Buddhist temple, was registered on the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage List in December 2020, but the event was reduced due to Corona 19 and was held only in front of Jogyesa Temple last year.



As social distancing was lifted this year, the large-scale lantern parade resumed for the first time in three years.



The organizers said that 50,000 people participated in 2019, but today, a little less, about 35,000 people attended.



With this event, all traffic from Heunginjimun Gate to Jongno 1-ga Intersection will be fully controlled until 3 am tomorrow.



Also, tomorrow, the second day of the lotus festival, and Labor Day, the traffic around Ujeongguk-ro in front of Jogyesa Temple will be controlled from 9 am to midnight.



(On-site conduct: Kim Dae-cheol, video coverage: Kim Yong-woo, video editing: Kim Ho-jin)