Today is Buddha’s birthday, and Korea celebrates with the Lotus Lantern Festival (Yeon Deung Hoe). We had the pleasure of visiting two temples recently, Bongeunsa in Seoul and Heungryunsa in Songdo. Spring flowers and the verdant landscape were a welcome sight after the cold winter, and seeing the lanterns added even more color and joy. The lanterns aren’t limited to temples, as they also line city streets.
Bongeunsa Temple is situated across the road from the Coex Mall in Gangnum-gu. The tranquility of the temple contrasts with the noise of passing cars and the flashy buildings and mega-sized digital billboards nearby.
Heungryunsa Temple in Songdo is vastly different from Bongeunsa Temple. Located up a steep road in a dense, older neighborhood, it has the added attraction of being at the trailhead for one of our favorite nearby hikes. The temple, originally called Cheongnyangsa, has been around more than 600 years. It’s beautiful in all seasons, but I think springtime is certainly when it is most vibrant. We missed the rhododendrons at their peak, but even somewhat faded, they were still lovely to see.
Heungryunsa Temple 
(Photos of Heungryunsa Temple)
