Lotus Lantern Parade, Gangnam Style!

More than a week ago, on May 16, the very colorful and very extravagant lotus lantern parade rolled through the streets of Seoul. 

I opted not to join the thousands lining up along those crowded Jongno streets that day. I decided to watch the parade as it rolled out from where it started, the Dongkuk University stadium.

But last Monday evening, on Buddha's actual birthday, a holiday in Korea, I went to the Gangnam Station area with coffee and stretching my legs in mind. 

And as I was for scouting a good coffee shop, I saw a couple of traffic enforcers blowing their whistles in the middle of the main intersection, which meant just one thing: something was going on, or going through.

My curiosity lead me towards the intersection. 

And there it was. Big lanterns glowing while being towed by cars followed by participants making a U-turn from Exit 2 to Exit 7 of the Gangnam Station. I realized, this was a mini-lotus lantern parade! And it was not happening in Jongno! It was happening in Gangnam! It's a lotus lantern parade, Gangnam-style!  

Although it wasn't as long as the one in Jongno, and there weren't as many participants, but it's still a parade.

So, I guess, next year, in case you miss the lotus lantern parade in the Jongno District, we now know where to catch the next one.