South Korea with Iris

May 8th, 2022 Today is May 8th, and today is Buddha's Birthday. Each year the date is different because it determines by the Lunar Calendar. But the interesting fact is that   this year   Buddha's birthday is on the same day as Parent's Day   in Korea. And, in many other countries, today is Mother's Day! So, I want to wish all the best to all parents and mothers in the world! Please, be healthy, be happy, and be with us! I didn't plan to write that post, but many people asked me about Buddha's birthday, and why people celebrate it on such large scales. I already showed you lanterns in the Bongensa temple, but I still didn't edit the video from the Lantern parade. But I will show you a couple of videos from the Lantern concert.  You can find more videos on the  playlist . And I will try to finish the video from the Lantern Parade as soon as possible. About the holiday Buddha's Birthday is an official holiday that was established to commemorate the birth o

  This year is the 2566th Birthday of Buddha . And after 3 years, I guess, South Korea holds a very big, cheerful, and stunning celebration. Every year there was a lantern festival that starts before the Buddha's birthday in South Korea. And the whole country is decorated with thousands or maybe millions of lanterns.  Some of you may say  'I am not a Buddhist, so it's not for me' . I am not a Buddhist too. But I think it doesn't matter which religion you belong to. The thing that matters is what is inside you, your soul, your feelings. I like the Buddha's Birthday because of the peaceful atmosphere that it brings, because of its vibes, and because of all the beauty, it shows.  Due to COVID-19, we didn't have big performances for Buddha's birthday, but this year we celebrate Buddha's birthday almost for a month! And today I will show the smallest piece of it. A week ago there was a lantern parade and later performance in Seoul . But I think I should d

Are you ready for an online tour? Today our destination is a well-known Buddhist temple Bongeunsa Temple. There are a few Buddhist temples with a men ‘Bongeunsa’ in Seoul. But the most famous one is the one which is located in the centre of Seoul, close to the business centre COEX. A little bit of history… The temple’s history sacrifices a very long history which starts from the Silla dynasty and continues today. The temple was built in 794 and it was called the Gyeongsonsa Temple. According to Samguksa (history of 3 states), the monk Yong-hwe was living near Mountain Yonghuk and was studying Buddhist sutras. He was the chief monk in the state of Silla. In addition, in the 38th book of Samguksa it is noted that among the seven main royal memorial monasteries (Sachuwang-sa (사천왕사), Bongseonsa (봉선사), Gameunsa (감은사), Bongdeoksa (봉덕사), Youngmosa(영모사), Youngheunsa (영흥사), Bongyeunsa(봉은사)) there is a temple of Bongyeunsa. During the reign of Silla, Buddhist temples played an important role. Th