Samgwangsa Temple | A Captivating Lotus Lantern Festival in Busan with 40,000 Lanterns
I’ve long drooled over pictures of the Samgwangsa Temple Lotus Lantern Festival, without actually making the easy trip from Seoul to Busan to see it in person. Shameful, isn’t it?
With 40,000 lanterns gloriously illuminating the temple, you can just imagine how breathtaking it is.
Just a fraction of the 40,000 lanterns at Samgwangsa Temple.
I’m happy to report that I finally remedied this situation last year. When I scored tickets to see Haman’s nakhwa nori traditional fireworks festival, the timing couldn’t have been more perfect.
Haman and Busan are just an hour’s drive apart, so it only made sense to make stops at 2 of Korea’s most sought after spring sights on a single trip.
Nakhwa nori in Korea is also unforgettable (yes, I will write a guide soon).
Fortunately, both events delivered in spades. They were spectacularly beautiful, remarkable in scale, and totally unforgettable.
I’m even gonna go out on a limb here, and say that, in my opinion, Busan’s Samgwangsa Temple hosts the most staggering display of lotus lanterns in all of Korea. Do NOT miss it.
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In this guide
- 1 Samgwangsa Temple Lotus Lantern Festival Quick Guide
- 2 Samgwangsa Temple Lotus Lantern Festival | 삼광사 연등축제
- 3 When is the Samgwangsa Lotus Lantern Festival?
- 4 Planning a trip to Korea?
- 5 How to Get to Samgwangsa Temple in Busan?
- 6 Essential Day Tours from Busan
- 7 Navigating to Samgwangsa Temple
- 8 Things to do at Samgwangsa Temple
- 9 Seek out an Iconic View
- 10 Limited Edition Spring Tours in Korea
- 11 Make a wish
- 12 Give Baby Buddha a bath
- 13 Temple Stay
Samgwangsa Temple Lotus Lantern Festival Quick Guide
Samgwangsa Lotus Lantern Festival Dates | April 18th - May 5th, 2025 (TBC) |
Address in English | 77 Choeupcheon-ro 43beon-gil, Busanjin-gu, Busan |
Address in Korean | 전라남도 광양시 다압면 섬진강매화로 1563-1부산광역시 부산진구 초읍천로43번길 77 |
Operating hours | Samgwangsa is open 24/7, but lanterns are lit from 7:00PM - 1:00AM |
Transport Options from Seoul | |
Recommended Way to Go in Busan | Local bus from Seomyeon Station or taxi |
Samgwangsa Temple Lotus Lantern Festival | 삼광사 연등축제
Even without the lantern extravaganza, Samgwangsa Temple is majestic in its own right. You’d never guess from its grand size that it was only established in 1983. It’s part of Korea’s third largest Buddhist Order – Cheontae-jong – who’s head temple is gorgeous Guinsa in Danyang.
Gorgeous artwork at Samgwangsa Temple.
Despite its relative youth, the Samgwangsa Temple complex is vast and intricate, with ornate artwork, a 9 story pagoda, massive buildings, and sublime architecture.
From its perch on the slopes of Baegyangsan Mountain, Samgwangsa watches peacefully over central Busan, its dedication to Gwanseeum-bosal, the Bodhisattva of Compassion, mirrored in its silent gaze.
Samgwangsa watches peacefully overy Busanjin-gu.
All bets for serenity are off during the Samgwangsa Lotus Lantern Festival though, as hordes of visitors descend upon the temple to gawk at its mesmerizing show of light. It is 100% worth the crowds and any discomfort you might experience.
Because Samgwangsa Temple stuns with 40,000 lanterns adorning its buildings, pagoda, and natural landscapes so brilliantly, it doesn’t feel real.
Do not underestimate the impact of 40,000 lotus lanterns.
I wandered through the Samgwangsa Temple lotus lantern festival for hours, awestruck by its scale and beauty. It is truly an astonishing wonderland of light.
When is the Samgwangsa Lotus Lantern Festival?
FESTIVAL DATES: April 18th – May 5th, 2025 (TBC)
The Samgwangsa Lotus Lantern Festival in Busan takes place every year in the weeks leading up to Buddha’s birthday. This date changes every year, with Buddha’s birthday observed on the eighth day of the fourth month of the lunar calendar.
The lotus lanterns at Samgwangsa are lit for Buddha’s birthday.
The Samgwangsa Lantern Festival typically begins about 3 weeks before Buddha’s birthday. The exact start date for 2025 has not been confirmed yet, but one thing that’s certain is that the lights will go dark before dawn on the day that Buddha came. In 2025, that’s on May 5th.
If you want to see this truly remarkable lotus lantern festival, make sure you get down to Busan by the evening of May 4th at the latest. The lotus lanterns turn on at 7:00PM, and turn off at 1:00AM.
Typically, the festival lasts for around 20 days, so I’ve estimated the start date to be around April 18th. Watch this space, as I’ll update with the confirmed dates as soon as that information is released.
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How to Get to Samgwangsa Temple in Busan?
Address: 77 Choeupcheon-ro 43beon-gil, Busanjin-gu, Busan | 부산광역시 부산진구 초읍천로43번길 77
Samgwangsa is just a hop, skip, and a jump from Seomyeon – Busan’s shopping district – so it’s very easy to get to.
When the lotus lantern festival isn’t on, it’s usually just a 5,500 won, 10 minute ride to the temple from Seomyeon Station.
So happy I finally made it to the Lotus Lantern Festival at Samgwangsa Temple.
What’s the best way to get to Samgwangsa’s Lotus Lantern Festival?
I recommend using public transit. There are several different bus routes available, but the closest, with the least amount of walking, is green town bus Busanjingu 15.
This route normally takes about 20 minutes. However, during the festival, it can take significantly longer, due to traffic congestion up to the temple on single lane roads.
There WILL be traffic congestion during the lotus lantern festival.
To take this bus:
- Depart from the Yeonggwang Books bus stop. It’s across the street, and up the street a bit from Exit 9 of Seomyeon Station.
- Get off at the Samgwangsa Temple bus stop.
- Walk 1 minute into the temple.
Gorgeous lanterns await you at the top!
We actually drove up to the temple trying to find parking (impossible) and got stuck in a long line of cars trying to do the same. We ended up driving back down and walking up to the temple.
Save yourself the time and hassle and use one of the bus routes that drops you at the base of Baegyangsan Mountain instead.
Samgwangsa sits at a higher elevation than Busan’s downtown.
Essential Day Tours from Busan
I’ve traveled all over Korea during my 14 years as a resident of Seoul, and I really recommend that people travel independently as much as possible. It’s really such a safe country, and so easy to navigate once you acclimatize a little bit to how everything works.
Enjoying some Geoje Island views.
There are however some places where it’s not only easier to take a day tour due to geography and transport, it works out to greater value once admissions are factored in. I’m obviously not a tourist to Korea, but if I was – these are the tours from Busan I’d be signing up for.
What | Where | Cost | Why Join this Tour | Full Details |
Day and Night Tour of Gyeongju: Ancient Silla Capital of Korea | Bulguksa, Daereungwon Tomb, Donggung Palace + more | 79,100 won | Gyeongju is one hour away from Busan. An outdoor museum, full of incredible UNESCO sites and an ancient history best enjoyed with a qualified guide. Wonderfully gorgeous at night. | |
Jinhae Cherry Blossom Tour | Gyeonghwa Station, Yeojwacheon Stream | 67,200 won | Biggest cherry blossom festival in spring, with thousands of mature pink trees. See 2 of Korea's best, most famous cherry blossom sites. | |
Geoje Island | Odeo Island, Windy Hill, Cable Car, Haegeumgang Cruise | 131,600 won | Cable car, sea cruise, and panoramic views - experience natural beauty, history, and unique attractions at one of my favourite off the beaten path islands in Korea. |
If you’d like to get off at the base of Baegyangsan instead – which I recommend – choose a bus route that stops at the Samgwangsa Temple Entrance bus stop (NOT Samgwangsa Temple). When I checked, buses 81, 133, and 54 made this trip, from various starting points near Seomyeon Station.
The walk up to Samgwangsa is steep, but short.
From this stop, it’s about a 15 minute walk up to the Samgwangsa Lotus Lantern Festival.
It’s crucial that you check these routes yourself, because things change incredibly fast in Korea. The most accurate way to navigate is to download Naver or Kakap Maps before landing in Seoul. Google Maps only works up to a point here.
Samgwangwa Temple ablaze with lotus lanterns.
A data plan for Korea, is vitally important for any navigation you do, because there are a zillion and one bus stops in Korea – sometimes right next to each other. Make sure you follow the GPS to find the correct bus or subway stop.
This is how we locals have to do it – and you’ll probably see us all staring at our phones trying to figure out where the heck we’re supposed to be too. You will not be out of place doing the same.
There are so many bus stops on the streets of Korea.
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Things to do at Samgwangsa Temple
Aside from wandering meditatively around the temple grounds, gawking at all the glorious lotus lanterns, there are a few specific things you can do during the festival.
Annyeong Gwanseeum-bosal.
Seek out an Iconic View
Like you (probably), I saw this unbelievable carpet of colourful lotus lanterns at Samgwangsa Temple on social media. It is undoubtedly the most famous and iconic view of the festival. For good reason.
An iconic view of Samgwangsa’s lotus lanterns.
Typically (and annoyingly), big influencers gatekeep the exact location of where to take this picture. Let’s just say it took some effort to find the right location.
After wandering around fruitlessly (I mean Samgwangsa is HUGE), we eventually asked some staff members, and they directed us to the 2nd floor of the Jigwanjeon. This is a huge hall, with auditorium style seating for up to 10,000 people.
The view from Jigwanjeon is extraordinary.
Don’t feel shy about walking up the stairs to the side where the windows are to get this gorgeous view at Samgwangsa Temple. It is worth it!
Limited Edition Spring Tours in Korea
From cherry blossoms in Jinhae to a sea of tulips in Taean, spring in Korea is positively alive with colour and wonderful things to do. Here are the spring tours to take advantage of in the months of March, April, and May.
Cherry blossoms cover Korea from head to toe in spring.
- Gwangyang Maehwa & Jeonju Hanok Village Tour | March 10th – 21st, 2025
- Spring Flowers + King Cherry Blossoms at Hwaseong Fortress | March 18th – April 24th, 2025
- Jeonju Hanok Village + Spring Flower Festivals | March 18th – April 25th, 2025
- Seoul Seasonal Hot Attractions Tour | March 18th – May 13th, 2025
- Jeju Island Package: Flight, Private Tour + Hotel Option | March 20th – April 10th, 2025
- Jeju Island Cherry Blossoms and Canola Private Taxi or Van Tour | March 20th – April 10th, 2025
- Jinhae Cherry Blossom Festival Tour from Seoul or Busan | March 22nd – April 6th, 2025
- Haeundae Sky Capsule + Cherry Blossom Hunting in Busan | March 25th – April 7th, 2025
- Gyeongju Cherry Blossom Tour from Busan | March 28th – April 7th, 2025
- Chasing Cherry Blossoms in Seoul | April 2nd – April 13th, 2025
- Taean Tulip Festival + Strawberry Picking Experience | April 11th – May 4th, 2025
- King Cherry Blossom Tour from Seoul | April 14th – 24th, 2025
King cherry blossoms bloom AFTER their more famous cousins.
Make a wish
Across Samgwangsa Temple, you’ll see lanterns with handwritten wishes hanging beneath them. There are lanterns of various shapes and sizes, with each paid for by an individual or group to symbolize good luck and good deeds.
Writing wishes to hang at Samgwangsa Temple.
Generally speaking, the bigger the lantern or statue, the higher the price. I have even seen stone statues at Bongeunsa Temple in Seoul for somewhere in the neighbourhood of $10,000!
Fortunately, it’s not necessary to pay such a high price for the privilege at the Samgwangsa Lotus Lantern Festival. You can write your wish for as little as 3,000 won. These booths are quite close to where you enter the temple and easy to locate.
Hanging our wish among the lotus lanterns.
I’m fairly certain that credit card payments are not possible, so make sure you have a little cash on hand if you’d like to do this.
Give Baby Buddha a bath
Have you heard of the gwanbul ceremony? This ritual is based on the legend that 9 dragons washed the baby Buddha with scented water when he was born.
Buddhists do this to symbolically cleanse their minds and bodies, and show respect to Buddha at the same time.
Giving baby Buddha a bath.
Temple Stay
It’s important to know that there isn’t a Temple Stay program at Samgwangsa conducted in languages other than Korean. Additionally, many temples shut down their programs during Buddha’s birthday festivities. They’re kind of busy during this time.
A Temple Stay is a great way to learn about Korean Buddhism.
I am not sure if this is true for ALL temples in Korea though. The best thing to do if a temple stay is high on your list of priorities, is contact Temple Stay Korea for information.
They’ll be able to point you in the right direction.
Are you going to check out this incredible festival?
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Samgwangsa Temple: Essential Info and FAQs
Have you seen Busan’s Samgwangsa Temple aglow with 40,000 lotus lanterns? What did you think?
