Cultural Heritage Association declares Silla Dynasty’s Yeondeunghoe as UNESCO intangible cultural heritage.

On December 16, 2020, the Cultural Heritage Association declared Yeondeunghoe (lantern lighting festival) as an intangible cultural heritage in the fifteenth session of the committee.

 

Yeondeunghoe, also known as the Lotus Lantern Festival dates back to the Silla Dynasty (57 B.C. – A.D. 935) and is held annually on the 8th day of the fourth lunar month(April 8). The religious ritual which was originally held to commemorate the birth of Sakyamuni Buddha’s birth, was an event only open to those who worshiped the Buddha and royals who had visited the temples in order to observe the lotus lanterns.

 

The modern day Yeongdeunghoe has been transformed into a popular spring festival in which traditional temples and streets are adorned with colorful lotus lanterns which are open to the public for viewing. The lighting of these lanterns is said to represent the enlightenment of individuals’ minds through the wisdom of Buddha. Additionally, organizations may hold parades for the public to join in. Other events are also held for members of the public to make wishes for themselves, their families, and their community. At the end of the day, the festival has become an event of gathering to promote social harmony and cooperation in overcoming individual hardship.

 

The fifteenth session of the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage had taken place on December 14 to December 19, 2020 in Paris. At the end of the three-day session, Yeongdeunghoe was chosen amongst 25 other candidates to be declared as a cultural heritage.

 

According to the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), ‘Cultural Heritage’ is an umbrella term which encompasses several main categories of heritage – the two main categories being tangible, and intangible cultural heritage. Tangible heritages, which are material manifestations that represent a culture’s artistic expressions and values, consist of objects such as paintings, monuments, and ruins. Intangible heritages, on the other hand, are non-physical cultural assets, are things such as festivals, oral traditions, rituals, and performing arts.

 

With the finalization of Yeongdeunghoe as an intangible cultural heritage, South Korea will now have 21 total intangible cultural heritages including Pansori, and the cultural of the Jeju Haenyeo. In regard to the future of cultural heritages, South and North Korea have filed jointly to consider Ssireum (Korean Sand Wrestling) as an intangible cultural heritage. The 16th session of the Intergovernmental Committee is still yet to be scheduled.

 

Written by: Romeo Celes Jr.

Originally from Waipahu, Hawaii, Current 5th year university student, Candidate for a Bachelor of Arts in Korean Language Flagship, Molecular & Cell Biology, and minor in Music at the University of Hawai’i at Mānoa, Exchange student at Korea University and Intern at VANK (Voluntary Agency Network of Korea)”