The United Nations has given a special award to a festival South Korea. The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) decided to add South Korea's Lotus Lantern Festival to its list intangible cultural heritage humanity. The festival was one 25 things the UN decided to add to its heritage list this year. Some things that UNESCO adds to its heritage list are tangible - this means we can touch them. Examples are the Pyramids Egypt or Machu Picchu Peru. If something is intangible, we generally cannot touch it. Events South Korea's Lotus Lantern Festival or a dance or a method weaving baskets are examples intangible heritage.
South Korea's Lotus Lantern Festival is a springtime event that is held to celebrate Buddha's birthday April the 8th. It symbolizes lighting the world to make things fair everyone. The festival dates back two millennia. Historians say there was an ancient kingdom 57BC where royals visited a temple to see lotus lanterns. Today, it is one South Korea's biggest festivals. People make lanterns with paper and bamboo. They decorate temples these. Many villages, towns and cities hold parades which the lanterns are carried the streets. A spokesperson said: "We will try to make the festival a cultural heritage that can be loved people the world regardless their religion."
