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S. Korea lantern festival on UNESCO heritage list
PRINT ALL READINGS (PDF)Lantern Festival - Level 0
UNESCO gave a festival an award. It put South Korea's Lotus Lantern Festival on its list of intangible cultural heritage. If something is intangible, we cannot touch it. Events like South Korea's Lotus Lantern Festival, a dance or a method for weaving baskets are examples of intangible heritage.
The lotus festival celebrates Buddha's birthday. It symbolizes light. The festival is over 2,000 years old. People visited a temple in 57BC to see lotus lanterns. Today, people decorate temples with paper and bamboo lanterns. Towns hold parades. People carry lanterns through the streets. The festival is loved by people worldwide.
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11 online activities | 8-page printable (PDF)
Lantern Festival - Level 1
UNESCO gave an award to a festival. It added South Korea's Lotus Lantern Festival to its list of intangible cultural heritage. Some things that UNESCO adds to its list are tangible - meaning we can touch them. Examples are the Pyramids in Egypt. If something is intangible, we cannot touch it. Events like South Korea's Lotus Lantern Festival, a dance or a method for weaving baskets are examples of intangible heritage.
The South Korean festival celebrates Buddha's birthday. It symbolizes light and fairness. The festival dates back 2,000 years. There was a temple in 57BC that royals visited to see lotus lanterns. Today, people decorate temples with lanterns made of paper and bamboo. Towns hold parades where people carry lanterns through the streets. A spokesperson said: "We will try to make the festival a cultural heritage that can be loved by people around the world."
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11 online activities | 8-page printable (PDF)
Lantern Festival - Level 2
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UNESCO has given an award to a festival in South Korea. It decided to add South Korea's Lotus Lantern Festival to its list of intangible cultural heritage. The festival is one of 25 things the UN added to its heritage list this year. Some things that UNESCO adds to its heritage list are tangible - meaning we can touch them. Examples are the Pyramids in Egypt or Machu Picchu in Peru. If something is intangible, we cannot touch it. Events like South Korea's Lotus Lantern Festival or a dance or a method for weaving baskets are examples of intangible heritage.
The South Korean festival is held in spring to celebrate Buddha's birthday. It symbolizes lighting up the world to make things fair for everyone. The festival dates back 2,000 years. There was an ancient temple in 57BC that royals visited to see lotus lanterns. Today, it is one of Korea's biggest festivals. People decorate temples with lanterns made of paper and bamboo. Villages, towns and cities hold parades where people carry lanterns through the streets. A spokesperson said: "We will try to make the festival a cultural heritage that can be loved by people around the world."
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11 online activities | 8-page printable (PDF)
Lantern Festival - Level 3
The United Nations has given a special award to a festival in South Korea. The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) decided to add South Korea's Lotus Lantern Festival to its list of intangible cultural heritage of humanity. The festival was one of 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 in Egypt or Machu Picchu in Peru. If something is intangible, we generally cannot touch it. Events like South Korea's Lotus Lantern Festival or a dance or a method for weaving baskets are examples of intangible heritage.
South Korea's Lotus Lantern Festival is a springtime event that is held to celebrate Buddha's birthday on April the 8th. It symbolizes lighting up the world to make things fair for everyone. The festival dates back two millennia. Historians say there was an ancient kingdom in 57BC where royals visited a temple to see lotus lanterns. Today, it is one of South Korea's biggest festivals. People make lanterns with paper and bamboo. They decorate temples with these. Many villages, towns and cities hold parades in which the lanterns are carried through the streets. A spokesperson said: "We will try to make the festival a cultural heritage that can be loved by people around the world regardless of their religion."
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25 online activities | 27-page printable | 2-page mini-lesson
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