Autumn is great time to enjoy festivals in Korea with nice weather and clear skies.
And the popular Jinju Namgang Lantern Festival is open to visitors for free.
Our Han Soo-ah visited the southern city for a closer look at the festival.
Colorful lanterns float along the Namgang River, each with a unique shape, symbolizing the scenery and landmarks of the world, and the national treasures and cultural heritage of Korea.
The lanterns attract visitors from all around the globe.

“It’s very very nice, very beautiful...we took a lot of photos during the day, and we cannot imagine how it could be...during the night… and now it’s very funny...and it’s very beautiful…for sure.”

“We’re waiting for fireworks...and I think this is the best moment of this festival.”

This lantern festival started from a unique tradition in Jinju city, as the people of Jinju had lit lanterns wishing for the safety of their families during the Japanese invasion in the late 1500s.
Jinju's citizens have continued the tradition of floating lanterns to remember those who had sacrificed their lives for Korea.

Here at the festival, visitors write wishes on lanterns and hang them on the exhibition site or float them along the Namgang River. Visitors can also ride a boat for a closer look at the lanterns.

"With more than seventy thousand lanterns lighting up the river at night, the Jinju Namgang Lantern Festival runs until October 14th.
Han Soo-ah, Arirang News, Jinju."