Lotus Lantern Parade for Buddha’s Birthday: Traffic Controls in Jongno Area Tomorrow

The police will implement major traffic controls in downtown Seoul on May 16, when a lotus lantern parade is scheduled to take place in celebration of Buddha’s Birthday.

The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency announced on May 15 that, due to the lotus lantern parade set to proceed from Dongguk University to Jangchungdan-ro, Heunginjimun, and Jongno, finishing in front of Jogyesa Temple between 6:00 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. on May 16, traffic controls will be enforced along the parade route.

On the morning of the 5th, about two weeks before Buddha's Birthday, a devotee is hanging a lantern in the precincts of Baekdamsa Temple, located at the foot of Seoraksan in Buk-myeon, Inje-gun, Gangwon Province. Photo by Yonhap News

The controlled sections and times are as follows. Jongno (from Jongno 1-ga Intersection to Heunginjimun Intersection) will be closed from 1:00 p.m. on May 16 until 3:00 p.m. on May 17 to allow for pre-parade preparations and the dismantling and restoration of the central Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) lane. Jangchungdan-ro (from the entrance of Dongguk University to Heunginjimun Intersection), where the parade begins, will be closed from 6:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Ujeongguk-ro (from Jongno 1-ga Intersection to Anguk Intersection) will be closed from 6:00 p.m. on May 16 until midnight on May 17.

However, on Jangchungdan-ro, some east-west traffic will be allowed flexibly even during the parade, and vehicles using Jongno will be redirected to Cheonggyecheon-ro (from Gwanggyo Intersection to Cheonggye 2-ga Intersection), Yulgok-ro (from Gwanghwamun Intersection to Heunginjimun Intersection), and Eulji-ro (from Dongdaemun Stadium Intersection to Euljiro 1-ga Intersection).

Additionally, on May 17, traffic controls will also be enforced in the Ujeongguk-ro area from 9:00 a.m. until midnight on May 18 due to traditional cultural events and lotus lantern festivities.

To minimize traffic congestion and inconvenience to citizens, the police will install 413 informational signs and banners around the controlled areas and deploy 442 personnel, including traffic police, to guide detours and manage vehicles.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.