The Jinju Lantern Festival lit up my life, but Zeke and Daisy filled my night with song. Zeke and Daisy sang, along with the rest of the GIFS middle school choir.
The Gaecheon Arts Festival coincides with the Jinju Namgang (Nam River) Yudeung (floating lantern) Festival and both are held within and beside the Fortress. The Lantern Festival originates from the lantern lighting custom used during the Jinjuseong Fortress Battle of the Japanese invasion in 1592. It was a military strategy to prevent Japanese troops from wading the Nam River, as well as a way for family members to communicate with each other outside of the fortress. The festival honors and commemorates the 70,000 Koreans who sacrificed their lives during the Japanese invasion in 1592. It is a popular festival in Korea with thousands of visitors each year.
Mrs. Sandy and Mrs. Lee arranged for our GIFS children to perform as part of the Arts Festival. They were even on the advertising.
This is our school on the bottom pictures. The first picture is the K-pop dance group, the middle is the choir, and the last picture is the rock band. All three groups performed.
Eli and I came with friends and arrived a little early so we checked out the Fortress grounds. 
We were spinning plates on sticks and tossing them up.
Just warming his hands by the fireplace.
8,9,10. Ready or not, here I come!
This. What the heck? Why would they make a lantern of this?? It made us laugh anyway.
The choir performed 3 songs. They sounded great.
The middle school choir is composed of 5th-8th grades. I love that Zeke and Daisy do activities together.
The choir finished just as the sun was setting and the lights were beginning to shine.
There are also food vendors that sell snacks from various countries. Not quite the carni snacks we're used to--Japanese Takoyaki, skewers, spicey rice cakes, pork and kimchi dumplings, kimbap, squid, fishcakes and {ew}silkworm pupae, to name a few. We had a Belgium waffle with some sort of creamy filling that was delightful.
My little angel.
These horsies represent going to battle.
During the festival a floating bridge is constructed for easy access to both sides of the river.
This is the "Tunnel of Wish Lanterns." I have heard there are 30,000 wish lanterns that people buy and write their wishes on. Floating your wish down the river is also an option, much like was done with the floating lanterns 400 years ago.
This is the view of the Wish Tunnel from above.
This phoenix is almost as beautiful reflecting on the water as he is above it.
I like the fortress in the background of this picture.
The evening was topped off with fireworks. I love fireworks! We sat with a group of GIFS families amidst a ton of locals. The riverbank was packed.
How cool are these lights?
The Lantern Festival did not disappoint. My life was lit and my night filled with song. It can't be wrong when it feels so right.
[October 10]
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