70,000 Lanterns Light Up the Nam River in Jinju for Over Two Weeks

On Monday evening, October 5, the banks of the Nam River in Jinju, South Gyeongsang Province, glow with color the moment the sun sets. Beneath Jinju Fortress — the old hilltop fort that was the site of fierce battles during the Imjin War (Japan's invasion of Korea, 1592-1598) — roughly 70,000 traditional oil-and-bulb lanterns called yudeung float on the river and reflect off the water, while visitors cross the floating pontoon bridge in a steady line, stopping to take photos. The 2026 Jinju Namgang Yudeung Festival is in full swing, and this is the third day of its 16-day run.

At a glance: Dates October 3 (Sat) to October 18 (Sun), 2026. Lanterns are lit daily from 6 p.m. to midnight; the floating bridge and activity booths run from 1 p.m. to 11 p.m. Venue: Jinju Fortress and the Nam River area, Jinju, South Gyeongsang Province (including Jinju Daecheop Historic Park; 626 Namgang-ro). General admission is free (Jinju Fortress and the Namgang Lantern Exhibition Hall are also open free during the festival). Floating-bridge fee: 2,000 won one-way, 6,000 won for an all-day pass. Official site: yudeung.com.

Visitors who come on October 5 won't see fireworks or the drone show — those run only on October 3, 9 and 17 for fireworks, and October 10 and 17 for drones. What is available every single night, though, are the lit lanterns and hands-on programs such as hanging a wish lantern (writing a wish on a small lantern and floating it on the water) and making a traditional hanji-paper lantern. Visitors who don't know about the bridge pricing and buy a one-way ticket each time they cross will pay 8,000 won for just four crossings back and forth across the river in one evening; buying the 6,000-won all-day pass in advance saves 2,000 won for the same night out.

According to local tradition, the lanterns descend from lights that soldiers floated on the Nam River during the Battle of Jinju Fortress in the Imjin War, both to block Japanese forces from crossing and to signal between troops inside and outside the castle walls. This year Jinju City aims to roughly double its foreign visitor numbers from last year to about 10,000, and has opened three new information booths for foreign tourists at the festival grounds with 23 interpreters on hand. From Seoul, travelers can take the KTX high-speed train to Jinju Station, then a city bus or taxi to the fortress. From October 9, the Gaecheon Arts Festival and the Korea Drama Festival run alongside the lantern festival, making the area even livelier.