Debrecen4U
May 19, 2026
Korean Lotus Lantern Festival Held in Debrecen
The Debrecen Creative Community and OTT-Home International Meeting Point sought to bring the magic of South Korea to Batthyány Street on 17 May.
Children were welcomed throughout the afternoon with arts and crafts activities where they could create their very own K-pop posters and bracelets. Guests were offered a tasting selection of South Korean sweets such as jelly sticks and rice cakes, which enthusiastic youngsters handed around in baskets. The trees and bushes were decorated with pink and white lotus flowers, while a photo wall awaited visitors inside the Deutsches Kulturforum.
The event was officially opened by Deputy Mayor István Puskás, who emphasised that Korean culture is a distant and exotic culture, yet one that is nevertheless very much present in our everyday lives. “Currently, eight out of every ten albums sold worldwide come from a K-pop artist,” he highlighted. “We hope this event opens a small window onto this culture, whether through choosing an evening film — just think of the popular South Korean series and films. Those who enjoy reading may also turn towards this culture when selecting books, especially considering that a South Korean female author won the Nobel Prize in Literature a few years ago,” he said.
The symbol of the festival, the lotus flower, represents renewal and mutual respect, in this case connecting Hungarian and Korean culture.
The series of programmes began with a spectacular drum show. Minduelle arrived from Budapest to introduce Debrecen to traditional Korean instruments, each inspired by elements of nature. They wore cheerful costumes, as similar drum performances entertained palace residents in former times. “Minduelle” means dandelion, and the ensemble members came to our city in the hope that we would carry their melodies with us, just as the wind carries dandelion seeds.
Their performance, samul nori, is a traditional Korean percussion genre whose name means “the play of four objects”. During the performance, four traditional instruments are played, each symbolising a force of nature: lightning, wind, rain, clouds and thunder.
This was followed by a performance from the Nawoul dance group, also from Budapest, characterised by remarkably gentle movements reminiscent of the motion of ocean waves. They wore modern versions of the traditional Korean hanbok in dazzling colours. Their first performance depicted a snapshot of women chatting while washing clothes by a stream. The second presentation was a love dance performed with a man’s coat, followed by themes of the moon and awakening.
Krisztina, the leader of the Nawoul ensemble, had dreamed of becoming a dancer since childhood. Although a serious knee injury made things difficult for her, she did not give up and still fulfilled her dreams. She has visited South Korea several times and currently leads a successful Korean dance group. “If you learn Korean dance, you too can wear a queen’s robes!” she encouraged participants to follow their dreams, as her own dreams had carried her all the way to South Korea.
Later, participants could admire a K-pop dance performance by Black XS. Members of the Debrecen-based group danced to the latest K-pop hits, creating a lively party atmosphere on Batthyány Street. During the evening, DJ Maci provided music and invited attendees to dance together.
Source: dehir.hu | Photo credit: Puskás István (Facebook)
