Square glass lanterns from Joseon Dynasty royal parties repurposed as streetlights near Gyeongbokgung Palace, central Seoul, December 12, 2022 (Courtesy of Cultural Heritage Administration)

Glass lanterns that were used in royal celebrations during the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910) inspired a new streetlamp design in downtown Seoul. 

Since mid-December, 350 lanterns have lit up the streets around major Joseon Dynasty palaces in Jongno-gu District after being installed by the National Palace Museum of Korea under the Cultural Heritage Administration (CHA). 

The original box-shaped lanterns had lacquered wood frames encasing glass panels that were decorated with painted flowers and butterflies. Wooden bracing at the bottom supported a candle or lamp in the middle of the lantern, and they were hung under the eaves of palace halls using light chains and a hook. 

While royal parties during the Joseon Dynasty were held in the early morning hours, King Sunjo’s Crown Prince Hyomyeong started a nighttime banquet in 1828 to celebrate his mother’s 40th birthday, and the lanterns began to be used for evening festivals the following year, according to Uigwe, or manuscripts for royal protocols, dating back to 1848. 

A part of Sinchukjinchando, a five-piece folding screen, painted in 1901, that features a celebration for the 71st (Korean age) birthday of Queen Dowager Hyojeong, widow of King Heonjong. Glass lanterns can be seen under the awning. (Courtesy of National Palace Museum of Korea)

In 2020, the museum uploaded images and information about the Joseon-era lanterns on CHA social media accounts. The postings drew many comments from young fans who praised the lanterns’ beauty and expressed a desire to have one for themselves at home. 

So the museum developed a decorative DIY miniature of the lantern with an LED candle, wood frame and acrylic – rather than glass – panels.

After it distributed 1,000 of the miniatures for free at an event in October 2020, there were requests to sell the lanterns as a museum souvenir. On more than 10 occasions, batches of 300-400 lantern kits sold out in 10 to 20 minutes. The fierce hot-ticket-like competition to get one of the lanterns coined the Korean-English portmanteau “deung-keting” that combines “deung” (lantern) and “ticketing.”

Now, due to their popularity, the museum’s on- and offline souvenir shops sell the lantern kits as a regular item, so visitors can buy them at any time. 

(https://www.khmall.or.kr/product/detail.html?product_no=24&cate_no=90&display_group=1)

A miniature Joseon-era glass lantern with LED candle on sale at the National Palace Museum of Korea (Courtesy of Korea Times)

In late 2020, the museum made some of the lanterns in the actual size and installed them within the museum compound as a pilot project. 

And in December 2022, the museum, in cooperation with the Jongno-gu Office, installed 350 lanterns on the streets around Cheong Wa Dae, Insa-dong and three palaces nearby – Gyeongbokgung, Changgyeonggung and Changdeokgung – to add a traditional touch to modern streetlights. 

The museum and the CHA expect the lanterns to not only beautify those popular tourist spots, but also help local and foreign visitors better appreciate the royal splendor of the Joseon Dynasty.