Buddhas B-day

So the twenty fourth of May this year was the jolly fat mans (Buddhas) birthday. All over Asia this day is celebrated as the devote make their way to the temples to pray for a successful year while the less devote, i.e. us English teachers, mearly head out for the free food that the monks hand out to the masses.
Thursday, the holiday itself, was great, expect for the rain that came a little later. We all made it to the appropriate bus stop at the right time and headed out to Hwamsaa temple, a little out of the way place that we figured would be a better time than the better known temples at Nak-san and Sorak.
After hiking a bit after our bus ride we finally made it out to the temple itself and spent most of the morning wandering around and talking while waiting for the food to be served.
We had a great time watching monks drumming and seeing the faithful bowing towards the golden Buddhas. The entire temple complex was heavily decorated for the festivities with rows and rows of paper lanterns hung in honour of Buddha.
Pictures
1. The view of the massive stone that marks the entrance to the temple
2. It is only on rare occasions that non monks are allowed into the bell area, and Buddhas birthday is one of them. This is the massive drum that you hear when it is time for prayers.
3. The head monk, I think, banging the massive drum that signals the start of prayers.
4. Bibimbap, kimchi, and soup, the traditional birthday lunch. Bibimbap is one of my favourite things to eat in Korea, a mix of rice, seaweed, red pepper paste, and vegetabels.
5. Strings of lanterns litter the forcourt of the temple.