Ideal places to
celebrate the
cherry blossom
season
The two most talked
about places to
welcome the cherry
blossom season are
Gyeongju and Busan.
Cherry blossom season
When spring returns to Korea, flowers, after
months of being dormant, bloom again like in
any other place. Cherry blossoms here cover the
mountainsides, haules of stream and roadsides
with its pinkish white petals. Depending on the
weather, cherry trees might flower as late as
March or April.
The whole tree turns into a mass of delicate pink
or white cherry blossom petals. Let’s all imagine
for a moment that we’re wandering under
the cherry trees and a gentle breeze carrying
the sweet floral fragrance causes a shower of
cherry blossoms to fall upon us. The scene is
so wonderful that we are forced to look up in
amazement at what we see: The grey sky is gone
and in its place now are the warmly pinkish white
petals. What a scene!
Cherry trees grow almost everywhere around
Korea. Each region has its own festivals to
celebrate the coming of spring, but particularly
the arrival of cherry blossom season. Family,
friends, and couples walk under the flourishing
trees in the cool weather of early spring, then
settle somewhere to enjoy tea amidst the beauty of
nature.
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TRAVELLIVE
Come to Gyeongju, slow down
in the tranquil atmosphere here,
and contemplate the ancient
beauty of the old capital. The two
colors adorning Gyeongju’s spring
inauguration are the warm yellow of colza
flowers and the subtly pink white of the cherry
blossoms. Watching cherry flowers in such a
solemn scene as the Silla’s ancient capital is so
different from doing so in one of Korea’s bustling
cities. The serene Bomun Lake with the famous
Bomun gazebo is a common favorite. Relax and
savor the beauty of the cherry trees reflected in the
lake. Feel the gentle movement of cherry petals
falling down, and you’ve already taken part in a
most delightful experience.
Busan and Jeju, are the first places in Korea that
welcome the cherry blossom season. There are
several cherry-shaded streets to stroll down during
these cool spring days. Imagine again you are
walking on a street lined with cherry trees with
a light wind grazing your hair. Can you feel the
slight tickle of the pink cherry petals trickling
down from the trees onto your skin? The most
beautiful places to observe the cherry blossoms
are Haeundae Dalmaji Street, Oncheon Park,
the coastline in Igidae Park, Samnak Park, and
Namcheon-dong cherry street.
The list couldn’t be complete without mentioning
Jeju Island - “the kingdom of flowers”. Cherry
flowers here have larger petals than in other
places. For this reason, they are called King
Cherries. On Jeju Island, you can stroll down
roads either lined entirely with cherry trees or by
cherry on one side and yellow colza on the other.