I talked about some interesting Korean events, food and song related to cherry blossom in my blog post dated 24 March 2015. In this blog post, I will provide some more tips on the spots/events to which you may go to enjoy the cherry blossom season in South Korea.

Jeju Cherry Blossom Festival (제주 왕벚꽃축제)

This is an annual event taking place on the Jeju Island. This year, it is held from 31 March to 9 April 2017.  The cherry blossoms are grown on the King Cherry Trees which can be seen all over Seogwipo’s downtown area and the surrounding Jeju Sports Complex.  It is said that the petals of Jeju’s King Cherry Tree blossoms are the largest among all kinds of cherry blossoms.  As the King Cherry Trees fully bloom for only 2 to 3 days, you are very lucky if you have the chance to see them in full bloom. You can get more detail on this year’s Jeju Cherry Blossom Festival by visiting this webpage of Korea Tourism Organization. You can also watch this video to get a glimpse of the King Cherry Tree blossoms and the festival events.

Yeouido Spring Flower Festival (여의도 봄꽃축제)

This annual event is held in early to mid-April depending on the blooming condition of the flowers.  This year, it will be held from 1 to 9 April 2017.  It is held in Yunjung-ro, the 1.7 km road along which various types of spring flowers including azaleas, forsythia, royal azaleas and of course, the cherry blossoms grown on the 1,400 to 1,600 cherry trees are found.  You can watch this video to see the flowers including cherry blossoms there.  At night, the lights along the road are lit up, making the road more beautiful.  After watching the beautiful flowers, you can also visit other tourist spots nearby, for example, taking a stroll along the Hangang River or visiting the National Assembly Building or the 63 Building. You can get more detail on this year’s Yeouido Spring Flower Festival by visiting this webpage of Korea Tourism Organization.

Seokchon Lake Cherry Blossom Festival (석촌호수 벚꽃축제)

This annual event is held around early to mid-April, depending on the blooming condition of the cherry blossoms.  This year, it is held from 1 to 9 April 2017.  In the Seokchon Lake area in Jamsil, there are many cherry blossoms blooming and activities like performances, exhibitions, drawing, etc. taking place during the festival.  You can also visit the theme park, Lotte World, nearby if you want more entertainment after watching the cherry blossoms.  You can watch this video to get a glimpse of the beautiful cherry blossoms there.  You can get more detail on this year’s Seokchon Lake Cherry Blossom Festival by visiting this webpage of Korea Tourism Organization.

Other Good Cherry Blossom Spots

Universities: In South Korea, there are many universities with long histories so you may find many historical buildings inside the universities.  For example, in Kyung Hee University, there are beautiful Gothic-style buildings which provide good photo spots for you. There are also many cherry trees so you can watch the beautiful cherry blossoms there in April.  You can watch this video to have a look at the cherry blossoms and Gothic-style buildings there.  Another university you can go to is Sungkyunkwan University where I previously studied Korean – this university has a history of over 600 years dated back to the Joseon Dynasty and there are many ancient buildings there. The Korean TV drama, Sungkyunkwan Scandal (성균관 스캔들) (which is about the story of a woman who disguised as a man to attend the male-only Confucian school), was filmed in the university campus where the ancient buildings are located.  There is also a ginkgo tree which was planted in 1519 (i.e. over 490 years old) and has been designated as a natural monument.  In April, cherry blossoms can also be found within the university.  Below is a photo of the cherry blossoms taken by me at the university last year.

Palaces: If you like grand historical monuments, you can visit palaces like Gyeongbokgung Palace and Deoksugung Palace – the ancient buildings there plus the cherry blossoms provide a good backdrop for your photos.

So, there are in fact many good places where you can watch the cherry blossoms in South Korea. So, if you are in South Korea during the cherry blossom season, don’t forget to visit the above places to get a pleasant spring feeling! Enjoy! 🙂

Reminder: The next blog post will be published on 31 March 2015.  Watch this space!

References:

“Blooming dates for 2015 at major palaces and royal tombs“, Korea Tourism Organization, 2015-03-19

“Your guide to the best springtime destinations for 2015“, Korea Tourism Organization, 2015-03-10

Jessica Steele, “Korea in Bloom: Where to see the cherry blossoms“, The Korea Blog, 2013-04-05

“Jeju Cherry Blossom Festival“, Korea Tourism Organization

“Yeongdeungpo Yeouido Spring Flower Festival“, Korea Tourism Organization