From mid-March to mid-April, while the air is still cold and most of nature still dead, these pretty, ethereal blossoms, known as 벚꽃 (bot–ggot) signal an end to Korea’s bitter winter. They represent a start to spring and all its connotations of renewal, love, and a little bit of magic.
I don’t need to tell you that winter in Korea is one of my least favorite seasons. Unless it snows, the country turns into a pretty dull world. Everyone is crowded inside, bundled up in their black blanket coats, and the days are not only shorter, the skies are gray more often than blue.
However, as soon as you start to see those white pink blossoms begin to bloom, it’s like everyone slowly begins to emerge from hibernation. The sidewalks are filled with students and workers lingering outside on their breaks and it really does feel like Mother Nature has breathed in new life into the country.
Seoul King South Korean Cherry Blossom Tour With Local Guide
You can see this best in all the pretty music that gets released around March! The most famous is definitely “Cherry Blossom Ending” by Busker Busker and “Not Love, Not Cherry Blossoms, ” by High 4 ft IU.
The Yoshino cherry trees (소메이요시노) are the most common in Korea, and they bloom first. These blossoms are a light, delicate pink color (almost white).
The name comes from the Yoshino district in Nara, Japan. In case you were wondering, yes, they’re the same ones that planted around the Tidal Basin in Washington DC!
Places To Enjoy The Flowers Of Spring
The King Cherry Tree (왕벚 나무) originates on Jeju Island. Their flowers are distinctively pinker and bigger, though apparently some people in Korea claim they and the Yoshino trees are the same.
It’s a whole debate that feels a bit unnecessary. Many Korean don’t distinguish the two, so technically all cherry trees in Korea translate to 왕벚 나무. The Korean I put above is simply the Japanese name,
Anyway, King cherry trees are much rarer than the Yoshino ones. I didn’t know they existed differently from the Yoshino cherry trees until maybe a year or two ago, so I’ve only really enjoyed them once on the side of the road somewhere random in the countryside! They bloom a bit later than the Yoshino ones. I’d say early to mid April and a bit later.
Korea Cherry Blossoms Forecast: Where & When To Visit
There are some tours you can specifically do to see the King cherry blossoms, including this one around Busan and to Gyeongju.
Not technically a cherry blossom but worth adding to your itinerary! These plum blossoms (매화) bloom the earliest – usually the 2nd week or March (along with the yellow sansuyu trees). The blossoms are even more delicate and whiter than the Yoshino ones.
The maesil tree comes from China, near the Yangtze River, and isn’t very common in Korea at all. The only festival I know of is the Gwangyang one, so let me know if you know of others!
Sakura In Korea 2020: When & Where To See Cherry Blossoms
I will say, nothing is tastier than a maesil drink at the jimjilbang if you happen to see it as an option.
Ok, I know azaleas are purple and have nothing to do with cherry blossoms. But they’re so pretty and they bloom around the same time, so I’m adding them. You’re welcome!
There are two types of azaleas in Korea, but they both translate the same, so it can be kind of confusing.One type is called 진달래 (jindalrae) and the other one is called 철쭉 (cheoljjuk). Both are a purple-pink color, and sometimes cheoljjuk translates to “Royal azalea.”
Cherry Blossom In Spring With Woman In Korean National Dress. At Gyeongbokgung Palace. Seoul,south Korea. Stock Photo
I found this blog post and this article that go into the differences, but it’s all in Korean and doesn’t let me copy and paste, so I haven’t gotten around to translating it. The article has photos comparing the two, though, and they really don’t look that different.
I only realized there were two different types because I was trying to find the full name of the Baraebong festival in Namwon, and nothing had 진달래 in the title!
Boooooyyyy have you just opened up a can of worms! I’m not surprised, really, but the history of cherry blossoms in Korea is, of course, highly debated among those who decide cherry tree origins.
South Korea Budget Travel Guide (updated 2023)
Basically, it’s a fun game of Korea claims one thing, Japan claims another, and then China swoops in and claims something completely different. If you really want to get into it, here’s my brief understanding from the few articles I read.
From here, most believe it spread to Japan thousands of years ago during the prehistoric age. There are tons of sakura hybrids now, and there’s record of
The biggest, and frankly most likely, theory is that Japan introduced the Yoshino cherry trees to Korea. I want to say it started with Changgyeonggung Palace and spread, but I feel like they would have been introduced earlier than Japanese occupation in the early 1900s. Again, cherry blossom scholars, please let me know!
Cherry Blossom Background Korea New Year Korean Vector Image
Meanwhile, the King Cherry tree is originally from Jeju, and the first records we have of it outside of Korean records, is from a French missionary in 1908.
Over all, the history of the cherry blossoms in Korea is debated, though the above is the most likely trajectory. Either way, enjoying the beauty of the blooms is a spring pastime in Korea just as it is in Japan, and I, for one, am glad Koreans did not chop them all down during more anti-Japanese times.
I tried to organize these around the earliest to the latest, but you’ll have to keep an eye out closer to the dates to really know when what will bloom. Cherry blossoms really are as fickle as they are beautiful!
Beauty Of Cherry Blossoms At Gyeongbokgung Palace,south Korea Stock Photo
The Gwangyang Maehwa Festival one of the earliest signs of spring flowers on mainland Korea along with the Gurye Sansuyu Festival, and Koreans will visit in huge crowds to delight over all the white and pink along the Seomjin River.
The origins of the festival go back half a century when a woman named Hong Ssang Ri. She moved to Gwangyang when she married into a family there, and was interested in the maesil trees after seeing her father-in-law’s small orchard. Eventually she convinced him to focus on them over his chestnut trees, and now her “farm” holds over 10, 000 trees!
Hwagae is in Hadong county down in the southern Gyeongsangnam province. I’ve been here once before, so here’s a full post with details on visiting and what to expect. Just know — FOUR stunning kilometers of blossoms.
South Korea's Largest Cherry Blossom Festival: A Day In Jinhae
I was about a week or so too early to really see the king cherry blossoms in Korea when I went down to see the canola fields in Jeju. The main festival takes place around Jeonnong-ro near the university. However, you can see them in a lot of different areas, like Hallim Park, Samseonghyeol Shrine, and Seongeup Folk Village.
The really incredible area, though, is along Noksan-ro, which is also covered with canolas. You’ll basically drive along this road and see just one long burst of yellow and pink to each side!
Here’s one that’s quite a random pick! My friends, the Hedgers, discovered this fairytale road for one real reason: Stephanie used to teach here. Yup, that castle-esque entrance is simply the entrance to her old high school grounds. The road leading up to it is short, but in the spring and fall, it looks quite magical. Not the easiest to get to, as I’d obviously only recommend going on the weekend when school isn’t in session, but quite a fun, random spot if you happen to live around Yeosu.
South Korea Cherry Blossom Forecast (2023): When & Where
Gyeongju is also a great city if you’re interested in Korean history as it’s the best place to learn about the Silla dynasty. I’ve only been in the summer, but it’s supposed to be stunning during cherry blossom season!
Jinhae is by far the most famous of all the festivals. It took me so long to finally go because I just heard all these horror stories about how crowded it got on the weekends, the only times I could go as a teacher. However, I finally went this last year, and really enjoyed it! Fun fact, the festival isn’t actually a cherry blossom festival, but a naval festival celebration Korea’s navy and admiral Yi Sun Shin.
The main areas to see the blooms are actually quite spread out, so you’ll want to read my post on the Jinhae cherry blossoms for a total breakdown! It also has exact directions of getting to the festival. Spoiler, they’re not that close to each other at all!
Top 29 Places For Cherry & Spring Blossoms In Seoul 2023
I feel like there’s kind of a festival for this but not officially. Anyway, all along Yocheon river in Namwon are these beautiful cherry blossom trees, and it’s one of my absolute favorite places for them. I used to take the long way between my two schools just to enjoy them, and one year I wrangled a friend into enjoying them with me one weekday morning.
My best tip is to cross the river and climb up to the pagoda looking building to get a view over the whole river. The pagoda is actually a cafe, so you can get a coffee and sit on the deck
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