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Spring is finally here in South Korea! And it couldn’t have come at a better time; I was going stir-crazy with all of this cold weather keeping me indoors.
If you haven’t already noticed, there’s a few significantly colorful trees around South Korea this time of year. If you’ve wondered what those trees are that are bursting with color, you’ve probably been gazing upon one of the thousands of Cherry Blossoms in South Korea. They are an absolute site to behold!
But, cherry blossoms are a lot like an exploding star: lots of buildup for about a split second of absolute beauty, and then, nothing. So, it’s imperative that you time your visit to see these wonders of nature just right.
Well, my crew and I did just that. Last weekend, three of my friends and I made the trip down to the Jinhae Cherry Blossom Festival in Jinhae, South Korea for what turned out to be an epic photography photoshoot.
Jinhae Cherry Blossom Festival, South Korea
Ok, you got me, this was definitely click bait. Why? Well, South Korea cancelled the Jinhae Cherry Blossom Festival for 2022 (just like they did in 2021 and 2020).
Thanks (again) to the pandemic, the streets of Jinhae weren’t lined with vendors and souvenir stands like they were in previous years. However, they were still lined with hundreds of cherry blossoms, and honestly, isn’t that the real reason you’d want to attend anyway? It was for me!
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Honestly, I was somewhat glad the festival was cancelled for a few reasons:
For starters, with the festival being cancelled, I’m sure a large majority of people decided not to visit the area, which meant more sightseeing and less people-dodging lol. Second, the smells in the air were that of beautiful cherry blossoms; not kimchi, Korean BBQ, fried fish, or port-o-pottys baking in the sun (#gross lol).
It was so refreshing to take in all the natural smells of spring! I couldn’t help myself from stopping and smelling everything I saw with color. From gardens with tulips and daises to the actual blossoms themselves, it was impossible to notice that spring was in full swing in South Korea.
My friends and I arrived on Friday night after a solid work week, ready to sightsee and live it up in Busan, South Korea. We took the KTX train from Asan to Busan, checked into our hotel, had a few beers, then hit the hay early in anticipation of a long Saturday.
The destination for Saturday was Jinhae, the town directly west of Busan, and about an hour’s drive. Realizing we didn’t want to take the bus (because that would’ve added another hour onto the trip), we tried to get a cab to take us there instead.
After being turned down by every cab driver out front of Busan Station, my friend Jon finally talked taxi van into driving us an hour west to Jinhae. I’m not saying those other cabbies missed out, but we paid the dude $100 to do it lol. Sucks to suck.
Upon arrival to Jinhae, we all hung our heads out of the window of the van like a dog trying to catch the wind in their face. We just couldn’t believe how many cherry blossoms were all around us!
As the cab driver dropped us off, we made our way to a small cafe to grab a quick cup of coffee, then began to stroll down one of the most popular places in all of Korea for cherry blossoms:
Yeojwacheon Stream
If you only visit one spot in Jinhae for cherry blossom viewing, go to the Romance Bridge over Yeojwacheon Stream; you won’t be disappointed!
For 1.5km, cherry blossoms line this amazing cannel filled with slow flowing water, leading you directly into the city center. I recommend starting at the “top” (read: north) end of the stream and working your way “down” (read: south) for multiple reasons.
First, if you start at the north end, you’ll be walking downhill and with the flow of water the entire way. In other words, it doesn’t get any easier than that lol. Let gravity do the work as you tilt your head back and gaze at all the beautiful pinks and whites.
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Second, starting from the top means you’ll be near the Jinhae Environmental Eco Park. This incredible park offers stunning views of hundreds of cherry blossoms and other blooming flowers dotted along the banks of a nice-sized lake. It’s a perfect spot for family photos, ‘gram photos, or people watching!
Jinhae Museum of Changwon City
After finally reaching the end of the Yeojwacheon Stream, the crew was wiped out from the sensory overload. The only thing that made sense in the moment was to put an ice cold Cass in out mouths and let the day pass us by for a moment; so that’s exactly what we did!
Once we felt reenergized, we hiked up the nearby mountain where the Jinhae Museum of Changwon City was situated. The 365 steps to the top of the mountain weren’t the easiest thing in the world, but the views from the top completely made up for the effort it took to get up there.
In all directions, like white, wildfires racing down the edges of the surrounding mountainsides, cherry blossoms burned up the landscape. No matter where you looked, pink and white bursts of color caught your eye among the yet-to-bud trees covering the hillsides. The energy all around me all but removed any lingering thoughts I had that there might be a few more weeks of winter.
I climbed up a few more sets of stairs to the top of the Museum, perched atop the hill in the city center. There, I snapped a few more gorgeous shots of the city as it sprawled out the sea while reflecting on the awesomeness that is cherry blossom season.
Retreating back to Busan
After our fair share of cherry blossom viewing in Jinhae, the crew and I found another willing-and-able cabbie to drive us an hour back to Busan. I closed my eyes and before I knew it, we were being dropped off at the Gamcheon Cultural Village.
If you’ve kept up with my previous posts, you know that Ciara and I visited the Gamcheon Cultural Village while she was here. We were blown away by the amazing color of the rooftops and the perfect composition of landscape that framed the amazing seascape in the distance.
This visit was no different; it was just as gorgeous as Ciara and I had left it. Needless to say, as we climbed upstairs and on to the roof of the cafe, the entire crew took out their phones and snapped entirely too many photos lol. We laughed, took pics, and sipped warm ginger tea as the sun trailed off to the west behind the hillside. It was a night I’ll never forget!
The next day while the crew slept off their hangovers from too much soju, I got an early start around the city. After a quick bite to eat, I set out for what I thought was one of the best places in Busan for cherry blossom viewing.
Jangrim Harbor
Turns out, I was on the complete opposite side of town lol. I reminded myself to “move like water” like Bruce Lee always said; just go with the flow. Thanks to that mantra, I ended up at Jangrim Harbor which was pleasantly surprising!
The coolest thing about this little harbor are the brightly colored huts along the docks on both sides. There’s even an old-school-looking windmill in the middle of them! They’re also situated at the base of two different mountains in an amazing valley, making for a rather easy photo op lol
Once I snapped a few photos of the boats coming and going from their docks, I headed south towards one of the lesser-known beaches in Busan: Dadaepo Beach!
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While Gwangalli and Haeundae Beach command respect for being the amazing tourist destinations they are, Dadaepo was definitely more my scene. The tide was low when I visited so, rather than waves incessantly crashing against the shoreline, the sound of small, lapping waves filled the air.
As I took off my shoes and walked around barefoot (because that’s what you do when you’re at the beach lol), I felt so at peace that the next thing I knew, I found myself in a deep gaze out towards the horizon. My mind wandered all over in that moment, everything from family to food to “how freaking cool is it that I’m here right now?” lol.
Once the moment had passed, I headed back towards the subway to make my way to my destination in Busan; one final search for cherry blossoms.
Oncheoncheon Stream Park
If you only have time to visit one place for cherry blossoms in Busan, Oncheoncheon Stream Park has to be the place!
The similarities between Oncheoncheon Stream Park and Yeojwacheon Stream in Jinhae are striking. For starters, I (once again) recommend starting at the “top” (i.e., northeastern part) of the park and working your way “down” (i.e., towards the southeast). Again, this will put you in the same direction as the water, making it all-too-easy to simply stroll and enjoy the views.
However, unlike Yeojwacheon Stream, the Oncheoncheon Stream actually had a fair amount of water in it when I visited. This created an amazing atmosphere for walking along the riverbank and listening to the water gently lap against the shore.
Lucky me, I happened to get there just before golden hour and was warmly welcomed with an amazing opportunity for some great photos.
While the cherry blossoms definitely stole the show for the weekend, the award for the best supporting actor definitely went to the Canola Flowers. While a vast majority of the vegetation in South Korea is still hibernating, these brightly colored patches of yellow all along the Oncheoncheon Stream and all over the Jinhae Environmental Eco Park are such a nice contrast to all the brown still around.
So, though the cherry blossom festival was canceled this year, the trees kept doing what they were made to do despite the hundreds of vendor booths and thousands of people. And in turn, the bees kept doing what they were made to do, buzzing around from blossom to blossom to ensure life goes on.
I think the cherry blossoms are such an amazing sight to behold because they’re here for only a blink of an eye, kind of like us. Kind of like all of our situations.
With each cherry blossom comes a bittersweet reminder that though change is the only constant, the past is gone, and new beginnings are beautiful. With each pedal that falls off of every tree, a sombering thought comes to mind that “nothing gold can stay”. But, like I mentioned when I first got to Korea and started this blog, that’s not always a bad thing 🙂
Like any of these photos? Head over to my photography page and buy one for yourself, a friend, a loved one, or your coffee table!
FAQs about Cherry Blossoms in South Korea
- How long do cherry blossoms last in South Korea?
Generally, cherry blossoms will last about two weeks in Korea, barring any major windstorms during blooming season. When the cherry blossoms are at their peak, viewers have about four to seven days to see them before they fall to the ground. - What month do cherry blossoms bloom in South Korea? When is cherry blossom season?
In general, March and April are cherry blossom season in South Korea. However, cherry blossom season in very dependent on where you are. In the southern part of Korea, towards Jeju, the month to see cherry blossoms is typically mid- to late-March whereas in the northern part, towards Seoul and Sokcho, late March to early April is the prime viewing window. - What’s the meaning of a cherry blossom in South Korea? What do cherry blossoms symbolize in South Korea?
In short: cherry blossoms symbolize beauty and purity in South Korea. However, because they were first brought over by the Japanese during Japanese rule, cherry blossom trees were cut down in droves to celebrate Japan’s surrender at the end of WWII. To this day, celebrating cherry blossoms with festivals around Korea is still controversial. Fun fact: cherry blossoms have vastly different meanings all throughout Asia. In Japan for example, cherry blossoms can represent a fallen samurai or simply the transient and fragile nature of life. Additionally, in China, the cherry blossoms represent feminine sexuality and a woman’s ability to dominate with simply their looks. - Where to see cherry blossoms in South Korea? Where are the most beautiful places to see cherry blossoms in South Korea?
That’s easy! Any town with a cherry blossom festival such as the Jinhae Cherry Blossom Festival or one of the many festivals in Seoul will be your best bet! However, I must provide a word of caution: with a search like “where’s the best place to view ________ (i.e., anything)” comes large number of crowds and congestion. Take it from me: get off the beaten path and find yourself on the wrong side of town for the best place for cherry blossoms! Anywhere they are blooming will be the most beautiful place to see them, it’s that easy! - Does South Korea have cherry blossoms?
Absolutely! Matter of fact, if you’ve made it this far in my post and are still wondering that, you might be asleep lol. - Cherry blossom festivals in South Korea?
Almost all cherry blossom festivals in South Korea were canceled in 2020, 2021, and 2022 thanks to the pandemic. However, once the world decides to finally get back to normal, I highly recommend the Jinhae Cherry Blossom Festival as the best place to go for viewing cherry blossoms! There’s also the Yeouido Cherry Blossom Festival (Seoul), the Seokchon Lake Cherry Blossom Festival (Seoul), the Gyeongju Cherry Blossom Festival and Marathon (Busan), and the Cherry Blossom Festival on Jeju Island. - Best tourist spot for cherry blossoms in South Korea?
Easy: the best tourist spot for cherry blossoms in South Korea is Jinhae outside of Busan. Read my post above to see why!
