In the wise words of Lion King's Rafiki:
It is time.
The obligatory cherry blossom post.
Cherry blossom viewing is nothing short of a rite of passage in South Korea. One does not simply stay at home and pay homage from afar.
Every year in early spring, Koreans across the country plan their weekends around the forecasted bloom of the cherry blossom.
And, well, when in Rome...
While cherry blossoms can be found all over Korea, the town of Jinhae is particularly renowned for becoming a full-fledged pink paradise in the spring. So, a group of us decided to make the trek to Jinhae and join the almost 2 million visitors this town hosts over the 2-week blooming period.
What made the trip extra special for me was the addition of my sister to our rag-tag bunch. My sister started teaching in Seoul about a month prior to the trip, but this was the first time we were able to experience Korea together in person. It was the best part of the trip.
The town of Jinhae is well aware of what it has to offer, so there isn't much to do that isn't cherry blossom related. In fact, I visited Jinhae in August 2021 and it was practically a ghost town. But it did make for some pretty amazing before and after photos!
As evidenced above, there are two main locations for prime cherry blossom viewing: Yeojwacheon Stream and Gyeonghwa train station. These places are located quite far from each other, and require a 25 min bus ride to get from one to the other.
There are a series of 13 bridges crossing the rather small Yeojwacheon Stream, which makes for ideal picture taking opportunities. These bridges became even more popular after being aired in a major K-drama show.
Gyeonghwa Station is a discontinued train station that still has 2 train locomotives and cars on the track. It too has been featured in many K-dramas, which has only increased its popularity over the years. We opted not to wait in line to take an up-close picture with the train.
Our day was mostly spent trying to balance fighting the masses for the perfect photo opportunity and taking the time to legitimately appreciate the wonder and beauty of the cherry blossom tree in all its splendor. After about 6 hours, we decided to call it a day and head back home.
There are plenty of cherry blossom trees in Daegu, but if you only have one weekend to really get the full bloom experience then Jinhae is the place to go. We had to wake up ridiculously early to get a chance at some photos without the massive crowds, and in the end I think it was worth the effort.
Our album drops next month.
So, to end my ode to the cherry blossom, I present to you some of my favorite photos from the day. For no other reason than to allow you to fully apprecite the beauty of the cherry blossom tree in bloom.
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