Spring Flower Festivals Signal the Arrival of Spring
Spring announces its arrival in Korea with a blanket of yellow and white blossoms spreading throughout the country. Cherry blossoms, apricot flowers, and cornus fruit trees start to bloom right from the beginning of March when the air is still slightly chilly. From mid March the warm season sees a host of festivals take place in Korea, here visitors can stroll amidst the glorious blossoming flowers and really see the country at it’s best. There are many spring flower festivals held all around the country, and the butterfly festival and bamboo festival are also popular springtime events in Korea.
Transportation
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Gwangyang Maehwa( Apricot Blossom ) Festival
Dates : March 13, 2010 - March 21, 2010
Location : Maehwa Village, Daap-myeon region, near to Gwangyang city in Jeollanam-do province
This festival takes place at Maehwa Village near Gwangyang city in the Daap-myeon region of Jeollanam-do province. The area is famous for having the largest amount of Japanese apricot trees in Korea, and in fact the village takes its name from these maehwa trees. When these maehwa trees bloom they produce beautiful white flowers, known as ume flowers. The sight of these trees blooming throughout Maehwa Village and the surrounding Baegum Mountain is very picturesque, and every year people come from all around to walk beneath the blossoming trees and to purchase the organic maehwa (apricot) products that are produced in the region.In Maehwa Village, the maehwa (apricot) trees cover over 100,000 pyeongs (about 83 acres) and in springtime they blanket the Baegunsan
Transportation
From Dong Seoul Bus Terminal, take an express bus headed to Gwangyang (6:30am~10:10pm, departs every hour / est. travel time of 4hrs 50min) and get off at Gwangyang Terminal.
During the festival period, visitors can take a bus from Gwangyang Terminal to the festival rounds (10:00am~7:10pm, departs every 2hrs / est. travel time of 50min / fare 2,500 won).
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Gurye Sansuyu( Cornus Fruit ) Festival
Dates : March 18, 2010 - March 21, 2010
Location : Jirisan Mountain Hot Springs District, Sandong-myeon, Gurye-gun, Jeollanam-do province
With March comes the arrival of spring in Korea, and at this time the sansuyu trees (Japanese dogwood or Cornus fruit trees) start to bloom in Gurye. Visitors arriving in Sangwi village (the center of the Gurye Sansuyu festival) will be greeted by a riot of yellow blossoms that spread on to the surrounding foot slopes of Mt Jirisan. It is a truly spectacular sight.
Sansuyu flowers are made into tea, alcohol, and food, all of which visitors can sample at the festival. There are also a wide variety of performances and other entertainment events, including fireworks displays. Many popular tourist attractions are located nearby the festival grounds, such as the Jirisan Hot Springs resort, which is a great place to unwind and relax.
Transportation
From the Seoul Nambu Terminal, take a cross-country bus headed towards Gurye (7:30am~7:30pm, departs every 2hrs / est. travel time of 4hrs) and get off at Gurye Terminal.
From the Gurye Terminal, take a county bus (est. travel time of 40min) towards San-dong and get off at Sangwi Village (the festival grounds). You can also take a taxi from Gurye Terminal to the festival grounds (est. travel time of 30min / around 15,000 won).
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Jinhae Gunhangje( Naval Port ) Festival
Dates : To Be Determined
Location :JJinhae-si, Gyeongsangnam-do province
Description : At Korea’s largest beotkkot (cherry blossom) festival, visitors can walk through a tunnel of cherry blossoms trees surrounded by falling white petals. Highlights of the festival include a procession in honor of General Yi Sun-shin and a military band parade.
Transportation
From Seoul station, take a train to Changwon station (8:25am~6:25pm, 5 trains daily / est. travel time of 5hrs 30min).
From Changwon Station, you can take a shuttle train that operates during the festival period to Jinhae station(9:30am~7:50pm, 5 trains daily / est. travel time of 20min).
From Jinhae Station, it is a 2 to 3 minutes walk to the festival grounds.
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Icheon Baeksa Sansuyu Flower( Cornus Fruit ) Festival
Dates : To Be Determined
Location : Dorip-ri Gyeongsa-ri, Songmal-ri, Baeksa-myeon region, Icheon city, Gyeonggi-do province
Icheon’s Baeksa village is home to a large amount of sansuyu trees (known as the Japanese Dogwood or Cornus Fruit trees), which have been growing naturally in the area for over 100 years. In early spring, the trees turn a striking bright yellow, whilst in autumn the village is filled with the trees’ vivid red fruits. At this festival, visitors can participate in Korean traditional folk games and watch the sansuyu flower parade. When the sansuyu trees blossom, many professional photographers travel to Baeksa village, since the unique colors of the sansuyu flowers make for great photos.
Transportation
From Dong Seoul Terminal, take a direct bus to Icheon terminal (buses run from 6:10am~11:00pm, departs every 30min~1 hour / est. travel time of 1hr). From the terminal, take a complimentary shuttle bus from the Grand Wedding Hall Shuttle Bus Stop (starting from 10:00am buses depart every 30-40mins) to the festival grounds.
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Hwagae Cherry Blossoms Festival
Dates : To Be Determined
Location : Dorip-ri Gyeongsa-ri, Songmal-ri, Baeksa-myeon region, Icheon city, Gyeonggi-do province
Icheon’s Baeksa village is home to a large amount of sansuyu trees (known as the Japanese Dogwood or Cornus Fruit trees), which have been growing naturally in the area for over 100 years. In early spring, the trees turn a striking bright yellow, whilst in autumn the village is filled with the trees’ vivid red fruits. At this festival, visitors can participate in Korean traditional folk games and watch the sansuyu flower parade. When the sansuyu trees blossom, many professional photographers travel to Baeksa village, since the unique colors of the sansuyu flowers make for great photos.
Transportation
From Dong Seoul Terminal, take a direct bus to Icheon terminal (buses run from 6:10am~11:00pm, departs every 30min~1 hour / est. travel time of 1hr). From the terminal, take a complimentary shuttle bus from the Grand Wedding Hall Shuttle Bus Stop (starting from 10:00am buses depart every 30-40mins) to the festival grounds.
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Hwagae Cherry Blossoms Festival
Dates : April 2, 2010 - April 4, 2010
Location : Hwagae Marketplace ~ Ssanggyesa Temple District in Hwagae-myeon, Hadong-gun, Gyeongsangnam-do province
When April arrives, Hwagae region seems to be carpeted in snow. In fact it is the beautiful white flowers of the regions’ numerous cherry blossom trees that transform the landscape. One of the most popular attractions of the festival is ‘The 10-ri Cherry Blossom Road’ (ri is the traditional Korean measurement unit, and 1-ri equals approximately 4.5km). It is also known as the marriage road, as it is said that if two lovers walk down this road while holding hands, then they will get married and live happily ever after.
As well as viewing the beautiful cherry blossoms, visitors to the festival will enjoy the various cultural events included on the festival program. Nearby attractions include the historic Hwagae Market and the many restaurants serving the province’s traditional cuisines such as euneo-hoe (sliced raw sweetfish) and chamgetang (king crab broth).
Transportation
From the Seoul Nambu Tunnel, take a cross-country bus headed towards Ha-dong and get off at Hwagae Terminal (buses run from 7:30am~7:30pm, departs every 2hrs / est. travel time of 4hrs 30min).
From Hwagae Terminal take a bus or taxi to the festival grounds (Hwagae Jangteo), which should take about 30 to 40 minutes.
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Jeju King Cherry Blossoms Festival
Dates : March 26, 2010 - March 28, 2010
Location : :Sports Complex District and downtown area of Jeju-si, Jeju-do province
Jeju's king cherry blossoms can be seen all over Seogwipo downtown area and the surrounding the Jeju Sports Complex. The petals of Jeju’s king cherry blossoms are the largest and most luxurious among all other cherry blossoms. However, these cherry blossoms fully blossom only for 2 to 3 days, and though many other cherry blossoms bloom from the end of March to early April, these king cherry blossoms can only be seen in full bloom during the festival period in early April. The heart of the festival is the gorgeous cherry blossom road where visitors can enjoy romantic music as well as the beautiful scenery.
Transportation
From Jeju International Airport, take bus #100 and get off at Jeju bus terminal.
From the terminal, walk about 100m towards the rear side of the terminal (about 2 to 3 minutes).
Transportation
Take bus #100 from Jeju Airport to the Jeju Intercity Bus Terminal. Walk 100m behind the terminal.
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Yeouido Spring Flowers Festival
Dates : April 7, 2010 - April 11, 2010Location : Area behind Yeouido National Assembly Building and the surrounding areas of Yunjungno & Yeouido in Seoul
Spring flowers such as azaleas, forsythias, and royal azaleas are all in full bloom during mid-April at Yeouiseo-ro (Yunjung-ro), but the festival is best known for the hundreds of king cherry trees that line Yeouido’s roads.The street behind the National Assembly Building, called Yunjung-ro, is lined with 1400 cherry blossom trees and is the most famous cherry blossom street in Seoul.
During the festival period, the road encircling the Yeouido National Assembly building is closed to traffic, so visitors can walk peacefully through the tunnel of cherry blossom trees looking out through the blossoms to the waters of the Hangang river.
After sunset, colored lights illuminate the cherry blossom trees and create a romantic nighttime view.
In addition, there are various street performances and art exhibitions.
Transportation
Take Seoul subway line 2 to Dangsan Station exit #4, or line 5 to Yeouido station exit #1, or line 5 to Yeouinaru station exit #1~3 and walk for about 15 to 25 minutes. During the festival period, there is a bus that runs between Dangsan, Yeouido, and Yeouinaru stations, which offers visitors easy access to all of the sites of the festival.
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Jeju Canola Flower Festival
Dates : April 10, 2010 - April 11, 2010Location : : Siminbokji Town, Jeju-si, Jeju-do province
Description: In Korea spring comes first to Jeju-do Island. From February the startling yellow yuchae (canola) flowers start to bloom, making Jeju’s spectacular landscape even more arresting. The Jeju Canola Blossom Festival celebrates the beauty of the canola flowers, and visitors can sample and purchase canola flower products, which are made locally. This is one of the most popular festivals in Jeju-do,There are a number of other tourist attractions nearby such as the Jusangjeolli (pillar-shaped joint) and Pacific Land.
Admission/Participation Fees
Some participation fees and site admission fees may be charged.
Transportation
From Jeju International airport, you can take a taxi or a bus #100 for about 10 to 20 minutes to the festival grounds.
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Damyang Bamboo Festival
Dates : May 1, 2010 - May 5, 2010Location : Jukhyang Culture Village, and the Korea Bamboo Museum, Jungnogwon, Damyang Cultural Park, Damyang-gun, Jeollanam-do province
Description:Damyang in Jeollanam-do province is famous for its forests of bamboo trees. The Damyang Bamboo Festival has a long history, originating from the feast that was held at the end of the bamboo-planting season. Visitors to this festival can sample alcohol and food made from bamboo. After planting bamboo in the nearby hills, people held a feast sharing food and liquors made with the leftover bamboo. Damyang Bamboo Festival originates from the feast. In 2010, under the banner of “Putting Hopes in Bamboo”, a range of hands-on experience programs are prepared for the visitors.
Transportation
1. By train : From Yongsan Station, take a train headed towards Gwangju (KTX departs from 06:05am to 20:30pm every 1hr 20min ; Saemaeul departs from 09:55am to 15:55pm every 1hr 30min / est. travel times: KTX 3hrs, Saemaeul 4hrs) and get off at Gwangju Station.
From Gwangju Station’s bus stop, take a city bus headed towards Damyang (#311, 322) for about 30 minutes.
2. By bus : From Seoul Central City Bus Terminal, take a bus for Damyang and get off at Damyang Bus Terminal. (The bus is available 10:10 and 16:10 a day/ est. travel times of 3hrs 45min)
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Cheongpunghoban Cherry Blossoms Festival
Dates : April 9, 2010 - April 11, 2010
* Date subject to change
Location : Cheongpungho Lake area, Jecheon-si, Chungcheongbuk-do province
This festival takes place on the shores of Cheongpungho Lake, where white cherry blossoms, forsythias, azaleas and many other wild flowers blossom in springtime.
As well as the flowers, various exhibits and performances are included in the festival program along with activities such as bungee jumping and water sports on Cheongpungho Lake.
Furthermore, there are a number of other tourist attractions located near to the Cheongpungho Lake, including the Cheongpung Assets Complex, SBS Jecheon Film Set, and more.
Transportation
From the Dong Seoul Terminal, take a bus to Jecheon Terminal (6:30am~9:00pm, departs every 30min / est. travel time of 2hrs). From the terminal, take a city bus (departs every hour, est. travel time of 40min) or a taxi (est. travel time of 30min, around 25,000 won) to the festival grounds.
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Dates : April 23, 2010 - May 19, 2010
Location : : Hampyeong Expo Park area, Hampyeong-gun, Jeollanam-do province
Description : The Hampyeong Butterfly Festival is held on over 8,300 acres of land in Jeollanam-do province. Visitors here will be delighted by the sight of tens of thousands of butterflies flying among the canola blossoms. This festival has been selected as the Best Festival of 2009 by Korea’s Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.
Transportation
From Seoul Central City Terminal, take a bus headed towards Hampyeong.(The bus is available 08:35, 14:30, 16:40 / est. travel time of 4hrs 20min.) From the Hampyeong bus terminal, you can either walk (10 minutes) or take a taxi (5 minutes) to the Expo Park.
I hope this information can help you if you want to visit south korea and you can get to know about south korea
source:korea net/uli.
Dates : April 9, 2010 - April 11, 2010
* Date subject to change
Location : Cheongpungho Lake area, Jecheon-si, Chungcheongbuk-do province
This festival takes place on the shores of Cheongpungho Lake, where white cherry blossoms, forsythias, azaleas and many other wild flowers blossom in springtime.
As well as the flowers, various exhibits and performances are included in the festival program along with activities such as bungee jumping and water sports on Cheongpungho Lake.
Furthermore, there are a number of other tourist attractions located near to the Cheongpungho Lake, including the Cheongpung Assets Complex, SBS Jecheon Film Set, and more.
Transportation
From the Dong Seoul Terminal, take a bus to Jecheon Terminal (6:30am~9:00pm, departs every 30min / est. travel time of 2hrs). From the terminal, take a city bus (departs every hour, est. travel time of 40min) or a taxi (est. travel time of 30min, around 25,000 won) to the festival grounds.
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Hampyeong Butterfly Festival
Dates : April 23, 2010 - May 19, 2010
Location : : Hampyeong Expo Park area, Hampyeong-gun, Jeollanam-do province
Description : The Hampyeong Butterfly Festival is held on over 8,300 acres of land in Jeollanam-do province. Visitors here will be delighted by the sight of tens of thousands of butterflies flying among the canola blossoms. This festival has been selected as the Best Festival of 2009 by Korea’s Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.
Transportation
From Seoul Central City Terminal, take a bus headed towards Hampyeong.(The bus is available 08:35, 14:30, 16:40 / est. travel time of 4hrs 20min.) From the Hampyeong bus terminal, you can either walk (10 minutes) or take a taxi (5 minutes) to the Expo Park.
I hope this information can help you if you want to visit south korea and you can get to know about south korea
source:korea net/uli.