Seoul's iconic cherry blossom festivals kick off this week
The photo shows the view of Seokchon Lake, where cherry blossoms are in full bloom. Courtesy of Songpa District Office
Local governments are gearing up for their iconic annual cherry blossom festivals this week.
In Seoul's Songpa District, a five-day cherry blossom festival is running from Wednesday to Sunday at Seokchon Lake.
The highlight of this year's festival is the lake's illuminations, where visitors can view the cherry blossoms decorated with enchanting lights. White-colored lights, spanning approximately 2.6 kilometers around the lake, will enhance the splendor of the flowers at night.
The lake, an iconic spot in Seoul to enjoy cherry blossoms every spring, will also feature approximately 1,100 cherry blossom trees of various types, including flowering cherry, chokecherry, weeping cherry and donarium cherry, surrounding the lake.
To ensure visitors' comfort, the district office has positioned the scene lighting higher than a person's height to minimize glare.
Throughout the festival, an array of performances catering to all age groups, from K-pop concerts to classical and jazz performances, will take place.
A man takes a picture of cherry blossom flowers at Seokchon Lake in Jamsil, Seoul. Courtesy of Songpa District Office
The festival's opening ceremony on Wednesday will feature musical performances from 6 p.m. to 7:40 p.m. Soyou, a renowned K-pop singer and former member of the girl group Sistar, will perform at the event.
Harmonize, Korea's first show choir group, and Bohemian, an operatic pop ensemble, will also captivate the audience with their performances.
From Thursday to Saturday, visitors can enjoy musical performances on the stage by the lake from 2 p.m. to 6:40 p.m. Local cultural and artistic organizations will showcase their talents, from pop and jazz performances to busking by youth artists.
On the festival's last day, the Cherry Blossom Full Bloom Concert, featuring performances by the electronic string group Trinity, jazz band UpThatBrown, a cappella group VBEXIT, and girl group H1-Key will take place, starting at 5:30 p.m.
As the flowers are anticipated to reach full bloom on the festival's closing day, due to the delayed blooming of flowers attributed to climate change, the district named the concluding concert the "full bloom concert."
Songpa District's mascots greet the audience during the cherry blossom festival. Courtesy of Songpa District Office
In addition to musical performances, the festival offers photo zones adorned with Songpa District's mascots and a gate at the entrance of Seokchon Lake Park decorated with colorful lights.
Visitors can also explore a flea market offering cherry blossom-themed accessories and crafts, as well as engaging in programs like getting their caricatures drawn, face painting and cherry blossom candle making.
Safety remains a top priority during the festival, with 23 percent of the festival budget allocated for safety management, the district said.
More than 200 professional safety management personnel will be deployed every day, and safety management staff from the district office and personnel from civil autonomous crime prevention teams will also be deployed.
In addition, real-time crowd monitoring through artificial intelligence technology will further enhance safety measures. Preemptive sound warnings will be issued to avert accidents amid gathering crowds, according to the district office.
People take photos under cherry blossom trees in Yeouido, southwestern Seoul, April 2, 2023. Yonhap
Festivals in other districts
There are other cherry blossom festivals commencing in other districts in Seoul this week.
From Friday to Tuesday, a popular cherry blossom festival will be held in Yeouido under the theme of picnic.
The festival aims to transform parts of the neighborhood with camping and picnic sites, offering a serene spring experience in the city. Visitors can enjoy unique music performances every afternoon during the festival. There also will be a dedicated food zone and a designated photo zone, which provides picturesque settings for capturing cherry blossom moments.
Dobong District in northern Seoul also hosts a cherry blossom festival from Wednesday to Sunday. A 250-meter section from the Suyu Bridge to the Wooyi Bridge in the district will showcase light exhibitions featuring the main characters of fairy tales.
The festival will also host various craft activities involving flower balloons, the district's mascots and making cookies.
Seodaemun District in western Seoul will also hold festivals at Mount An and the Hongje Stream from Saturday to Sunday and from April 5 to 7, respectively. Mount An is well-known for its spectacular cherry blossoms that come out in force every year in spring, while the Hongje Stream is famous for its waterfall. The mountain and the stream are adjacent to one another so visitors can enjoy both areas in a single visit.