Cherishing Cherry blossom
By: Brian Dj lee, Michelle ahn, AMy kim
Web desinged by: Justin chee
On April 10, 2015, cherry blossom trees finally bloomed over South Korea after the long winter. Since cherry blossoms are the epitome of spring, famous locations for viewing cherry blossom trees such as Yeouido and Seokchon Lake hold festivals which allow people from all over South Korea which extends to other nationalities to have a nice walk along the beautiful cherry blossom trees.
“I come from Italy, and I thought [coming to a cherry blossom festival] would be the best way to spend my time here. It is very fantastic,” a foreigner currently studying at Kyunghee University said. Many families, friends and others enjoy these cherry blossom festivals. The pink, tiny florets that cover the entire city during springtime are definitely one of the most enduring symbols of spring in Korea. “I came here to the festival with my girlfriend today,” a man said. “I love how there’s a plethora of these flowers all around the place. They give me a clear image of spring.” Meanwhile, couples also visited these exquisite sites packed with the scent of spring. Couples especially enjoy visiting these festivals because the snowing flower petals make the festivals ideal for pictures along with the romantic mood the scene creates. However, these memories and emotions are sometimes not so jubilant to others. “Watching these cherry blossom trees, I know that already a fourth of one year has passed,” an old man said. “Death is nearing us old people, and every time I come back each year here, I realize that I have even less time left to live. It’s beautiful but also meaningless at the same time.” The diversity of different people visiting the cherry blossom festivals resulted in a variety of opinions related to these festivals. Even though their intentions may be different, cherry blossom festivals have always been a huge part of Korean culture to everyone in the spring. This time of the year is a significant time for people to spend a nice time with their companions walking along cherry blossom trees. |
Many people came to the Seokchon Lake on April 10th to have a nice time walking along the cherry blossom trees.
A lone tree at Seokchon Lake.
Stations for a variety of activities were spread throughout the entire path, such as writing letters and making bracelets.
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