A flare of spring, cherry blossoms are in full bloom. They usually bloom in April, and the detailed average flowering season is April 10th. However, this year, they flowered on March 24th. The flowering has been the earliest since the start of the observation. It was three days earlier than last year, which was the earliest flowering, and seventeen days earlier than the average flowering time. The cherry blossoms have been used a lot, starting from the cherry blossom tea to the Korean bow and the Tripitaka Koreana. However, they are loved by many for their cherry blossom festival.

▲ The Tripitaka Koreana made of cherry blossoms

Cherry blossom festivals are really big events. They give a lot of profits to the blooming area. Not only Koreans but also foreigners come to the festival. Jinhae Gunhangje, Yeouido Cherry Blossom Festival, Sokcho Seorak Cherry Blossom Festival, and more are the representative cherry blossom festivals.

▲ Jinhae Gunhangje, one of the famous cherry blossom festivals

However, due to COVID-19, many festivals are canceled. Some festivals are going online or held only by reservation. Jinhae Gunhangje is canceled for the second time, following 2020. Yeouido Cherry Blossom Festival is going offline from April 5th to April 12th, and they also use a lottery system to select people who can enter. They pick 72 people a time, which makes 504 people per day. Yeouido Cherry Blossom Festival will be held online until April 30th. Seokchon Lake Cherry Blossom Festival is going online from April 2nd to April 11th.

▲ Yeouido Cherry Blossom Festival during the COVID-19 pandemic

COVID-19 is taking our normal daily lives. Still, the spring has come, and the cherry blossoms are in full bloom. While the number of COVID-19 cases is increasing day by day, people should keep the tension and enjoy full-bloomed cherry blossoms, obeying the rules of social distancing.

April 4th, 2021

by An So-mi