When & Where to See the 2015 CherryBlossoms in Seoul
The cherry blossom season is upon us, and the flowers havealready started to bloom in the southern part of the Koreanpeninsula. Quickly spreading north, the cherry blossom bloom in Korea willsoon reach the rest of the ｃountry. If you’re thinking of seeing theflowers, be quick they’re only going to last about a week!
The followingare a few well known places in Seoul for cherry blossoms, includingfestivals. Grab your camera, picnic bag and sneakers and head to theseplaces for the best cherry blossoms in Seoul:
1.Cherry Blossoms at Seokchon Lake (Jamsil)
SeokchonLake at Jamsil Station has one of the best places to view cherryblossoms in Seoul. The lake itself is definitely beautiful on its own, but withthe white cherry blossoms as an added backｄrop, it adds to the leisurelyromance. Lotte World is right there, so it’s also great for kids anddates.
2.Cherry Blossom Festival at Yeouido, Seoul
Themost popular cherry blossom festival in Seoul is held at Yeouido, which has abeautiful park sitting right on the side of the Han River. It’s perfectlysituated for a day out in the sun and to sit under some beautiful cherryblossoms. Also, since this is a festival, there are street vendors,night lights and lots of people. Avoid this place if you dislike bigcrowds.
3.Cherry Blossom Festival at Seoul Grand Park
SeoulGrand Park is a huge and spacious space to enjoy the best cherryblossoms Seoul has to offer. And while this place will draw crowds, you canstill walk through the park comfortably without being bumped bycamera-distracted people every few moments. It’s a great place forfamilies as there’s a zoo and an amusement park as well.
4.Cherry Blossoms at the Royal Palaces
Seoul’sRoyal Palaces (Gyeongbokgung, Changdeokgung, Deoksugung, Changgyeonggung andJongmyo Shrine) were designed for kings. And no palace wouldbe complete without an annual spring bloom. While not all of the palaceshave cherry blossoms, there’s a variety of spring flowers that bloom such asapricot blossom, maehwa, royal azalea, persimmon blossom, and peony.
5.Seoul Forest’s Cherry Blossom Festival
SeoulForest is situated right in the middle of this hyper urban city,and it doesn’t draw the same crowds as the other cherry blossomfestivals in Seoul, making it a perfect place for picnics. Fewerpeople and tons more space make it easy to sprawl outand maybe even toss a frisbee. Since nature is the theme, there are otherspring blooms as well.
6.Inwang Mountain Cherry Blossoms
Locateda stone’s throw away from Gyeongbokgung Palace is Inwang Mountain. It’s ashort and easy hike that’ll take less than 2 hours and tickle yourcherry blossom fancy as you head up. While it’s not a full blownfestival, the mountains side is beautifully accented with cherryblossoms every few feet. Come here for exercise, fresh air and a cherry blossomfilled hike.
7.Geumcheon-gu Cherry Blossom Road
Geumcheon-guis a residential area on the outskirts of Seoul, and that means you’llhave the chance to enjoy more cherry blossoms and less camera totingcrowds. For those in south-western Seoul, hop on over and check out theirfamous cherry blossom road, a 3km pathway to cherry blossom nirvana.
8.Hapjeong Cafe Street (Hongdae Area)
Hapjeong is the calmer, more relaxed version of Hongdae.And that means enjoying a tasty and warm latte under a whitecherry blossom tree. And while this is not a cherry blossom festival, thestreet is lined with beautiful cherry blossom trees, making an outdoorafternoon latte perfect for this area.
Article Source: http://seoulistic.com/things-to-do-in-korea/2015-cherry-blossoms-in-seoul-when-where/
Image Source: http://img.theepochtimes.com/n3/eet-content/uploads/2013/04/6798.jpg
VOCABULARY WORDS:
1. Backｄrop(n.) ~ the background of any scene or situation
2. Leisurely(adv.) ~ in an unhurried manner
3. Spacious(adj.) ~ having enough or abundant space
4. Shrine(n.) ~ a site hallowed by association with revered person or object or with animportant event
5. Hyper(adj./ slang) ~ overexcited
6. Sprawlout (v.) ~ to spread oneself out casually while lounging
7. Ticklesomeone’s fancy (idiom) ~ to interest someone
8. Outskirts(n.) ~ the part remote from the center of a city or town
QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION:
1. Do you like cherry blossoms? Why?
2. Have you ever visited any of the places mentioned in the article?Is yes, please describe it? If no, which one would you like to visit?
3. What is the popular place to see cherry blossoms in your city?Please describe the view.
