By now most people probably know our feelings on South Korea's beauty, but in spring she comes alive. Each year, as the winter subsides and the final frost passes, people all across Korea start to look outdoors for the predictable change from dull gray to luscious greens; with the all-important pit stop in spring where colors burst from every plant and petal-covered sidewalk. Each area of Korea has different times and locations for their regionally favorite bloom, but we are going to focus on the city we know best in all seasons: Yeosu.
Camellia
Where: Odongdo
When: Mid March - April
Camellia flowers are fairly common in Korea and are especially noteworthy as being one of the earliest flowers to bloom. These gorgeous reddish-pink flowers can be found in many places around Yeosu, especially on Odongdo (an island just off of the Yeosu Expo). Camellia bushes/trees can be found randomly throughout our city, but anyone wanting to see them in droves should go to Odongdo. Not only a beautiful island park with numerous scenic viewpoints and tourist attractions, this island is also blanketed with flora. Groves of camellia trees are only one of the many beautiful flowers you can find on Odongdo, but none are as famous or as impressive in their numbers.
Cherry Blossoms
Where: The road towards Jungang Girls' High School, Dolsan Park, and behind the Sports Complex near the bus terminal
When: (2016) March 29 - Mid April
Probably the most iconic and noticeable blooming in all of Asia is that of the cherry blossom. These cotton candy-esque tufts of color are unquestionably beautiful and are luckily found all around Korea and Yeosu. Cherry Blossom festivals can be found from Seoul to Jinhae, but we've found ourselves more interested in the kind of scenes we discover in the countryside. The picture above is a perfect example of finding blossoms in less populated areas. For a sure-fire place to find these trees in both their white and pink form, check out our map below. The area shown is near Stephanie's school and is covered in puffy blossoms every year when these trees open up after the long winter. Walk southeast along the road for some amazing blossoms!
Canola
Where: West Yeosu Countryside & (Small Patch) Yeosu Expo
When: Mid April
Canola fields can be seen a mile away for their blanket of yellow- frequently covering entire valleys in bright yellow. Unlike cherry blossoms and camellias which grow on trees, canola is best viewed in field-form. In its overpowering color the canola (or rapeseed) flower is commonly found filling entire valleys of farmland, waiting to mesmerize anyone lucky enough to stumble upon it. We've found several places in Yeosu to see canola by car, but there are also small cultivated patches found near the Yeosu Expo Train Station. Check out the map below for our favorite location for seeing this beautiful floral display in Yeosu. You can catch bus number 90 or 91 to get there from the bus terminal. If you do visit, please be careful of where you step as this is someone's farm!
Azaleas
Where: Yeongchwisan & Maraesan
When:
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Yeongchwisan Azalea Festival - (2016) April 1-3
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Maraesan - Early to Mid April (can easily be seen from below!)
The sides of many Korean mountains are where you'll find this next springtime spectacle. Azaleas come in several colors, but red and purple variations are the most common. Mountains have officially posted dates and times for their local festival, but you can commonly find the azaleas blooming before and after these times if you're wanting a more serene nature experience. Certainly, the largest patches of azalea bushes will be the most famous and most likely to have largely populated festivals, but most mountains have these beautiful bushes scattered here and there if you're feeling adventurous. The popular and most easily accessed places to find spring azaleas in Yeosu can be found on our map below.
Forsythia
Where: Jasan Park
When: Early to Mid April
Finally, there is the forsythia flower. Small and yellow, this beauty grows on bushes and is commonly used in landscaping, unlike the previously mentioned yellow spring flower. Many areas have these yellowed bushes, but the most notable is Jasan Park. This park is not new, but has renewed interest after the completion of Yeosu's Cable Car which departs from Jasan park on its course across the bay. Visitors to the cable car should absolutely venture out on the walking paths to experience the beautiful horticulture before riding on the gondola.
Probably the most beautiful of all Korean season, Spring is a special experience. With its vast array of blooming flowers to torment every allergy I didn't know I had, I still can't help but to set out each and every spring in search of new and wonderful landscapes filled with stunning spring color. Yeosu is a beautiful city, but it is especially remarkable as it awakens from its winter doldrums. There are certainly more famous cities to see South Korea in bloom, but Yeosu is just off the festival map enough to be an enjoyable escape for people in search of these mesmerizing flowers without the typical crowds. We might be bias, but Yeosu is one of our top cities for seeing all manner of spring blossoms in one beautiful seaside location. Wherever you venture, we wish you a pleasant flower hunting season!
Wow, you guys have some incredible flower photos! I really want to see the azaleas and camellia flowers. If you’re trying to convince us to come back to Yeosu this spring it’s working. I really love the map you guys put together at the bottom too! I wish the cherry blossoms up north were as pink as the blossoms in the south! Looking forward to seeing this year’s spring pictures on the blog 🙂 Thanks for sharing!
Yeah, why do you live so far north anyway?! Don’t you know the south is where it’s at? If you guys DO decide to come make another visit while everything is in bloom, I’m sure we could squeeze in a flower sightseeing trip!
Terrific list and pictures!
Thanks 🙂
Great photos and awesome work on the maps. I always found it a bit odd/sad that the spring season comes and goes so quickly in Korea, so it’s a good thing you put the two to three week time frame people can see the blooms in your area before they go away!
Yes, they are too short lived. We always find ourselves missing out on some of the earlier blooms since we never are prepared for how quickly they come and go!
Do you two live in Yeosu? I ended up there very randomly after starting a relationship with an Irish guy who was living there. I wasn’t too sad about the end of the relationship but what I did miss was the city. I love that this post is all about the spring time blooms. Coming from Boston, we go straight from winter into summer. I had never really experienced spring until living Korea and I was amazed by all the color and variety. Gorgeous post and love the maps that you provide!
Yes, we do! Perhaps we know this gentleman you speak of haha! One of the things we love most about this place is that there always seems to be something blooming all throughout the year. I am just like you, only we grew up in Oklahoma where everything got too hot to last very long in spring. Seeing the flowers in Yeosu for the first time last year made me so emotional that I called up Ryan just to blubber about the beauty while driving to work lol.
That cherry blossom photo is incredible. I love the angle and the snowing petals.
You’re getting me excited with this post for all the flowers we will be seeing this Spring. I have already scheduled a trip to Mt. Eungbong this Thursday for the forsythia blossoms:-).
[…] “Each area of Korea starts blooming at a different time, and the southern coastal city of Yeosu is one of the first places to see blossoms on the mainland as they start opening in late March and early April. If you need to escape from Korea’s dull winter blues, you should consider making a trip down south to enjoy some of the earliest spring weather. Yeosu has flowers blooming year round, but the city really shows off during the springtime. The cherry blossoms here are also a shade of light pink, whereas, in Seoul, the flowers are white. These flowers are more reminiscent of the cherry blossoms in Japan and their color will leave you utterly speechless.” – Stephanie, Read more about spring flowers in Yeosu here […]