[WEEKEND GETAWAY] Spring into action: Cherry blossoms give way to Korea’s flower festivals

Korea's flower festivals are in full swing as cherry blossoms give way to tulips, green barley fields and royal azaleas. Discover four vibrant spring events across the country and plan your visit now.

Taean County in South Gyeongsang is home to the annual World Tulip Exhibition, which takes place at Korea Flower Park. This year, the festival runs from April 10 to May 7. [JOONGANG PHOTO]

The nationwide fervor over the cherry blossoms and the related photo frenzy have just passed, as the peak season hit the Korean Peninsula a week ago and escalated in a few days. As the fallen petals lay on the ground in a mass of pink-and-white fluffiness, curious heads start craning to pop the question — what's next?

The temperature hikes up while the mid-April warmth awakens flower buds and spring plants across the country, from tulips to green barley. The pink may be gone as cherry blossoms shed but along comes the next amusement in the vibrancies of diverse spring flowers.

If you agree that the next main player of this spring season switches from cherry blossoms to flower festivals, check out these four spring flower events running in April.

2024 Taean World Tulip Exhibition 2024 태안 세계튤립꽃 박람회

Taean World Tulip Exhibition showcases 2.6 million tulip buds every year. [JOONGANG PHOTO]

Taean County in South Chungcheong annually hosts the Taean World Tulip Exhibition which kicked off on Wednesday and will continue up to May 7. Taean World Tulip Exhibition has won the title, “World Top Five Tulip Festivals Worth Traveling For,” awarded by the World Tulip Summit Society in 2015 and 2017. The magic happens near the Kkotji Beach area, where the sunset view has put it to fame. The site turns into an enormous park every spring and welcomes visitors with 2.6 million tulip buds.

The tulips are expected to fully bloom twice throughout the festival, first on April 15 and again around April 27 according to the Korea Flower Park, the host of the event. Those who visit between the two dates may witness multiple colors of the tulips as the second batch of the tulip buds starts blooming.

The main attractions are undoubtedly tulips, but there are other attractions not to be missed especially if you are curiously eying for an epic snap spot. The Sunset Fountain and the observatory tower with a windmill attached to the installation are some of them.

@koreaflowerpark400 Kkotjihaean-ro Anmyeon-eup, Taean County, South Chungcheong(충남 태안군 안면읍 꽃지해안로 400, 꽃지해안공원) Duration: April 10 - May 7, 2024 Operation hours: 9 a.m. - 6 p.m. (Last admission at 5 p.m.) Admission fee: 14,000 won ($10.3) for adults (ages 18 and above)Phone number: 041-675-5533Website: www.koreaflowerpark.com

Gochang Green Barley Field Festival 고창 청보리밭 축제

The barley turns green in mid-April in Gochang in North Jeolla. [JOONGANG PHOTO]

The most beautiful period of the barley field is when the barley turns green in mid-April through mid-May. Gochang in North Jeolla is one of the best places to visit for the spring scene of some refreshing greenery, where the vast 495,868 square meters (122 acres) of land amuses visitors with its hue every year. Gochang Green Barley Field Festival takes place in Hagwon Farm, a regular background site for a lot of K-dramas like "My Dearest" (2023) or "Goblin" (2016) thanks to the dramatic ambience the barley field exudes. The farm has been attracting around 500,000 visitors every year since its opening in April 2004.

This year, the festival embraces the musical theme, inspired by the resemblance between the shapes of the barley and the musical note. Busking and music performances across multiple genres will take place to align with the year's theme.

However, the essence of the event lies in the vast greenery of the field that appears on different paths like the Trick Art Road and the Sunset Road. There is no admission fee, so feel free to stop by for a whiff of liveliness if you are near Gochang. Canola flowers are also currently in full bloom and will stay until late April adding a yellow splash to the canvas.

150 Hagwon Nongjang-gil, Gongeum-myeon, Gochang County, North Jeolla(전라북도 고창군 공음면 학원농장길 150)Duration: April 20 - May 12, 2024Phone number: 063-560-2524

International Horticulture Goyang Korea 고양국제꽃박람회

Goyang hosts this year's International Horticulture Goyang Korea festival from April 26 until May 12. [GOYANG CITY]

Goyang in Gyeonggi is home to the famous Ilsan Lake Park which turns into an enormous garden every spring for the International Horticulture Goyang Korea festival. The festival welcomes some of the first roses in the country. Running from April 26 until May 12 this year, the 17-day-long event invites established scholars as the event includes a flower forum, gardeners to create monuments and potentially hundreds of thousands visiting. Last year, some 280,000 visitors stopped by Ilsan Lake Park including around 15,000 foreign nationals.

This year's theme goes under the name “Flower in the Earth,” which penetrates the initiative of raising awareness toward sustainability and coexistence with nature. Outdoor and indoor exhibition sites are not to be missed, as well as recreational events and other flora-related activities. A flower market and event booths will welcome visitors, which are accessible without any admission fee. However, you may find yourself scavenging for your wallet if you are into handmade crafts, preserved flowers, flower pots and related goods.

@flowerexIlsan Lake Park: 595 Hosu-ro, Ilsandong District, Goyang, Gyeonggi (경기도 고양시 일산동구 호수로 595) Duration: April 26 - May 12, 2024Operation hours: 9 a.m. - 7 p.m. (Last admission at 5:30 p.m.) Phone number: 031-908-7750, 7751, 7752Website: https://2024.flower.or.kr/main/#

Beartree Park, Royal Azalea Festival베어트리파크 철쭉제

Beartree Park in Sejong City will host the Royal Azalea Festival starting Saturday. [BEARTREE PARK]

The three previous festivals are already established with tradition and fame — but for those who are in the pioneer mode, keen on discovering unknown places, Beartree Park in Sejong City may be the destination to their hearts.

Beartree Park is an arboretum that is also home to Asiatic black bears, spotted dears, flowers and trees. The park has welcomed a mass of rich cherry blossoms this spring and will very soon switch the theme to azaleas, hosting the Royal Azalea Festival. The festival starts tomorrow and runs until May 6, displaying 90,000 royal azaleas in shades of red, pink and white found across the 330,000 square meter-wide site.

Beartree Park is home to Asian black bears. [BEARTREE PARK]

The arboretum is not yet widely known among Koreans apart from the locals, but it has many hidden specialties spanning art and nature. The fifteenth copied edition of The Thinker sculpture by Auguste Rodin, the only one in Korea, is an example. Teddy Bear Shop, Bear Tree Cafe, shops and the small zoo are additional traits to the package. If you have sought a local's favorite and hope to appreciate nature's gift, hop onto a refreshing getaway to Sejong City this weekend.

@beartreepark217 Sinsong-ro Jeondong-myeon, Sejong City(세종시 전동면 신송로 217)Duration: April 13 - May 6, 2024Operation hours: Monday to Thursday, 9 a.m. - 7 p.m., Friday to Sunday, 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.Admission fee: 12,000 won for adults Phone number: 044-866-7766Website: http://www.beartreepark.com/

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BY KIM DONG-EUN [kim.dongeun@joongang.co.kr]