Chasing cherry blossoms in Seoul
SEOUL, Korea—Happiness is cherry blossoms. Yep, that is my takeaway, as I chased the lovely blooms in Seoul this springtime.
It was a goal I set in early January, the height of winter in Korea. A friend/fellow accomplice and I patiently waited for the forecast when the blossoms would be at their peak in the city. Once we got that, plans were underway and, like a K-drama, I looked forward to walking beneath a pathway of cherry blossom trees showered with petals, like snow. There was a window of five days to catch the blossoms, and we chose the top three places to see them.
The cherry blossoms in Korea are mostly white to delicate pink in color; I believe they are of the Yoshino variety. They look so fresh, pretty, and pristine, reminding me of the untarnished days of youth. After a horrific pandemic, and life overwhelmingly getting back to regular programming, I knew I would savor and need this as fuel to move forward.
Seoul Forest
Our first stop was Seoul Forest, which is like the Central Park of the city. The cherry blossoms were grouped in certain areas and promenades. It was lovely to see many picnicking under the trees. There were wooden tables and blankets all over with lovers resting side by side, families with children running about, people walking their dogs. I soaked up all these positive and happy vibes. The park was full and there were many Instagrammable spots. One could go atop a nursery, which had numerous colorful flowers, and be enveloped by cherry blossom branches. There was a line and when it was our turn, we snapped away. To be honest, I wanted to climb the trees and just sit there, like a monkey. But no, it wasn’t possible. It wasn’t allowed.
Sometimes, life gets to you with all its heartaches and disappointments. But on the other side of it, there is bliss—which I found, by chasing cherry blossoms in the spring.
Seoul Forest is big, and though there were many people, it didn’t feel crowded. Benches are found within the park with plaques that have names of celebrities, most likely donated by fans, and I sat in one of them (particularly the one dedicated to G-Dragon). I thought to myself, I would like to have a sandwich and picnic this way. And that is what we did in the next cherry blossom location on our agenda, Seokchon Lake.
Seokchon Lake
Armed with ham-and-cheese sandwiches and drinks from the Shilla Hotel, my friend Maan and I made our way to Seokchon Lake, the area where the Lotte World Tower, the tallest building in South Korea, is located. The enormous lake and its vicinity were surrounded by cherry blossom trees. It was incredibly lovely and looked like a roof of white blooms covering the wide walkway surrounding the lake—really breathtaking. We walked under the flowers and had our feel and fill of its beauty. There were many visitors who flocked to this area, and we had a hard time finding a place to sit and enjoy our food. We sat on a rock. Not too bad, but not ideal. Later on, we shared a bench with a cool-looking guy reading a book and his cute white Japanese Spitz. The dog would occasionally growl at me, but I wasn’t going to let a pooch ruin this moment, and totally ignored him/her. We stayed there and stared at the beautiful sight, taking it all in. I heard, a couple of days after, it rained and the blossoms were gone, just like that. Everything is truly fleeting and I am happy to have seen the cherry blossoms at their peak at Seokchon Lake.
Yeouido Hangang Park
The last site in our “chasing cherry blossoms” itinerary was Yeouido Hangang Park. As you approach the park, you can already see the cherry blossom tree-lined circular road called Yunjung-ro. I read that there are an impressive 1,600 cherry blossom trees here. They even have a Yeouido Spring Festival celebrating the flowers of spring. Aside from the cherry blossoms, they have 90,000 other types of flowers. I love flowers and would like to see this one day. The cherry blossom trees in this location seemed bigger and sturdier, lusher. The flowers also looked more densely clustered.
After what seemed like a long time standing under the trees, we chose a park table that had a view of the Han River. The park is the perfect place to be active, with its wide spaces, perfect for riding bicycles, jogging, or taking long walks by the river. There were college students in a big group enjoying themselves nearby, as well as what I supposed were housewives having a drink beside us. One young boy parked himself under a small tree. It was a good day.
Sometimes, life gets to you with all its heartaches and disappointments, but on the other side of it, there is bliss—which I found, by chasing cherry blossoms in the spring.