The lovely thing about where I live in Seoul is that there's a very pretty and convenient jogging track just a short walk away from my apartment. This place straddles a narrow river that, after about 6km, runs right into the Han River. The jog is always a pleasant one, but I wasn't prepared for what the route was to become during the spring. As is my good fortune, the path right above the jogging track is lined with cherry blossom trees, extending for kilometres on end. Find yourself a sunny day, and it's a perfect opportunity to just wander around and take it all in.
I had never seen more people on this route than during this famous Cherry Blossom season. Naturally, it makes sense, as it's magical just to stand there, transfixed, in childlike admiration of a beautiful phenomenon you've never witnessed before in your life.
Cherry Blossom Season is incredibly short, and these cherry blossoms themselves are extra-sensitive. It rained a few days following my excursion, and now all of these pretty white and pink colours can be found covering the ground instead of the branches. Unfortunately, a strong, gusty day, or some heavy rain will wipe them right off and kick start the following stage of the blooming process. The leaves do turn green, which is something I'm quite a bit more used to.
Additionally, Cherry Blossom Season in Korea happens to coincide with "Pollution Season," which is when all that fine microdust from China blows over the Korean Peninsula, prompting us all to get notices on our phones warning us keep all windows shut and avoid all unneccesary exposure with the outdoors. Smogless days are the exception here in April, not the norm, and as such, when an opportunity does arise, do take advantage.
When cherry blossom trees do line the streets, even the panoramic views of trees dotted with white branches are lovely.
For those of us who aren't able to be in Korea or Japan during the month of April to take advantage of this unique phenomenon, well, there's some good news: cherry blossoms aren't uniquely limited to this part of the world. From Paris to Stockholm, to New York and Washington D.C., there are some beautiful views everywhere. Cherry blossoms have even been spotted as far South as Australia, and in places such as Brazil and Spain. Us Canadians can even take full advantage, as Vancouver is home to some 40,000 cherry blossom trees, according to BBC travel. Even Toronto and some parts of Ontario have seen some. I guess I was "lying" when I told my Korean students that cherry blossoms don't exist at all in Canada.
The seasons are short, and are extremely weather-dependent. They're usually only in full bloom for around 2-3 weeks, and the arrive earlier in the spring the more south you go, so in Busan, for example, they're likely to make an appearance a week or two prior to here in Seoul.
Yet another unforgettable Seoul experience. Even though they can be seen in many places, there's nothing like seeing stunning cherry blossoms where they're prettiest most abundant.
-Daniele
