Monday, April 16, 2012

Cherry Blossoms!

I lived in a tropical country, so Cherry Blossom trees are not part of our landscape, thus, I dreamed to visit a country where I could see spectacular foliage of Cherry Blossoms. Such an amazing gift of nature!

One of my wishes in life is to see these captivating and romantic tiny pink flowers, if not now, in the near future! Considering the high expenses of going abroad (just to see Cherry Blossoms and take some pictures) , this dream might not happen in the next two years.
Cherry Blossoms Park in New York city

There are three Asian countries that have abundant trees of Cherry Blossoms: Japan, South Korea and China. South Korea is my top favourite to visit among these oriental countries because of its a bit exciting (the environment, the tourist spots and other stuff) and a lot cheaper compared to Japan.

In Japan where there is a wide variety of Cherry Blossoms, these beautiful plants can be found every where, it is popularly known there as Sakura. There's also a century-old practice in Japan called "Hanami" which is picnicking under a blooming Sakura. The most popular variety of Cherry Blossoms in Japan is the Somei Yoshino. Cherry Blossoms and its leaves are edible and often used as food ingredients in Japan.
Cherry Blossoms at Ueno Park, Tokyo, Japan

In South Korea, Cherry Blossoms can be found everywhere too, it is widely prominent in the romantic Jeju-do Island. This flower was introduced in South Korea during the Japanese occupation and the festival continued even after the surrender of Japan in World War II. 

Cherry trees naturally grow in China too, in fact, there are two Cherry Blossoms park in the suburban areas: one in Dalian, Liaoning and the other in Donghu district.
Cherry Blossoms in Washington D.C, USA

Other countries with Cherry Blossoms are the United States, United Kingdom, The Netherlands, Turkey, Germany, Brazil and Australia. In Great Britain, abundant Cherry Blossoms can be found in Gloucestershire in Batsford Arboretum, a botanical garden with more than 2,000 trees, it has a large collection of Japanese maples, magnolias and pine.

In South Korea, Cherry Blossoms appear only in few weeks during Spring time particularly during the month of April. Two places in South Korea where tourists can see the wonder of this flower are at the Hangang riverside park and Jeju-do island. Towards the last week of March, the blossoming began at Jeju-do island and work its way up until the second or third week of April. There are festivals related to Cherry Blossoms in Korea: Jinhae Gungangje Festival at the end of March and Hangang Yeouido Spring Flower Festival on the first week of April.
Cherry Blossoms in Jeju-do Island, South Korea

According to Korea Meteorological Association, the following dates are the blooming period of Cherry Blossoms in respected South Korean places:

March 24 - Seogwipo
March 29 - Jinhae Yeojwacheon Stream
March 30 - Busan
March 31 - Daegu
April 1 - Tongyeong and Hadong Ssanggyesa Temple
April 2 - Cheongju
April 3 - Gwangju
April 4- Daejeon and Yeosu
April 7 - Jeonju
April 8 - Gangneung
April 10 - Seoul
Incehon - April 13
Gyeongju Park in South Korea at Springtime

I dreamed to take a quick tour to South Korea at Springtime to see Cherry Blossoms, April is always a wonderful time to do this, maybe next April on my birthday everything will come true finally!Well, in God's time.

Source: Korea Tourism Organization

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