What is Spring Blossom Festivals?
In the cultures of East Asia, plum blossoms, which open in the cold of late winter, stand for courage and hope, and the spring flowers that follow for renewal. Many towns hold festivals timed to their own trees, from plum-blossom fairs in February to peach and cherry festivals in March and April.
One of the largest is Korea's Jinhae Gunhangje in Changwon, held since 1963 in the naval port of Jinhae, a town of some 360,000 cherry trees. Its tunnels of blossom along the Yeojwacheon stream and at Gyeonghwa Station are famous.
When is Spring Blossom Festivals? Dates for 2026 and 2027
2026
- 27 March – 5 April 2026Jinhae Gunhangje cherry-blossom festival (64th edition)
2027
Not announced yet.
Blossom festivals follow the flowers, so organisers set their dates each year, once the bloom forecasts are out. Jinhae's 2027 festival has not been announced yet; it is normally held from late March to early April.
How people celebrate
- Walking under tunnels of blossom, often lit by lanterns in the evening.
- In Jinhae, military band and honour-guard parades, a nod to the town's naval base.
- Flower markets, food stalls and photo spots everywhere.
Good to know
- Go on a weekday morning: the famous spots are packed at weekends.
- Check the bloom forecast for the city you are going to: the flowers move north with the warm weather.
- Bring a light jacket: early-spring evenings are still cool.