April 5-9: Cherry Blossom Festival at Seokchon Lake for the First Time in 4 Years... The Only Place in Seoul to Enjoy Cherry Blossoms with a Lake Backdrop
2.6km of Lakeside Night Lighting Installed, Various Performances and Experience Events
20% of Festival Budget Allocated to Safety Management... 200 Safety Experts Deployed
Songpa-gu (Mayor Seo Gang-seok) will hold the 'Lake Cherry Blossom Festival' at Seokchon Lake, a famous cherry blossom spot in Seoul, from April 5 to 9.
The distinctive feature of the Songpa-gu Cherry Blossom Festival is that it is the only place in Seoul where visitors can fully enjoy cherry blossoms with a lake as the backdrop. Every spring, a total of 1,119 cherry trees bloom spectacularly along the 2.6km lakeside, including 592 king cherry trees, 320 weeping and mountain cherry trees, and 220 king cherry trees additionally planted by residents in 2007.
This year's 'Lake Cherry Blossom Festival' carries the theme 'Beautiful Spring, Cherry Blossom Story.' It is designed so that visitors can fully enjoy the scent of flowers and the beautiful emotions of spring.
The festival begins with the opening ceremony 'Welcoming Cherry Blossoms' at 6 p.m. on April 5, followed by performances by Songpa-gu cultural and artistic groups such as the Songpa-gu Choir and Songpa-gu Silver Orchestra, youth busking, poetry recitations, acoustic pop and jazz performances, and various other genres over five days at the Seokchon Lake East Lake Waterfront Stage.
At 5 p.m. on April 9, the festival concludes with the Cherry Blossom Full Bloom Concert, where visitors can enjoy the falling cherry blossom petals like rain.
Additionally, landscape lighting shining upward from beneath the trees along the walking paths will create a fantastic cherry blossom night view. Various themed photo zones featuring Songpa-gu’s new character ‘Haha Hoho’ will be operated to provide unforgettable memories for spring visitors.
Throughout the lake area, special experiences such as caricature drawing, face painting, and upcycling sewing workshops will be available, along with a flea market where visitors can purchase embroidery, accessories, and crafts themed around cherry blossoms.
Above all, the district has thoroughly prepared for safety management in anticipation of large crowds. Even though no festival was held last year during the cherry blossom season (March 25 to April 10), over 3.78 million visitors came to Seokchon Lake.
Accordingly, the district boldly invested 20% of the festival budget in safety management. According to the local festival safety management manual, securing at least 1% of the event budget for safety management is sufficient.
Over five days, 200 safety personnel, 500 volunteers, and 300 district office staff will be deployed to strictly manage 43 entry and exit points of Seokchon Lake. Measures such as controlling steep downhill slopes, density-based crowd control, and one-way traffic guidance will ensure visitors can safely and enjoyably appreciate the flowers.
In addition, a medical center staffed with emergency medical technicians will operate in case of emergencies, and a lost child protection and lost-and-found center will be set up to promptly address visitor inconveniences.
Before the festival, on March 29, Mayor Seo Gang-seok presided over a special management meeting with Songpa Police Station, Songpa Fire Station, and Korea Electric Power Corporation to inspect visitor safety during movement and prevent electrical accidents related to the installation of landscape lighting.
Mayor Seo Gang-seok of Songpa-gu said, “We have made every effort to ensure that everyone visiting the festival can safely enjoy the spring in Songpa,” and added, “We hope many people come to the ‘Beautiful Spring, Cherry Blossom Story Lake Cherry Blossom Festival’ to create precious memories at the flower-dyed lake.”
"Dear friends~ Let's walk the flower path together!" Gangnam-gu Opens Cherry Blossom Festival
Festivals Held at 3 Cherry Blossom Paths... Hidden Cherry Blossom Spot Yeoksam-ro 7-gil, Legendary Cherry Blossom Spot Yangjaecheon, 62,803㎡ Ilwon Eco Park -
Gangnam-gu (Mayor Jo Seong-myeong) will hold cherry blossom festivals at famous spots in Yeoksam 1-dong (April 3-4), Dogok 2-dong (April 8), and Ilwon 1-dong (April 8) for spring visitors to enjoy.
Cherry Blossom Festival on the 1km Section of Yeoksam-ro 7-gil, Gangnam’s Hidden Cherry Blossom Spot
First, the '2023 Yeoksam 1-dong Cherry Blossom Festival' will be held in front of the Yeoksam 1-dong Community Center on April 3-4.
Organized by the Yeoksam 1-dong Residents’ Autonomous Committee and hosted by the Yeoksam 1-dong Community Center, this festival was planned to make the approximately 1km cherry blossom path along Yeoksam-ro 7-gil, a hidden cherry blossom spot in Gangnam, even more vibrant. Under the theme ‘A New Beginning in Spring, Let’s Walk the Flower Path Together,’ the festival features various programs including a romantic photo zone, a citizen-participation cherry blossom photo exhibition, cultural and artistic performances, experience booths, and a food market.
From April 3 for one week, a romantic photo zone will be operated in front of the community center with cherry blossom trees as the backdrop. The photo zone, decorated with benches, lighting, and emotional phrase sculptures, will have night lighting installed so visitors can take photos both day and night.
Additionally, visitors can enjoy the cherry blossom festival and path and participate in the cherry blossom photo exhibition by uploading certification photos with required hashtags on SNS from April 4 to 10. Selected works will receive prizes, and the photos will later be used in the Yeoksam 1-dong Cherry Blossom Photo Exhibition.
At noon on April 3, various experience booths will be available, including spring flower pot making, health consultations, cherry blossom diffuser making, and cherry blossom Polaroid photo shooting. After the opening ceremony at 4 p.m., cultural performances will follow, including Jindo drum dance, Gangnam Symphony Orchestra, Taekwondo performance by Kukkiwon demonstration team, magic shows, performances by invited singers Lady T and Lee Min-wook, and an impromptu singing contest for residents. The singing contest, expected to be a lively gathering of local residents, will accept on-site registration on the day of the event, with prizes awarded to 10 winners.
On the second day, April 4, starting at 10 a.m., a food market hosted by the Saemaul Women's Association and a direct sales market selling agricultural products from 10 regions including Yeongwol-gun and Hadong-gun will be held. Proceeds from the Saemaul Women's Association sales will support vulnerable groups in the district.
Dogok Cherry Blossom Music Festival at Legendary Cherry Blossom Spot Yangjaecheon
On April 8, the ‘2023 Yangjaecheon Cherry Blossom Embracing Spring’ festival will be held at Yangjaecheon, a representative cherry blossom spot with about 2,182 cherry trees along approximately 3.7km from Tancheon 2 Bridge to Yeongdong 2 Bridge.
Hosted and organized by the Dogok 2-dong Cherry Blossom Festival Promotion Committee and Dogok 2-dong Community Center, this festival will present the ‘Dogok Cherry Blossom Music Festival’ against the spectacular cherry blossom path from Milmiri Bridge to Yeongdong 3 Bridge, about 390m.
From 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., six teams will perform various shows at the Yeongdong 3 Bridge performance venue, including Gangnam Choir vocalists’ art songs, Korean Edelweiss Yodel Club’s yodel songs, folk singer’s popular songs, classical music by the string trio Vivos Trio, a saxophone and vocal collaboration, and a jazz band with tap dance.
Across from the performance venue, a flea market and experience booths will be held. Thirty resident teams recruited on a first-come, first-served basis will participate in the flea market. Additionally, the Neungin Comprehensive Social Welfare Center, Dogok 2-dong Community Leaders’ Association, and Youth Leaders’ Association will sell donated goods, with proceeds used for helping neighbors in need.
Other activities include a food market, cherry blossom certification photos taken by professional photographers, career aptitude tests, health consultations, zero-waste eco-friendly campaigns, face painting, and photo zones.
Relaxed Cherry Blossom Cultural Festival at 62,803㎡ Ilwon Eco Park
In Ilwon 1-dong, the ‘Spring Spring Spring’ cherry blossom festival will be held at Ilwon Eco Park on April 8 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Organized by the Ilwon Eco Cultural Village Festival Promotion Committee and hosted by the Ilwon 1-dong Community Center, this festival offers various events at the 62,803㎡ Ilwon Eco Park, including the resident participation project Ilwon Cultural Salon and the neighborhood-specialized Eco Cultural Village Festival.
The Ilwon Eco Cultural Village event features 16 ‘cultural experience booths’ prepared by local communities, including Neighborhood Salon Flower Cafe, Mind Pharmacy Tarot, Botanical Art, Haircut and Makeup Experience, and Storytelling. Also, a flea market with over 50 resident teams and five ‘environmental experience booths’ such as eco-friendly scrubber making and coffee grounds flowerpot environmental plantings will be showcased.
Moreover, a drawing contest will be held on the lawn plaza from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. The themes are environment or spring flowers, and participants can register in advance at the community center or on-site on the day. Entries will be judged the same day, with 18 winners across three categories (preschool, elementary, and middle school) receiving awards.
Other attractions include musical performances to enliven the festival, an indoor play area Eco Dome with a ball pool and air bounce slide for children, traditional games like Tuho, and a gateball tournament with 10 players from four senior centers competing at the gateball field.
Mayor Jo Seong-myeong of Gangnam-gu said, “I hope everyone enjoys the Gangnam Cherry Blossom Festival held for the first time in four years without masks,” and added, “We will do our best to prepare a safe and lively festival.”
'Starting Spring in Seodaemun' 2023 Seodaemun Ansan Spring Light Festival
Waterfront Sensory Concert, Exciting Dunk in Seodaemun, Cherry Blossom Concert, etc. (April 1-9)
Children’s Cherry Blossom Festival, Cherry Blossom Workshop, Flea Market, World Food Food Trucks Also Available
Seodaemun-gu Ansan with Over 3,000 Cherry Trees Creates a Spectacular Cherry Blossom View
Seodaemun-gu (Mayor Lee Seong-heon) will hold the 2023 Seodaemun Ansan Spring Light Festival ‘Starting Spring in Seodaemun’ from April 1 to 9 around Ansan and Hongjecheon areas.
Ansan is adorned with about 3,000 cherry trees, creating a magnificent view, and Hongjecheon has been newly reborn as Seoul’s first waterfront sensory city, filled with diverse attractions.
The festival features a waterfront sensory concert, ‘Exciting Dunk in Seodaemun’ commemorating the founding of the Seodaemun Women’s Basketball Team, a children’s cherry blossom storytelling festival, and a cherry blossom concert.
LED landscape lighting using cherry trees and an artificial waterfall, along with various photo zones, will also be installed.
Additionally, visitors can enjoy a flea market, experience booths, world food food trucks, an exhibition titled ‘Walking the Waterfront with Books,’ and a cherry blossom workshop.
Mayor Lee Seong-heon of Seodaemun-gu said, “We look forward to many citizens participating in this spring light festival where they can enjoy various cultural events under the beautiful cherry blossoms on a spring day.”
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