THE CHERRY BLOSSOM EXPRESS
The Jinhae Gunhangje Cherry Blossom Festival is South Korea’s largest cherry blossom festival. It takes place from
April 1st – April 10th each year and attracts over a million tourists from around the country and globe. The festival also commemorates South Korea’s famous Admiral Yi Sun-shin and includes a military band parade in addition to the many cherry blossom-themed events. [Source]
According to Discovering Korea, an estimated 340,000 cherry trees bloom each spring in the coastline town of Jinhae. The festival began in 1952 and has been held annually since 1963.
While the festival takes place in various locations around town, this particular photo was taken at Gyeonghwa Station where trains pass through (video). The small railway station is neighbored by Seongjusa Station to the north and Jinhae Station to the south. Railway services in and out of Gyeonghwa Station have been discontinued as of 2006, but the station has been reborn as a popular tourist attraction because of the picturesque cherry blossoms surrounding the tracks. [Source]
