By Jung Joo-ri

There is nothing like a flower festival to fully enjoy spring in Korea. Flowers of diverse colors fully express their vitality, with the country hosting around this time of year festivals of azaleas, canola flowers, camellia and cherry blossoms.

This year, many such festivals are being held for the first time in four years thanks to the conspicuous decline of COVID-19. Their duration is shorter than many others since spring flowers do not last long, following the Korean proverb Hwamusibilhong, or "No flower stays red for 10 days."

Korea.net selected six such festivals worth a look this year, with visits recommended before the flowers wither.

Jinhae Gunhangje Festival: 360,000 cherry blossom trees

The 61st annual Jinhae Gunhangje (Cherry Blossom) Festival runs through April 3 in Jinhae-gu District of Changwon, Gyeongsangnam-do Province, about 300 km southeast from Seoul. As the nation's largest for cherry blossoms, the festival features blossoms throughout the district including at Jinhaeru (Jinhae Beach Park), Yeojwacheon Stream and Gyeonghwa Station Park.

Visitors can also enter the Republic of Korea Naval Academy and Jinhae Naval Base Command, two venues that are usually off limits to the public.

The Black Eagles, the Republic of Korea Air Force's aerobatic flight team, on March 31 will perform a free show at 2 p.m. More information on the festival is available on the official website (http://jgfestival.or.kr/). 

The Seogwipo Canola Flower Festival from March 31 to April 2 is held at Canola Flower Plaza (unofficial translation) in the village of Gasi-ri in Pyoseon-myeon Township of Seogwipo on the warm southern island of Jeju. Renowned as the place where canola flowers bloom the most, Gasi-ri is great for taking photos thanks to its vast field of the flowers and a distant ascending ridge in the backdrop. 

Other events such as flash mobs, street performances and next-generation Korean dance festivals will also be held during the festival. Admission is free. 

Food and flowers at Seocheon Camellia and Webfoot Octopus Festival

The Seocheon Camellia and Webfoot Octopus Festival (unofficial translation) runs through April 2 at the camellia flower tree forest in the western coastal village of Maryang-ri in Seo-myeon Township of Seocheon-gun County, Chungcheongnam-do Province. Designated Natural Monument No. 169, the forest has a group of about 80 camellia flower trees known to be over 500 years old.

Walking up the stone stairs in the forest leads to Dongbaekjeong Pavilion, famous for its  open view of the Yellow Sea and sunset. During the festival, Maryangjin Port near the forest hosts a spring cooking marketplace and children's fishing events featuring the seafood. The festival is free but the cooking and fishing events require a fee.

Goryeosan Mountain, known as the legendary birthplace of Yeon Gaesomun, a military ruler of the Goguryeo Dynasty in the seventh century, teems every April with visitors wishing to see azaleas. The mountain is in Incheon's Ganghwado Island. The peak is only 436 m high but offers many places and things to see like the temples of Baengnyeonsa and Jeokseoksa, goindol (dolmen) collection and Hongneung, the royal tomb of Goryeo King Gojong (1192-1259). 

Five routes lead to azalea clusters that take an hour or two to complete. This year's festival runs from April 15-23 and admission is free. 

The Narcissus Flower Festival (unofficial title) is set for March 30 to April 9 on Seondo Island, which is famous for the event's namesake, in Sinan-gun County, Jeollanam-do Province.

The 17th Jeongseon Donggang Pasqueflower Festival (unofficial title) is slated from March 31 to April 2 in Jeongseon-gun County, Gangwon-do Province. This event features the rare pasqueflowers Donggang halmikkot that grow only in the province's limestone zone. 

Admission to these two festivals is free. 

etoilejr@korea.kr