By Han Sang-hee
Staff Reporter

Spring may well be a season that arrives in our minds, before it actually lands on our soil. You start to feel the chilly wind fade and trees show off fresh buds ― it seems spring is right around the corner. Instead of just lying back and enjoying the warm sun, how about going out and really smelling, tasting and touching the new season? For those who want to welcome the flowery season to the utmost, here is a list of festivals to visit with friends and family.

Gwangyang
Ume Blossom Culture Festival
and Bohae Contest
Gwangyang, South Jeolla Province, is host to the 12th ``Ume (also known as Japanese apricot) Blossom Culture Festival,'' one of the earliest blossom festivals in the nation March 8-16. Visitors can stroll through a square kilometer of ume blossoms.

The annual festival started in 1997 and is famous for the beauty of the trees and the high quality of their fruit. Located near Seomjin River, the ume trees will indeed offer beautiful scenery to wash away your stress.

The ume tree is actually a distant relative of the rose family. The blossoms have pink and white petals and usually start to blossom in early March. The fruit, which is widely known as Japanese apricot, is small and green and used in various foods and drinks for its sweet and tangy flavor. Beverages include juices, brandy and even pickles.

For those who are driving, be sure to drive around Seomjin ferry port, where you can also find Japanese apricot orchards with traditional pottery that contain pickled fruit, brandy and other drinks.

If you are looking for more action, the festival also holds music performances with an orchestra on a stage surrounded by the trees. Visitors can also buy their own ume seedlings and make organic soap with the apricots.

Ume trees and the blossoms make perfect backdrops for photographs, so bring along a camera. If you feel you have what it takes to take a great picture, submit your photos in a contest. At Bohae Ume Orchard, located in Haenam, South Jeolla Province, there will be a Bohae Photo Contest March 22-23. The seven-year-old contest has two different categories ― portrait and scenery ― and pictures must be taken at the location. Winners will be announced April 2 and will receive prizes.

For more information visit www.maehwa.org or :: º¸ÇØÆ÷Åä ÄÜÅ×½ºÆ® ::.

Cherry Blossoms Festival
With their pale pink and white blossoms and sweet scent, cherry blossoms are also a favorite among flower lovers. These trees line roads are great locations for commercials, dramas and movies.

Visitors can enjoy these blossoms at the ``Hwagae Cherry Blossoms Festival'' located in Hadong County, South Gyeongsang Province. The organizing committee has prepared a cherry blossom parade and also performances that will be a delight for the eyes and ears. For a more-well rounded experience, visit Hwagae Market, which is near the festival site. Visitors can buy local products. The festival will be held from April 4-6.

For more information, visit www.tour.hadong.go.kr/festival/main.asp.

Gurye Sansuyu Festival


Gurye County, South Jeolla Province is holding its 10th annual ``Sansuyu ( Japanese Cornelian Cherry) Festival'' with the title ``Searching for Everlasting Love,'' March 20-23. Launched in 1999 and chosen as one of the best festivals in the country by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the festival will present various activities and interesting events.

Visitors can journey along the roads with sansuyu blossoms overhead and can pick the fruit along the way. If you crave something to snack on, the festival also offers different delicacies made from the healthy fruit. Guests can try out the unique sansuyu makgeolli (rice wine), sansuyu tofu, sansuyu tea, and even sansuyu rice cakes.

The county is planning to decorate the neighborhood with yellow paper pinwheels to accentuate the yellow color of the blossoms, so even if you are just passing by, it will be hard not to notice the ``yellow world'' they are aiming for.

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Tongyeong International Music Festival


For those who are more in the mood for music rather than flowers, Tongyeong, South Gyeongsang Province is holding its famous music festival, the Tongyeong International Music Festival (TIMF). The TIMF was originally created to commemorate one of the nation's prominent composers, Isang Yun.

Since it was first held in 2002, Tongyeong has made efforts to create a world-renowned music festival. Every year, musicians from around the world visit the event and entertain visitors and fans with their original classical music, jazz and other genres. Other than the music festival, the committee is also offering ``fringe'' performances, which are literally sideline shows holding artistic and entertainment value.

Prominent musicians and orchestras who will show up at the venue include the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra, the Jacques Loussier Trio and British baroque violinist, John Holloway.

For more visit Tongyeong International Music Festival - TIMF.

Flower Han River Ferry


If you are just too busy to get out of the hustle and the bustle of Seoul, try taking a quick trip to the Yeouido Marina. C & Han River Land has redecorated one of their biggest ferries to celebrate the spring season. Flowers of all sorts decorate the ferry with a flower garden inside it, giving it a more pleasant atmosphere. The ferry departs the Yeouido Marina at 11:30 a.m., 1:30 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. and has two routes that last for one hour or one hour and thirty minutes. The one-hour route costs 9,900 won for adults and 4,950 won for children, while the longer route costs 14,500 won for adults and 7,300 won for children.

For more information call (02) 3271-6900 or visit (ÁÖ)¾¾¾ØÇÑ°*·£µå¿¡ ¿À½Å°ÍÀ» ȯ¿µÇÕ´Ï´Ù. :::.

sanghee@koreatimes.co.kr