Tourists teeming in every tourist attraction, mountain, and festival venue to feel spring in air

▲ This file photo shows visitors at the Gwangyang Plum Blossom Festival. (Yonhap)

▲ This file photo shows the Nonsan Strawberry Festival teeming with visitors. (Yonhap)

SEOUL, Mar. 11 (Yonhap) -- With the daytime temperature going over 20 degrees Celsius all across the country on Saturday, many amusement parks, mountains, tourist attractions, and festival venues are teeming with crowds who came out to enjoy the Spring.

The Jirisan Hot Spring Tourist Site in South Jeolla Province was crowded with tourists and local people who visited the 24th Gurye Sansuyu Flower Festival, which just had its grand opening on Saturday.

The visitors enjoyed spring in the air while looking at the full-blown Sansuyu flowers, which are known to be the first spring flower to bloom.

Tourists and local citizens also filled up the Maehwa Village in the county of Gwangyang in South Jeolla Province, where the Gwangyang Plum Blossom Festival is being held. In the meantime, Geolmae Ecological Park and Chilsimni City Park were also packed with visitors who came to feel the spring and capture the full-blown plum blossoms by taking pictures.

The Nonsan Citizens' Park, where the 25th Nonsan Strawberry Festival is currently being held, was also packed with crowds who came to taste the fresh strawberries and enjoy diverse participatory programs, including “Fresh Strawberry Harvest" and "Strawberry Dessert Cafe."

Many couples or family tourists also visited Incheon Chinatown to enjoy an exotic atmosphere while eating at Chinese restaurants or looking around street shops. The three major parks — Cheongna Lake Park, Songdo Central Park, and Wolmi Park – were also filled with the laughter of citizens riding bicycles or taking walks.

Jeonju Hanok Village in North Jeolla Province was also teeming with tourists, who rent and got dressed up in colorful hanboks (traditional Korean clothes), walking along the Gyeonggijeon stone wall road. About 1,000 people visited the Gyeonggijeon Hall, which enshrines the portrait of King Taejo who founded the Joseon Dynasty, as of 1 p.m. Saturday.

The Cheongnamdae in Cheongju, which is also known as the former presidential villa, had more than 2,400 visitors entering the tour facilities such as the main building and the presidential memorial hall. After taking a look at the villa, visitors also captured the outstanding scenery of Daecheong Lake by taking pictures.
Many went for a walk in Gwanggyo Lake Park in Suwon as well as Dongtan Lake Park in Hwaseong, while visitors to Imjingak Pyeonghwa Nuri Camping Site in the city of Paju enjoyed their weekend close to the Korean Demilitarized Zone (DMZ).

The ecological park along Busan’s Nakdonggang River welcomed countless family visitors and bicycle riders from very early morning. In the meantime, a large-scale walking event was held around the Busan Station, hoping the city will organize and hold the upcoming 2030 World Expo.

In Ulsan's Taehwagang National Garden, couples and families rented bicycles for four or two to ride around the Garden and feel the smell of spring.

There were also visitors at Daegu’s Suseongmot Recreation Area, Daegu Arboretum, and Gyeongju’s Bomun Tourist Complex, all in North Gyeongsang Province, while dozens surfed at the Yonghan Beach in Heunghae near Yeongil Bay Port in Pohang.

As of 1 p.m. Saturday, more than 3,000 people visited the Seoraksan National Park to walk along the trail, welcoming the spring energy from deep in the mountains.

In addition to more than 9,000 people flocking to Gyeryongsan Mountain, climbers from all across the country visited several other well-known mountains, such as Taebaeksan Mountain, Manisan Mountain, Gyeyangsan Mountain, Deogyusan Mountain, Daedunsan Mountain, Gwanggyosan Mountain, Yongmunsan Mountain, Gamaksan Mountain, Soyosan Mountain, Jirisan Mountain, and more.

White sand beaches on the east coast, such as Gyeongpo Beach and Sokcho Beach, and beaches on Jeju Island, as well as Haeundae Beach and Gwangalli Beach in the marine city of Busan were also filled with visitors who came to enjoy spring with their lovers or families.

(This article is translated from Korean to English by Ha eun Lee)

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