VISIT JEJU

The Jeju Fire Festival is the representative festival of Jeju Island. It recreates the traditional livestock culture of Jeju Island with a modern twist, highlighting the wisdom of our ancestors who lived in harmony with nature. In order to get rid of the previous season’s weeds in the mid-mountainous grasslands, promote the growth of new grasses, and to exterminate pests, each village set fires to their pastures during the late winter.

▸Please note that due to the rapid spread of the Omicron variant of COVID-19 and in solidarity with people on the mainland who have sustained losses due to wildfires there, the main event of the 2022 Jeju Fire Festival has been canceled. Side events such as seedling distribution and the “live commerce” local business event will proceed as scheduled.

The pink cherry blossoms look like blushing cheeks which are shyly sticking their heads out and bursting forth with lovely flower buds. March in Jeju marks the beginning of spring when the cherry blossoms are in full bloom. These blossoms send a message of hope and healing to all of us who have been through a difficult and exhausting time during the pandemic. The closest spot for cherry blossom viewing from Jeju Airport is Jeonnong-ro, a popular destination for Jeju residents. Cherry trees line both sides of the road to form a kind of cherry blossom tunnel. With the pedals of the cherry blossoms falling like a gentle spring rain, this is the perfect place to take some memorable photos to post on your social media accounts.

Samseonghyeol, which is located at the end of Jeonnong-ro, is one of the busiest cherry blossom photo spots on the island, with people even having to wait to take pictures. And if you want to feel the energy of youth along with the energy of spring, Jeju National University Cherry Blossom Road and its nearby campus are not to be missed.

▸Jeonnong-ro Cherry Blossom Street: Intersection of Jeonnong-ro and Samdo 1-dong
  ☞ Note that due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2022 ‘Jeju Cherry Blossom Festival' is canceled.
▸Jeju National University : 102 Jejudaehak-ro, Jeju-si
▸Jangjeon-ri, Jeju-si: Intersection of Jangjeon-ri, Aewol-eup, Jeju-si
▸Yerae-dong, Seogwipo-si Cherry Blossom Road: Section from Community Center to Yerae-dong Ecology Experience Center

The bright yellow canola flowers, which are among the first to bloom around the island, cheerfully announce the arrival of springtime. Canola plants emerge in yellow waves from late winter, when the cold has not yet gone, and beckon to visitors from far and wide to come and enjoy their cheerfulness.

Seongsan Ilchulbong Peak and Seopjikoji, both which boast the beautiful blue sea and sky in the background, as well as Hamdeok Seoubong Peak, where yellow waves of canola flowers seem to reach out and touch the emerald sea, are all blessed with a rare beauty. If you’re in a hurry and don’t have time to visit all of Jeju’s dreamy canola flower spots this spring, consider making your way to Noksan-ro Road, the Eongdeongmul Valley, the area around the majestic Sanbangsan Mountain, and Yongmeori Coast.

▸Seongdeongmul Valley: 3384-4 Saekdal-dong, Seogwipo-si

▸Seongsan Ilchulbong: Around Seongsan-ri 1, Seongsan-eup, Seogwipo-si

▸Canola & Cherry Blossom Road, Noksan-ro: 51-5, Gasi-ri, Pyoseon-myeon, Seogwipo-si

▸Sanbangsan area: Sanbangsan-ro, Andeok-myeon, Seogwipo-si

In Jeju, bracken is a cooking ingredient that heralds the arrival of spring. By the time April rolls around, the bracken season has begun in earnest. Bracken grows in Jeju’s valleys, wetlands, and Gotjawal forest at the foot of Hallasan Mountain. At dawn, especially after a rainy night, the sodden ferns grow taller and plumper within a day’s time.

There are various ways to enjoy the distinct flavor of bracken in Jeju cooking, such as in a savory bracken stir-fry, fried bracken that accompany Jeju black pork, and bracken yukgaejang soup made with beef and bracken. The health benefits of bracken come from its facilitating one’s metabolism and cleansing the body of waste products.

▸Sanyang Keuneonggot : 956-6 Cheongsu-ri, Hangyeong-myeon, Jeju-si

Gapado Island, located just a short ferry ride south from Moseulpo Port, is where spring first arrives in Jeju. Green barley, which has overcome the cold winter, creates green waves across the sea. You can visit the island anytime, but when the green barley ripens, this is the best time to make your way to Gapado.

It takes about 90 minutes to walk the 5 kilometers around the island on the gentle terrain. Walking is easy, but don’t dismiss renting a bike and touring around the island paths while taking in the smell of spring and the cool sea breeze.

Seonjakjiwat, which means “a field of stones” in the Jeju language, is a flat area located at an elevation of 1,600m above sea level. The wind is so strong that full-sized trees cannot grow here. Hallasan Mountain is where the azaleas bloom the most. In order to see for yourself the feast of royal azaleas that spread out for hundreds of meters in front of the majestic Byeongpungbawi Rock, you’ll have to put in some effort climbing the mountain’s Yeongsil Trail. Azaleas poke out through the green grass of the spring season and reward the intrepid visitors who hiked up the side of Hallasan Mountain to enjoy a very special springtime experience.

▸Youngsil Course: 5.8km, takes 2 hours and 30 minutes (one way or more) to Nambyeok Junction

In the month of May the representative flower is the rosebay (Rhododendron weyrichii Maxim), a species of azalea native to Hallasan Mountain. This flower is loved by Jeju residents for its beautiful shape and gorgeous color. It is designated as a symbol of Jeju Island because it grows well even in a harsh environment and its appearance is said to resemble the lives of Jeju residents. At the entrance of Halla Eco Forest, there is a rosebay forest path.

Enjoy rosebay in the warm spring sunlight of the month of May. Halla Eco Forest boasts a splendid deep pink color and emits a soft pink light that stops spellbound hikers in their tracks.

▸Meochewat Forest Trail Rosebay habitat : 755 Seoseong-ro, Namwon-eup, Seogwipo-si
▸Bangseonmun Valley Rosebay Trail : Ora-dong, Jeju-si

The fragrant scent of spring blows over the thick stone walls of Jeju village roads. The sweet scent of white mandarin flowers, something akin to that of acacia, adds charm to the end of spring in Jeju. In May, cafes that have mandarin orchards are popular photo spots and many enjoy picnics while soaking up the scent of white mandarin flowers that bloom among the verdant citrus trees. These fragrant memories will be beautiful mementos of your time on Jeju Island.

Legend has it that Jeju’s mythical founders of the three families of Go, Yang, and Bu emerged from the ground at Samseonghyeol and held a wedding ceremony with princesses from overseas. The luscious hydrangeas growing here announce the early days of summer of Jeju and present a world of splendid flowers. With Jeju's traditional thatched-roofed houses in the background, you will be amazed at the appearance of hydrangeas which spread out on both sides of the narrow road.

Ironically, though Honinji is the perfect place for lovers to confess their unending love for one another, the language of the hydrangeas growing here is more in keeping with “a change of heart.” This is because hydrangea flowers change color depending on the nature of the soil. In acidic soil, they emerge blue, in neutral soil they are white, and in alkaline soil, they turn red. The blossoms also differ in color depending on the time of year, so when you visit Honinji you’ll be met with a sense of excitement wondering just what color or colors the hydrangea might be when you arrive.

In May, when spring is at its peak and the barley is ripe, the Jeju people have a saying that the damselfish tastes the best during the spawning season at this time of year. Its savory and salty flavor is so delicious that it is very easy to finish every bite of your meal. Without removing the scales, it is sprinkled with coarse salt and grilled on a griddle, then eaten whole, starting with the head.

Jarimulhoe (cold damselfish soup) is a representative Jeju dish. It is eaten with raw soybean paste mixed with vinegar and combined with the leaves of the prickly ash. You can taste it anywhere in Jeju, but the Bomokpo-gu and Moseulpo areas of Seogwipo are especially famous for it. At the end of May, the Jaridom Festival is held in this area. It is said that the Bomok area, with its calm seas, boasts the best raw damselfish since its bones are soft, while the rougher seas of Moseulpo make for the best grilled damselfish dishes.

▸ Moseulpo Port : Hamo-ri, Daejeong-eup, Seogwipo-si