VOL.81/2025.04

A Festival Where Cherry Blossoms and History Blend:
Jinhae Gunhangje Festival

2025.04.07

Spring in Korea is full of colorful flowers and a variety of festivals. While there are many springtime events, such as the Cherry Blossom Festival in Yeouido and the Canola Flower Festival in Jeju Island, the Jinhae Gunhangje Festival is a favorite among many. Voted number one in the “What are the best travel destinations in Korea for spring?” poll by K-Book Trends, Jinhae is a popular destination for cherry blossoms and springtime fun, attracting many people every year.
Every year, from late March to early April, Jinhae-gu, Changwon-si, and Gyeongsangnam-do become a feast of cherry blossoms. Walking through the pink tunnels created by the 360,000 Yoshino Cherry trees that line the streets, it feels like walking into a fairy tale. As you walk along the blossom-strewn paths and breathe in the warm spring breeze, the stresses of everyday life seem to melt away. In particular, the railroad track at Gyeonghwa Station, the Romance Bridge over the Yeojwacheon Stream, and Jehwangsan Park are great places to take photos of the beautiful cherry blossoms.
However, did you know that the Jinhae Gunhangje Festival is more than just a cherry blossom festival? Jinhae is the center of the Korean Navy, and the Republic of Korea Naval Academy and naval port are open to the public during the festival. Visitors can get up close to naval facilities and warships that they wouldn’t normally get to experience, and there are various programs held, such as parades by the Navy Band, guard of honor performances, and warship unveilings. Being able to experience the history and culture of the Navy while enjoying the cherry blossoms makes the Jinhae Gunhangje Festival different from other festivals.
There’s a book that makes readers realize that the cherry blossoms in Jinhae are not just a natural landscape, but rather something that holds the history and memories of people. It’s the short story collection, Cherry Blossoms in Jinhae (Minum IN), by Kim Tak-Hwan. Kim is one of Korea’s leading novelists, known for his extensive historical references and tightly plotted stories. His works include The Immortal Yi Sun-sin (Goldenbough), The Last Nineteen Days of Heo Gyun (Minumsa Publishing), and The Banggakbon Murder Case (Goldenbough). Yet, Cherry Blossoms in Jinhae is quite different from his previous works.

In Cherry Blossoms in Jinhae, the first short story collection to be written by Kim Tak-Hwan in a decade since his debut, he tells stories about his life and inner thoughts, rather than the historical events he has been writing about. From how he started reading books after giving up sports as a child due to pulmonary tuberculosis (the short story Sleet), to his memories of studying in Seoul after his father passed away (29 Years From Jinhae), his memories of Jinhae, where he was born and raised, are interspersed throughout the book. What makes this book even more remarkable is that it’s a new literary attempt that organizes one’s memories into narratives. What story will an autobiographical novel by Kim Tak-Hwan, who has been described as “the preeminent storyteller of our time,” tell?
What makes the cherry blossoms in Jinhae so beautiful is not just the allure of the flowers themselves. They hold history and the memories of the people who have lived there. And, like writer Kim Tak-Hwan, some people use them as a backdrop to tell their stories. When we look at cherry blossoms, we are not only reminded of their beauty, but also of someone’s life that has gone on in the space where the blossoms bloom and fade. So, if you are looking to take a break from your busy life and enjoy nature, history, and literature together, why not read Cherry Blossoms in Jinhae and enjoy spring in Jinhae Gunhangje Festival?