Changwonderful
Some current updated links for information on the 2019 Festival:
Official Tourism Website
JinHae Cherry Blossom Festival on Twitter
Changwon City Official Blog
One of the highlights of spring in Changwon is the cherry blossoms. This occasion is highlighted with the Jinhae Cherry Blossom Festival which will take place this year from April 1-10, 2014. (For information about this year’s events and venues, click here.) The festival is located in the western part of Jinhae, so the challenge/adventure of the day is getting around.
Thankfully, the cherry blossoms are everywhere. Click on the different pins to see all the places to check out during the festival.
View Jinhae Cherry Blossom Highlights in a larger map
There are only two ways to get into Jinhae by car, causing horrible traffic. Plan for a lot of walking and waiting for buses. Avoid taxis as much as possible, because the traffic just sits in the same place, slowly inching forward at times.
Hiking over Anmin Pass
Anmin is a beautiful hike all year round, but the cherry blossoms make it a very popular hike in the spring. Once into Jinhae, you can continue walking west until you hit Jinhae Train Station. Then you will want to cross over the large road, heading towards the water, where you will find the festival grounds.
Bus Information and Advice
Below is a table of the different buses from Masan to Jinhae (30-60min.), from Changwon to Jinhae (30-60min.), and within Jinhae itself (this is not recommended due to traffic). Below the tables is a link to Daum maps to see individual bus routes. The Yeojwa Stream (여좌천) is especially nice to see at night when the LED lights create a very fancy picture. The best path is to get off at Jinhae Station (Jinhae Yuk/진해역) and then walk up to the stream and then back down to the festival grounds.
The bus routes for these buses are here. Click on the third tab that says “실시간버스” and then enter the bus number.
A few other buses go into Jinhae from Changwon, but they make a left after the tunnel, which is the wrong way. If your bus takes a left after the tunnel, get out at the first stop and walk back along that main road. You will soon come across Gyeonghwa Station (경화역). The station is one of the pretty spots to stop and check out the blossoms. From there it’s a treck southwest to get to the festival.
For Out-of-Towners
Welcome to Changwon! Jinhae has been a district of Changwon since 2010. There are various ways to get to Jinhae from out of town. If you are coming from Busan or elsewhere in Gyeongsangnam-do, an intercity bus straight to Jinhae (진해) is the most convenient. The Jinhae Intercity Bus Terminal is just south of Namwon Rotary. If you’re coming from farther away, you should take an intercity bus or a train (KTX or Mugunghwa) to Masan (마산), and then take a local bus to Jinhae.
To get train times during the festival, go to Korail’s Site and click English.
