Jinhae Gunhangje (Cherry Blossom Festival)
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Tongsin-dong, Jinhae-gu, Changwon-si, Gyeongsangnam-do Jungwon Rotary, Jinhae-gu, Changwon-si area
Festival Highlights
- Nationwide festival
- World's largest cherry blossom city
The Jinhae Gunhangje is a nationwide spring festival that began in 1952 with the erection of Admiral Yi Sun-sin's statue and a memorial service, evolving into a festival from 1963. Annually, over 2 million domestic and international tourists visit, enjoying diverse cultural and artistic events and the World Military Band and Honor Guard Festival amidst the beautiful cherry blossoms of 360,000 royal cherry trees. It is a festival where you can create spring memories in the world's largest cherry blossom city.
The Jinhae Gunhangje originated on April 13, 1952, when Korea's first statue of Admiral Yi Sun-sin was erected at Bukwon Rotary and a memorial service was held. Initially, it was solely a memorial service at Bukwon Rotary where Admiral Yi Chungmugong's statue stands, but from 1963, it began to be held as the Jinhae Gunhangje, developing into an event that preserves its original purpose of commemorating Admiral Yi's noble spirit of national salvation and promoting local culture and arts.
The Jinhae Gunhangje offers a variety of programs centered around events commemorating Admiral Yi Chungmugong's spirit and cherry blossom themed attractions. Main programs include the Jinhae Gunhangje Opening Ceremony, Military Band and Honor Guard Festival (Opening Ceremony, Marching Performance), Grand Memorial Service for Admiral Yi Chungmugong, Admiral Yi Chungmugong Victory Parade, Black Eagles Air Show, Cherry Blossom Music Festival, Jinhae Gunhangje Song Festival, and Naval Port K-POP Dance Competition. Auxiliary programs include a Patriotic Parade, Fringe Performances, Cultural and Artistic Performances, Military Base Opening Events, Yeojwacheon Starlight Festival, Pop-up Stores, Jinhaeru Multimedia Fireworks Show, and Jinhae Beach Park Emotional Pocha, etc. Consumer participation programs include the Jinhae Gunhangje Song Festival, Naval Port K-pop Dance Competition, Naval Port AI Video Contest, Blossom Symphony, Jinhae Cherry Blossom Fun Night Walk, and Naval Port Night Festa, etc. In addition, various other events such as the Naval Port Brand Fair, Naval Port Village, and National Haedong Gumdo Competition are held.
The Jinhae Gunhangje is held throughout Jinhae-gu, Changwon-si (including Tongsin-dong, Jinhae-gu, Changwon-si, Gyeongsangnam-do, and Jungwon Rotary). Key event venues are Jungwon Rotary (for the eve festival, Paldo Folk Market, cultural and artistic performances) and Bukwon Rotary (for tea and flower offerings to Admiral Yi Chungmugong's statue, grand memorial service, and victory parade). The Naval Academy and Jinhae Naval Base Command, normally with restricted access, are also open during the festival period, offering various experiential programs such as museum and Geobukseon (turtle ship) viewing, warship public viewing, photo exhibitions, wearing naval uniforms, and yacht cruise boarding. Cherry blossom spots include Naesumyeon Ecological Park, Yeojwacheon Stream, Gyeonghwa Station, Jinhae Tower, and Jinhaeru. You can take the Jehwangsan Monorail to the rooftop of Jinhae Tower to overlook the cityscape. Centered around Jungwon Rotary's Eight Streets, you can find 100-year-old modern cultural heritage buildings like Jinhae Post Office, Seonhak Gomtang Restaurant, Heukbaek Cafe, Yeonghaeru, and Ppojokjip, and discover stories of naval port development and old cityscapes at the Gunhang Village History Museum.
The Jinhae Gunhangje can be enjoyed for free. However, the Cherry Blossom Music Festival is a paid event.
*Food contents for the 2026 festival venue are currently being updated.* The festival originated on April 13, 1952, when the statue of Admiral Yi Sun-sin, a national hero, was erected for the first time in Korea at Bukwon Rotary, and a memorial service was held. Initially, the event was solely a memorial service at Bukwon Rotary, where the statue of Admiral Yi Chungmugong stands. However, starting in 1963, the Jinhae Gunhangje festival began, evolving into a spring festival that annually sees substantial development. It combines events honoring Admiral Yi's noble spirit of national salvation and promoting local culture and arts with cultural and artistic performances, the World Military Band and Honor Guard Festival, and the Paldo Folk Market, all enjoyed amidst beautiful cherry blossoms. Now, it has firmly established itself as a nationwide festival boasting a long history and tradition, attracting over 2 million domestic and international tourists during its period. Spring, when the Jinhae Gunhangje, the best of cherry blossom viewing festivals, is held, draws Korean spring travelers to this naval port city embracing a calm sea. When the white blossoms of 360,000 cherry trees burst into bloom all at once, people eager to create spring memories in the world's largest cherry blossom city, along with those enchanted by the spring feast of scattered cherry blossom petals, gather together, creating a spectacular scene of undulating crowds. The Jinhae Gunhangje events include memorial services for Admiral Yi Chungmugong and cherry blossom themed events. Major activities such as the eve festival, Paldo Folk Market, and cultural and artistic performances are held at Jungwon Rotary. At Bukwon Rotary, tea and flower offerings to Admiral Yi's statue, a grand memorial service, and a victory parade are held. Furthermore, the Military Band and Honor Guard Festival, which utilizes the characteristics of a naval port city, takes place on Friday evenings and weekends during the festival period. This military artistic performance, combining military bands and honor guards, features powerful marching performances by military bands and disciplined shows by honor guards in splendid uniforms, which can only be seen at the Jinhae Gunhangje Cherry Blossom Festival. The Naval Academy and Jinhae Naval Base Command, normally restricted access areas, are must-visit places during the festival period. Visitors can enjoy various experiential programs such as visiting the Naval Academy Museum and Geobukseon (turtle ship), warship public viewing, photo exhibitions, wearing naval uniforms, and yacht cruise boarding. Here, you can fully enjoy the grandeur of Korea's naval base and the magnificent cherry blossoms of over 100-year-old royal cherry trees. Known cherry blossom spots at Jinhae Gunhangje, which are must-visit places, include Naesumyeon Ecological Park, Yeojwacheon Stream, Gyeonghwa Station, Jinhae Tower, and Jinhaeru. If you take the Jehwangsan Monorail and look down at the cityscape from the rooftop of Jinhae Tower, you will see a terrain stretching long from east to west, with mountains like a folding screen above and a calm sea below. Centered around Jungwon Rotary's Eight Streets, 100-year-old buildings where modern and contemporary coexist, along with 360,000 cherry trees, blend together, allowing you to take in the charming and peaceful city at a glance. Jinhae-gu has three large rotaries in the city center: Jungwon, Bukwon, and Namwon Rotaries, with eight roads spreading out from each rotary. Modern cultural heritage sites are scattered in each alley around Jungwon Rotary, including 100-year-old buildings such as Jinhae Post Office, Seonhak Gomtang Restaurant, Heukbaek Cafe, Yeonghaeru, and Ppojokjip. After a time travel walk through the alleys of Jungwon Rotary's Eight Streets, the place to visit is the Gunhang Village History Museum, where you can directly hear storytelling with photos of the naval port's development and old cityscapes, which began in 1902, allowing you to fall into another charm that Jinhae's cherry blossoms embrace.
1. Main Programs: Jinhae Gunhangje Opening Ceremony, Military Band and Honor Guard Festival (Opening Ceremony, Marching Performance), Grand Memorial Service for Admiral Yi Chungmugong, Admiral Yi Chungmugong Victory Parade, Black Eagles Air Show, Cherry Blossom Music Festival, Jinhae Gunhangje Song Festival, Naval Port K-POP Dance Competition 2. Auxiliary Programs: Patriotic Parade, Fringe Performances, Cultural and Artistic Performances, Military Base Opening Events, Yeojwacheon Starlight Festival, Pop-up Stores, Jinhaeru Multimedia Fireworks Show, Jinhae Beach Park Emotional Pocha, etc. 3. Consumer Participation Programs: Jinhae Gunhangje Song Festival, Naval Port K-pop Dance Competition, Naval Port AI Video Contest, Blossom Symphony, Jinhae Cherry Blossom Fun Night Walk, Naval Port Night Festa 4. Other Content: Naval Port Brand Fair, Naval Port Village, National Haedong Gumdo Competition, etc.
1. Main Programs: Jinhae Gunhangje Opening Ceremony, Military Band and Honor Guard Festival (Opening Ceremony, Marching Performance), Grand Memorial Service for Admiral Yi Chungmugong, Admiral Yi Chungmugong Victory Parade, Black Eagles Air Show, Cherry Blossom Music Festival, Jinhae Gunhangje Song Festival, Naval Port K-POP Dance Competition 2. Auxiliary Programs: Patriotic Parade, Fringe Performances, Cultural and Artistic Performances, Military Base Opening Events, Yeojwacheon Starlight Festival, Pop-up Stores, Jinhaeru Multimedia Fireworks Show, Jinhae Beach Park Emotional Pocha, etc. 3. Consumer Participation Programs: Jinhae Gunhangje Song Festival, Naval Port K-pop Dance Competition, Naval Port AI Video Contest, Blossom Symphony, Jinhae Cherry Blossom Fun Night Walk, Naval Port Night Festa 4. Other Content: Naval Port Brand Fair, Naval Port Village, National Haedong Gumdo Competition, etc.
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