Seoul Searching | Seoul Rose Festival.

South Korea is beautiful any time of the year, but it's most beautiful in the spring when the weather is pleasant, the temperature is neither too cold nor too warm, and varieties of gorgeous flowers are in bloom. During this time, an abundance of festivals take place throughout the nation - some celebrating culture and the arts, others celebrating unique and local delicacies, not to mention those celebrating the flowers in bloom.

One of the more popular spring festivals in Korea is the Seoul Rose Festival usually held in May and takes place in the area of Jungnang-gu. This year, the festival commenced on May 19 and I made it a point to visit on its opening day. My friend Melissa - who came to Korea for a quick vacation - arrived in Seoul on the same day, and rushed over to Jungnang-gu as soon as she dropped her luggage off at the hostel that she was staying. It's not everyday that we get to experience events like this and just like me, she wouldn't miss this for the world! :)

Mel and I at the 2017 Seoul Rose Festival! :)

The Seoul Rose Festival is an annual event which showcases over a million roses of more than 40 varieties. The festival usually runs for three days (from Friday to Sunday), with a variety of programs based on each day's themes.

Roses in full bloom!

The first day of the festival was 'Rose Day', with the festivities kicking-off with a rose-themed parade complete with a military band. Merchants from Bulgaria also participated in the parade; they're dubbed as pros in the rose industry as they hail from Kazanlak, where the world-famous Rose Valley is located.

Participants of the Rose Parade.

Also held on that day was a Rose Singing Contest, which we happened to catch a glimpse of when we went near the stage. I'm not sure what prizes were up for grabs, but the contestants can only sing songs related to flowers. Mel and I were more amused at the crowd comprised mostly of middle-aged women, singing and dancing to the music. Ahjummas know how to have fun!

The Rose Stage, where performances were held.

A huge basket of roses.

Rose Garden.

All you need is love.

Sun, sky, and roses.

Mel and I enjoyed the sight and the scent of these colorful roses, stopping every once in awhile to take photos of varieties that we have not seen before.

A rare breed. :)

Gold rose.

Pink sweetheart roses.

Yue, on the other hand, had a blast at the experience zones - the playground, in particular - and the photo zones, which were scattered all over the place.

My Little Prince. :)

Let's get physical!

Mini library! 

The festival also featured an array of food trucks selling street food and traditional Korean dishes, and merchandise booths where you can buy traditional Korean souvenirs and festival memorabilia such as flower crowns and rose halos.

Yukhoe - raw beef seasoned with spices.

This stall sells grilled squid and the like.

However, the highlight of this festival is the Rose Tunnel, which stretches 5.15 kilometers long. Walking through the tunnel proved to be a challenge for the three of us as it was super crowded that day. There were photo zones along the way, but we did not have the chance to take pictures because of the massive crowd.

One of the pretty fixtures that we saw at the festival.

The Rose Tunnel!

Mel and my little man. :)

But we had a blast nonetheless, and we're definitely doing this again next year!

Promotional poster, 2017 Seoul Rose Festival.

To get to the festival venue, take the following routes:

- Meokgol Station Exit 7
Walk straight for approx. 40m. Turn left and walk straight for approx. 400m to Jungnangcheon Stream.
- Junghwa Station Exit 4
Turn left and walk straight for approx. 400m to Jungnangcheon Stream and Junghwa Sugyeong Park.

Watch the Facebook live video of the Seoul Rose Festival here.

Seoul Rose Festival
332, Jungnangcheon-ro, Jungnang-gu, Seoul