Gyerim Forest in Gyeongju was the most popular cherry blossom viewing spot at night time according to a list of nighttime cherry blossom sites released by SoCar, a South Korean car-sharing platform on Mar. 11, which is based on data from SoCar users’ stops in 2023.
The data was extracted based on the location of vehicles that were parked for more than an hour with the engine off within a 1-kilometer radius of renowned cherry blossom sites nationwide between 7 p.m. and midnight during the cherry blossom season (Mar. 20-Apr. 10) last year.
SoCar’s latest report indicated that their users frequented Gyerim Forest Forest in Gyeongju the most, followed by Ilsan Lake Park, Songdo Central Park, Yeojwacheon (Jinhae, Changwon, South Gyeongsang Province), and Suwon Hwaseong Fortress.
The car-sharing service also revealed regional cherry blossom spots where visitors can enjoy beautiful nocturnal scenes based on flowering times. In Gyeongsangbuk-do, which is the southern area of the country with the earliest cherry blossoms this year, Gyerim Forest, Yeojwacheon, Jehwangsan Park, Dalmaji Hill, Hwanho Park, and E-World were listed. In Jeolla-do and Chungcheong-do, people visited Uncheon Reservoir, Yudalsan Mountain, Deokjin Park, the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Dongmundong Catholic Church, and Haemicheon Stream were on the list.
In the Seoul metropolitan area, where the blossoms are expected to begin between late March and early April, Ilsan Lake Park Seoul Forest, and Songdo Central Park, were the most visited spots in the 2022 cherry blossom season. In Gangwon-do, Gyeongpoho Lake, Uiam Park, and Gongji Stream attracted many visitors.