Spring flowers expected to bloom at Joseon royal palaces and tombs starting Sunday

Spring flowers at the royal palaces and tombs are expected to bloom starting Sunday and continue to bloom until the end of May, the Cultural Heritage Administration’s Royal Palaces and Tomb Center said Friday.

The expected start date is two to seven days earlier than last year, with the yellow flowers of the blunt-lobed spice bushes at Changgyeonggung and Changdeokgung expected to start blooming Sunday and stay in bloom for two weeks.

From mid-March to May, the four palaces of the Joseon Kingdom in Seoul -- Changgyeonggung, Changdeokgung, Gyeongbokgung and Deoksugung -- and the shrine Jongmyo will see blossoms from diverse plants, attracting visitors and tourists. These include cherry, apricot and plum trees.

The trails around the Joseon royal tombs in Seoul and Gyeonggi Province that have undergone maintenance work will also feature peach blossoms and other flowers, such as the Japanese cornel and the Korean rosebay.

In observance of the social distancing guidelines, the Royal Palace and Tomb Center is insisting on a 3-meter distance between visitors, making visitors walk in one direction and requiring that masks be worn at all times.

For more information on the flowers that bloom at each palace and on each royal tomb trail, visitors can contact the information centers for the individual sites.

By Lim Jang-won (ljw@heraldcorp.com)