Text by / MOOK Scenic Spots Home Travel Life Network Editorial Team
With cherry blossom season here, aside from Japan and South Korea, the distant U.S. capital, Washington D.C., is also a famous destination for cherry blossom appreciation. Every year around March and April, around the Tidal Basin southwest of the Washington Monument, a thousand cherry trees bloom continuously along the lakeside. The pink and white blossoms hang lushly on the branches, swaying gracefully and presenting an incredibly beautiful sight, attracting many visitors to come and admire the cherry blossoms.
Washington D.C. is covered in cherry blossoms. (Image source / infohostels)
A breathtaking tunnel of cherry blossoms. (Image source / markvandyke)
There are nearly 7,000 cherry trees in total within Washington D.C. In 1912, the then Mayor of Tokyo, Yukio Ozaki, first gifted 3,000 cherry trees to Washington, hoping to promote friendly relations between the two cities. By 1965, Japan gifted another 3,800 cherry trees, making the lakesides of Washington D.C. each spring appear as if wrapped in a delicate pink cherry blossom scarf. Most of these nearly 7,000 cherry trees are Yoshino cherries, but they are somewhat different from the Yoshino cherries commonly seen in Taiwan. The Yoshino cherries in Washington are pale pink with white hues, appearing even fresher and more delicate under sunlight.
Pink and white cherry trees surround the lake. (Image source / americaskeswick)
Springtime Washington is brushed with a layer of pink by the cherry blossoms. (Image source / washington)
The Yoshino cherry trees in Washington D.C. are mainly concentrated around the Washington Monument, the National Mall, and the Tidal Basin area. It is predicted that the full bloom period of cherry blossoms in Washington D.C. in 2016 will be around April 4th to 6th, when the beautiful scenery of the vibrant pink cherry blossoms will be on full display.