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This dreamy cherry-blossom spot lets you combine a scenic drive with a leisurely walk. Where can you find about 1,000 king cherry trees lining both sides of the road?
Welcome to Donghaksa Cherry Blossom Road in Gongju, Chungnam. The 4.5 km (2.8 mi) route—from the Parkjeongja three-way intersection up to the Donghaksa parking lot—is lined with roughly 1,000 king cherry trees. When they’re in full bloom, they form a massive pink tunnel. As you cruise up the gentle slope, petals drift past your car window like confetti.
The Parkjeongja three-way intersection is your cue to begin. Just after the large \”Gyeryongsan National Park\” sign, fluttering blossoms greet you. Take it slow—the road is narrow and branches lean in from both sides, nearly brushing your car’s roof for a seriously magical moment.
The showstopper stretch runs from the Hakbong three-way intersection to the shopping complex. Because the road curves slightly, looking ahead from inside the car feels like being drawn into a never-ending pink tunnel. Be mindful here: sidewalks are narrow and many people walk this section, so keep your speed down.
After Gyeryongsan was designated a national park in 1968, the area was developed for tourism and the cherry trees were planted. Today, many of those trees are decades old and form a dense, leafy canopy along the road.
Donghaksa traces its roots to 724, when the monk Sangwonjo founded a temple called Cheongryangsa during the Unified Silla period. A crane-shaped rock sits to the east of the temple, and because the site enshrined Po-eun Jeong Mong-ju—venerated as a master of eastern ritual—it came to be called Donghak (Eastern Crane).
Today, Donghaksa is a training and study center for many Buddhist nuns. Inside the temple complex are memorial halls like Sukmojeon and Sam-eungak that honor loyalists from the Goryeo and Joseon eras. Sukmojeon houses memorial tablets for Danjong—who lost the throne to Sejo—and the loyalists who died for him, including the Six Martyred Ministers. Sam-eungak commemorates three late-Goryeo loyalists: Po-eun Jeong Mong-ju, Ya-eun Giljae, and Mogeun Yi Saek.
The walk from the Iljumun gate to the main hall follows a gently sloping valley, making for a pleasant stroll. In spring, pale pink blossoms and fresh green foliage mingle, and simply walking the trail feels like soaking up the season.
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