At a glance
| Dates | Expected Mar 2027Mid-March 2027 (28th edition): nine days from a Saturday to the following Sunday, set around the forecast sansuyu bloom. Recent runs were 11–19 Mar 2023, 9–17 Mar 2024, 15–23 Mar 2025 and 14–22 Mar 2026. The 2026 dates were public by 26 January 2026 and the 2025 dates by 19 February 2025; 2027 dates not announced as of 19 Oct 2026. |
|---|---|
| Next edition | 2027: Mid-March 2027 (28th edition): nine days from a Saturday to the following Sunday, set around the forecast sansuyu bloom. Recent runs were 11–19 Mar 2023, 9–17 Mar 2024, 15–23 Mar 2025 and 14–22 Mar 2026. The 2026 dates were public by 26 January 2026 and the 2025 dates by 19 February 2025; 2027 dates not announced as of 19 Oct 2026. |
| Admission | Free: the festival grounds and the flower paths through the villages cost nothing (KTO lists the festival as free). Some hands-on programmes, food and local products are paid.Festival admission: Free · Parking at the Jirisan Hot Spring Tourist Site lots: Free (2026 prices) |
| Venue | Jirisan Hot Spring Tourist Site and Sansuyu Culture Center, Sandong-myeon전라남도 구례군 산동면 상관1길 45 |
| Nearest station | Guryegu Station (구례구역), Korail Jeolla Line (KTX, Saemaeul, Mugunghwa)Not walkable: about 30 minutes by taxi to the festival, or a short taxi ride to Gurye Public Bus Terminal and the county bus. The station has a Gurye County tourist information centre. |
| From Seoul | about 3 h 10 min · KTX + TaxiLeave from Seoul Station · One-way fare from ₩40,100Full route · Festivals by travel time from Seoul |
| Organizer | Gurye Sansuyu Flower Festival Promotion Committee (Gurye County)구례산수유꽃축제추진위원회 (구례군) |
| Usual timing | Nine days from a Saturday to the following Sunday in mid-March, timed to the sansuyu bloom (2024: 9–17 Mar; 2025: 15–23 Mar; 2026: 14–22 Mar). Gurye County publishes the dates in January or February (by 26 January in 2026, by 19 February in 2025). Browse March festivals. |
| First held | 1999 |
| Last checked | 19 October 2026Checked against 36 sources · See sources |
Bloom forecast: Flower festivals set or move their dates by the bloom forecast, so this window can shift by a week or two. Check again a few weeks before you go.
What it is like
Every March the lower slopes of Jirisan in Sandong-myeon, Gurye, turn yellow with the small clustered flowers of sansuyu, the Korean cornelian cherry. Gurye calls this the largest sansuyu grove in Korea: more than 110,000 trees grow in Sandong-myeon alone, and the county supplies about 70% of the country's sansuyu, a red berry that is dried for tea and traditional medicine. The festival, first held in 1999, is Gurye's spring opener and its biggest draw: about 300,000 people came during the 2019 edition, the last before three years lost to COVID-19.
The festival centre is the Jirisan Hot Spring Tourist Site, with the Sansuyu Culture Center as its address, but the point is the walk up through the grove villages. Paths follow the stream from the culture centre to Banggok village and on to Sangwi village, where the trees are thickest, between old stone walls, at about 400 m. The 27th edition ran 14–22 March 2026 under the theme 'Eternal love, a yellow flutter blooming in Gurye', after the flower's Korean meaning of everlasting love. It opened at 10:00 on the first Saturday with a harvest prayer ritual at the site of the first sansuyu tree, and at 15:00 with an opening concert of trot singers. Programmes through the nine days included a sansuyu fruit-shelling contest, a golden-bell quiz, rice-cake pounding, free sansuyu tea, children's craft tables, busking, a nongak farmers' music performance and a 'tunnel of light and love' at the entrance, where visitors hang heart-shaped wishes.
Entry is free and the villages are open at all hours; KTO gives festival hours of 09:00–18:00. The honest caveats: the bloom decides the dates, so a cold or warm spring can leave the opening weekend thin or the last days past their best; Sandong-myeon is about 30 minutes by taxi from the nearest KTX station and county buses are sparse; on weekends the village roads run one-way and the last 2.5 km by car can take an hour; and the stone-walled lanes are narrow and uneven. The Gwangyang plum blossom festival runs in the same weeks downriver on the Seomjin, so many visitors combine the two.
Highlights
- Korea's largest sansuyu grove: more than 110,000 cornelian cherry trees in Sandong-myeon, at the foot of Jirisan
- Flower-path walks from the Sansuyu Culture Center along the stream to Banggok village and up to Sangwi village, between stone walls
- Opening Saturday: harvest prayer ritual at the site of the first sansuyu tree (10:00) and an opening concert (15:00; Son Tae-jin, Eleven, Hyun Jin-woo and Lee Jung-ok in 2026)
- Sansuyu fruit-shelling contest, sansuyu golden-bell quiz and rice-cake pounding, with free sansuyu tea tastings
- Children's craft tables (character keyrings, dreamcatchers, pin badges) and a 'tunnel of light and love' hung with heart-shaped wishes
- Free entry; the grove villages are open at all hours, with the Jirisan hot springs at the festival site
Who it suits. Best for photographers, walkers and anyone chasing Korea's first spring flowers, especially paired with the Gwangyang plum blossom in the same week; less suited to visitors relying on quick public transport or with limited mobility, because county buses are sparse and the village lanes are narrow and uneven.
Getting there
From Seoul
Train: KTX from Seoul Station to Guryegu Station (구례구역), about 2 h 37 m–3 h 20 m for ₩40,100 standard class (fare as of October 2026, after the 1 Sep 2026 KTX–SRT merger). From Guryegu a taxi to the festival takes about 30 minutes (₩35,000–40,000, 2023 estimate); or take a taxi (₩6,000–7,000) to Gurye Public Bus Terminal and the county bus marked 중동 (Jungdong) to its last stop, about 40 minutes, then walk 5 minutes to the flower paths. Bus: eight a day from Seoul Nambu Terminal to Gurye as listed in October 2026 (3 h 13 m; ₩31,600 deluxe, ₩41,100 premium, ₩24,300 regular), then the same county bus. KTX from Yongsan to Suncheon (₩42,300) and a bus on to Gurye also works.
From Busan
Buses link Gurye Public Bus Terminal and Busan Seobu (Sasang) Terminal four times a day, about 2 h 35 m, ₩20,400 (Gurye-side timetable; Busan departure times not checked), then the county bus to Sandong-myeon. By rail, trains from Bujeon to Suncheon run a few times a day, with Jeolla Line trains north to Guryegu (times not checked).
Last leg from Guryegu Station
Korail Jeolla Line (KTX, Saemaeul, Mugunghwa). Not walkable: about 30 minutes by taxi to the festival, or a short taxi ride to Gurye Public Bus Terminal and the county bus. The station has a Gurye County tourist information centre.
Festival shuttle
Weekend shuttle buses ran in 2025 and 2026, looping between the parking areas and the main points of the festival (two routes in 2025); check this edition's notice for times. Routes were published only as a map image, and stops, frequency and any fare were not given on the pages opened.
Getting home
Guryegu Station had six trains a day to Seoul Station in October 2026, and KTX trains to Yongsan also leave from Suncheon; buses run from Gurye Public Bus Terminal to Seoul Nambu (3 h 13 m). The timetables for March 2027 have not been checked: check the last train in the Korail+ app (코레일+) or at the station, and the last bus at Gurye Public Bus Terminal, before the festival day. The time of the last county bus from Sandong back to Gurye was not found.
Parking
Free lots at the Jirisan Hot Spring Tourist Site (the large lot is the main one, with shuttle access), a lot at the Sansuyu Culture Center, and small lots in Banggok and Sangwi villages that fill early (2026 lots also at 위안리 694-1, the Sangwi village hall at 산수유꽃길로 227 and a café lot at 위안리 333-5). On weekends the village roads run one-way, and traffic can take about an hour over the last 2.5 km; arrive before 08:00.
How to switch Naver Map and Kakao Map to English
Google Maps shows train, subway and bus routes in Korea but not walking or driving directions yet, so for the walk from the station Naver Map or Kakao Map is more reliable.
Before you go
1330 · Travel hotline
The Korea Tourism Organization’s helpline answers in English, Japanese and Chinese around the clock, and in several other languages from 08:00 to 19:00. Dial 1330 from a Korean phone, or +82-2-1330 from a phone registered abroad.
112 / 119 · Emergencies
112 for police, 119 for fire and ambulance. Both are free from any phone. Police on 112 can add an English or Chinese interpreter to the call.
T-money card
Buy one at a convenience store such as GS25, CU or 7-Eleven and top it up there with cash. It pays for subways and buses in most cities, and for most taxis.
Maps
Use Naver Map or Kakao Map for walking and bus directions; Google Maps does not yet give walking directions in Korea. Both apps can be switched to English. Naver Map: Menu (≡) → Settings → Language (Japanese and Chinese also available). Kakao Map: Menu (≡) → Settings → App settings → Language. If the option is missing, change your phone’s language and reopen the app. Small shop names and some reviews stay in Korean.
Trains and buses
Book trains on Korail’s English site and express buses on Kobus. Holiday weekends sell out first.
Checked 18 October 2026.
Tickets, prices and practical details
| Item | Price | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Festival admission | Free | Free (KTO listing); some hands-on programmes and food cost extra |
| Parking at the Jirisan Hot Spring Tourist Site lots | Free | Free per a 2026 visitor guide |
- Booking
- No booking or ticket is needed. Arrangements for individual contests and hands-on sessions were published in Korean only.
- English on site
- Festival notices and programmes are in Korean; KTO lists the festival in Japanese and Chinese. No English programme or English-language guide service was found.
- Crowds
- Busy, especially on the two weekends: about 300,000 people came during the 2019 festival, and weekend traffic into Sandong-myeon queues. Weekdays are calmer.
- Best time to go
- Peak bloom usually falls in mid- to late March (around 18 March in 2026), and full bloom can last into early April in a cool year. Go on a weekday; light is softest before 10:00 or after 16:00.
- What to bring
- Comfortable shoes for stone lanes and stream paths, a warm layer (the villages sit at about 400 m at the foot of Jirisan) and a camera.
- Toilets
- KTO's Sansuyu Village listing notes restrooms in the village; the locations of festival toilets were not published.
- Step-free access
- The stone-walled lanes in Banggok and Sangwi are narrow and uneven and hard going with strollers or wheelchairs; the flat paths around the main venue are easier. The 2023 edition offered a barrier-free walking course; whether it continued is not known.
Editions
| Year | Dates | Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2027 | Mid-March 2027 (28th edition): nine days from a Saturday to the following Sunday, set around the forecast sansuyu bloom. Recent runs were 11–19 Mar 2023, 9–17 Mar 2024, 15–23 Mar 2025 and 14–22 Mar 2026. The 2026 dates were public by 26 January 2026 and the 2025 dates by 19 February 2025; 2027 dates not announced as of 19 Oct 2026. | expected | Because the dates follow the bloom forecast, the window can move earlier or later with the season. |
| 2026 | 14–22 Mar 2026 | ended | Main venue around the Jirisan Hot Spring Tourist Site (address: Sansuyu Culture Center, 45 Sanggwan 1-gil). Weekend shuttle buses circulated between the parking areas and the main points, and village roads ran one-way on weekends. |
| 2025 | 15–23 Mar 2025 | ended | Shuttle buses on two routes; a camper-van zone at Gwansan sports ground (관산운동장). |
| 2024 | 9–17 Mar 2024 | ended | 25th edition. |
| 2023 | 11–19 Mar 2023 | ended | 24th edition. |
Before or after the festival
Places you can fit in before or after the festival without missing the shuttle or the last train or bus back.
- Gurye five-day market (구례5일장)Before or after
One of the region's biggest five-day markets, where Jirisan wild greens, medicinal herbs, sansuyu, chestnuts and persimmons are sold and stalls serve red-bean porridge and sugure gukbap. It runs only on dates ending in 3 and 8 (05:00–19:00), and a nine-day festival always includes at least one; coming by bus, browse before the county bus up to Sandong or on the way home before the bus to Seoul. Tip: buy dried sansuyu here at the end of the day rather than carry it around the villages.
Getting there: About 10 minutes on foot from Gurye Public Bus Terminal, where the county bus to the festival leaves; free
One of Jirisan's great temples, founded by tradition in 544, whose Gakhwangjeon is Korea's largest surviving wooden hall (a National Treasure); beside it grows the Hwaeommae, a dark-red plum made a natural monument in 2024. Go after the flower paths: entry is free and it is open until 18:00 (no entry after sunset), and a taxi from there takes you on to Guryegu Station. In 2026 the plum reached full bloom on or after the festival's last day, so expect buds earlier in the run.
Getting there: Taxi from the festival grounds (fare not published); the temple is about 5.4 km east of Gurye town at the foot of Jirisan
Questions travelers ask
When is the Gurye Sansuyu Flower Festival 2027?
Not yet announced as of 19 October 2026. Expect nine days, Saturday to Sunday, in mid-March 2027, set around the bloom forecast. Recent editions ran 9–17 March 2024, 15–23 March 2025 and 14–22 March 2026, with dates published in January or February.
Is the Gurye Sansuyu Flower Festival free?
Yes. Entry to the festival grounds and the flower paths is free, and the parking lots at the Jirisan Hot Spring Tourist Site have been free. Some hands-on programmes and food cost extra.
How do I get to the Gurye sansuyu villages by public transport?
Take the KTX from Seoul Station to Guryegu (about 2 h 37 m–3 h 20 m, ₩40,100) and a taxi of about 30 minutes, or a bus from Seoul Nambu Terminal to Gurye (3 h 13 m, from ₩24,300). From Gurye Public Bus Terminal, the county bus marked 중동 (Jungdong) takes about 40 minutes; get off at the last stop.
When do the sansuyu blossoms peak in Gurye?
Usually mid- to late March; in 2026 the peak came around 18 March. Sansuyu flowers a little before forsythia, and full bloom can run into early April in a cool spring.
What is sansuyu?
Sansuyu is the Korean cornelian cherry, a small tree whose clusters of tiny yellow flowers open in March before the leaves. Its red berries are dried for tea and traditional medicine; Gurye grows about 70% of Korea's crop, with more than 110,000 trees in Sandong-myeon.
Can I combine the Gurye Sansuyu and Gwangyang Maehwa festivals?
Yes. They run in the same weeks: in 2026 Gwangyang's plum festival ran 13–22 March and Gurye's 14–22 March. Both lie on the Seomjin River, and many visitors see the yellow sansuyu and the white plum blossom on one trip.
Is it hard to drive and park at the festival?
On weekends, yes. Village roads run one-way and the last 2.5 km can take about an hour. Use the free lots at the Jirisan Hot Spring Tourist Site and the weekend shuttle, or arrive before 08:00.
Sources and verification
Facts checked
19 October 2026, against the sources listed below.
This page is desk research from the sources below, not a firsthand report of the 2027 edition. Confidence in the current facts: medium.
- ktriptips (KTO TourAPI mirror) — 구례산수유꽃축제 (contentId 506398)kto — 2026 dates 14–22 Mar; hours 09:00–18:00; free; venue 산수유문화관, 산동면 상관1길 45; coordinates 35.3196/127.4703; organizer 구례산수유꽃축제추진위원회; phone 061-780-2390; homepage www.gurye.go.kr; programme list (harvest ritual, opening with Son Tae-jin, fruit-shelling contest, rice-cake pounding, keyrings, flower-path walk, busking); listing modified 2 Jul 2026
- ktriptips (KTO Japanese data mirror) — 求礼山茱萸花祭り (contentId 693374)kto — KTO Japanese name 求礼山茱萸花祭り; 14–22 Mar 2026; 9:00–18:00; free; organizer 求礼サンシュユ祭り推進委員会; +82-61-780-2390; programme incl. harvest ritual, children's archery, flower-path walk, nongak
- ktriptips (KTO Chinese data mirror) — 求礼山茱萸花庆典 (contentId 702130)kto — KTO Simplified Chinese name 求礼山茱萸花庆典; 14–22 Mar 2026; free; organizer 求礼郡; +82-61-780-2390
- ktriptips (KTO Traditional Chinese data mirror) — 求禮山茱萸村 (contentId 1349852)kto — Sansuyu village at about 400 m in 山洞面; open 24 hours, year-round, free, free parking; refers to the spring festival as 求禮山茱萸慶典
- ktriptips (KTO TourAPI mirror) — 구례 산수유마을 (contentId 1269517)kto — Sansuyu Village, 산동면 위안리: open at all times, free, free parking, restrooms; phone 061-783-1039; over 70% of national production; links to Jirisan Dulle-gil course 7; festival listing 2,250 m (about 2.3 km) away
- Twig24 — 사랑, 노란 설렘으로 피어나다… 구례산수유꽃축제 화이트데이에 개막 (3 Mar 2026)news — 27th edition, 14–22 Mar 2026 (9 days), Jirisan Hot Spring Tourist Site; theme; tunnel of light and love; fruit-shelling contest, golden-bell quiz, rice-cake pounding, free tea, keyrings, dreamcatchers, pin buttons, busking, nongak; 14 Mar 10:00 harvest ritual at the 산수유 시목지, 15:00 opening with Son Tae-jin, Eleven, Hyun Jin-woo, Lee Jung-ok
- heraldk.com — 매화·산수유·진달래...‘3월 남도는 울긋불긋 꽃대궐’ (2 Mar 2026)news — 27th Gurye festival 14–22 Mar 2026, 9 days, Jirisan Hot Spring Tourist Site; opening-day 10:00 ritual and 15:00 ceremony; programme list; Gwangyang Maehwa Festival 13–22 Mar 2026
- Wikitree — 봄이면 인기 폭발하는데... 전남 구례 '산수유꽃축제', 올해 개막일은? (26 Jan 2026)news — 2026 dates 14–22 Mar public by 26 Jan 2026; free entry; first held in 1999; Korea's largest sansuyu grove; about 70% of national output; more than 110,000 trees in Sandong-myeon; full bloom mid-March to early April, slightly before forsythia; local bus or taxi from Gurye Public Bus Terminal; some village roads closed; fireworks
- Weekly Khan — ‘노란 물결’ 위에 내려앉는 봄 (24 Mar 2026)news — 27th edition held 14–22 Mar 2026 in Sandong-myeon; Korea's largest sansuyu grove; theme; harvest ritual, concerts, busking, flower-path walk, free tea, children's crafts, wish-writing; Banggok village
- heraldk.com — 산수유·홍매화 질 무렵...구례 300리 벚꽃 볼만해 (21 Mar 2026)news — Sansuyu festival closes 22 Mar 2026; Hwaeomsa red plum about 90% in bloom on 21 Mar 2026; Gurye 300-ri Cherry Blossom Festival 28–30 Mar 2026 at Seosicheon Sports Park and Munchuk-myeon; 129 km cherry road
- The Korea Herald — report on the 27th Gurye Sansuyu Festival (15 Mar 2026)news — English name 'Gurye Sansuyu Festival'; 27th edition running to 22 Mar 2026 at the Jirisan Hot Spring complex in Sandong, one of the largest sansuyu celebrations
- KPI News — 봄의 향연 '구례산수유꽃축제' 내달 15일 팡파르 (19 Feb 2025)news — 26th edition 15–23 Mar 2025 (9 days), Jirisan Hot Spring Tourist Site; county briefing 18 Feb 2025; theme; 24 events in 5 categories; 10:00 harvest ritual and 18:00 opening with Lim Chang-jung, Na Tae-joo, Jang Ye-ju, Lee Jung-ok; children's archery, world traditional games; reusable dishes; shuttle on 2 routes; camper-van zone at 관산운동장
- fanmaum community — 2025 봄 꽃구경 구례 산수유꽃 축제 (14 Mar 2025, visitor post)blog — 2025 dates 15–23 Mar; shuttle buses 09:00–18:00; one-way village roads on weekends; Banggok and Wonjwa villages
- Yeogi Eottae travel magazine — 2025 구례 산수유꽃축제blog — 2025 dates 15 (Sat)–23 (Sun) Mar; 2024 programme: harvest ritual, opening performance, fruit-shelling contest, children's archery, flower-path walk, nongak festival
- News1 — 꽃샘추위 누그러진 주말 '전국에 봄꽃 물결' (10 Mar 2024)news — 25th edition held 9–17 Mar 2024 in Sandong-myeon; Korea's largest sansuyu grove
- ELLE Korea — DAILY NEWS (5 Mar 2024)news — 2024 dates 9–17 Mar; theme '영원한 사랑을 찾아서'; fruit-shelling contest, flower-path walk, free sansuyu and traditional tea, rice-cake pounding, trot concerts by local singers, busking
- Munhwa Ilbo — report on the 24th Gurye Sansuyu Flower Festival, held for the first time in four years (11 Mar 2023)news — 24th edition 11–19 Mar 2023, first in four years after three years off for COVID-19; about 300,000 visitors during the 2019 festival; about 70% of national sansuyu fruit; 40-plus programmes; three themed walks incl. barrier-free course; magic and bubble shows
- infoarounds — 2026 구례 산수유꽃축제 가이드 (visitor guide)blog — Free entry; 14–22 Mar 2026, peak bloom around 18 Mar; parking at Sansuyu Culture Center, Jirisan Hot Spring large lot and Banggok/Sangwi small lots; weekend one-way loop; weekend shuttle 09:00–18:00; course Culture Center → Banggok → Sangwi; narrow stone-wall lanes; light before 10:00 or after 16:00; arrive before 08:00
- TALI.KR — 2026 구례 산수유 축제 행사정보와 일정 (14 Mar 2026)blog — 14 (Sat)–22 (Sun) Mar 2026, 09:00–18:00, free; opening 15:00; weekend shuttle loop; free parking at Jirisan Hot Spring Tourist Site; lots at 위안리 694-1, 산수유꽃길로 227 (Sangwi village hall), 위안리 333-5; one-way traffic, about 1 hour from 2.5 km out; Gurye County Culture & Tourism 061-780-2390
- There She Goes Again — Visiting the Gurye Sansuyu Festival (blog, updated 2023)blog — Free entry; taxi Guryegu Station–festival about 30 min, ₩35,000–40,000 (Kakao estimate); taxi station–terminal ₩6,000–7,000; county bus marked 중동 to the last stop, ₩2,200, about 40 min; 5-minute walk to the blossom paths; weekday tip
- transportation.asamaru.net — 서울남부터미널 → 구례공영버스터미널 timetable (data 18 Oct 2026)other — 8 departures 06:40–19:30; 3 h 13 m; ₩31,600 deluxe, ₩41,100 premium, ₩24,300 regular (weekday, adult)
- transportation.asamaru.net — 구례공영버스터미널 departures (data 12 Oct 2026)other — Gurye → Seoul Nambu 8 a day, 06:50–19:50 (last arrives 23:38), 3 h 48 m; Gurye → Busan Seobu (Sasang) 4 a day, about 2 h 35 m, ₩20,400; frequent buses to Suncheon and Gwangju
- Seoul Station → Guryegu train timetable, 19–25 Oct 2026 (third-party mirror of the national timetable feed, page last modified 2026-10-19)other — Five trains a day on 23–25 Oct: KTX 505 06:44 (arr 09:27), KTX-Sancheon 541 07:05 (arr 10:25), Saemaeul 2521 08:04 (arr 12:18), KTX-Sancheon 521 16:29 (arr 19:08), KTX-Sancheon 525 18:36 (arr 21:13); KTX 2 h 37 m–3 h 20 m, ₩40,100; Saemaeul ₩17,600. Guryegu → Seoul: 6 a day on 23–25 Oct, first 05:41, last 18:40
- Yeogiyu (여기유) — 구례구역 (Guryegu Station)other — Guryegu Station: Jeolla Line, KTX, Saemaeul and Mugunghwa stop; 섬진강로 217, Hwangjeon-myeon, Suncheon; Gurye County tourist information centre inside; Saseongam about 4 km
- train.asamaru.net — 용산역→순천역 timetableother — KTX times, ₩42,300 fare, train count
- Suncheon → Yongsan train timetable, 17–23 Oct 2026 (third-party mirror of the MOLIT/data.go.kr national timetable feed, page last modified 2026-10-17)other — 19:46 KTX-Sancheon 530 (arr 22:34), 20:44 KTX-Sancheon 532 (arr 23:26), last 22:15 KTX-Sancheon 534 (arr 00:44)
- Suncheon → Bujeon train timetable, 18–24 Oct 2026 (third-party mirror of the national timetable feed, page last modified 2026-10-18)other — Suncheon → Bujeon 4 trains a day, same every day: Mugunghwa 1962 06:24 (arr 09:32), Saemaeul 1932 10:06 (arr 12:45), Mugunghwa 1964 15:10 (arr 18:24), Mugunghwa 1982 17:06 (arr 20:28); 2 h 39 m–3 h 22 m; adult standard ₩12,400 Mugunghwa, ₩19,200 Saemaeul. Return summary: Bujeon → Suncheon 4 a day, first 06:12, last 18:53
- Korail — 열차운임/시간표 (official timetable and fare downloads)official — Index of current Korail timetables and fares: KTX timetables of 15 May 2026 and 1 Nov 2026; 'KTX 운임표(2026. 9. 1. 기준)' as the current KTX fare table
- Korail press release: 코레일-에스알 9월 1일 하나로…안전 최우선, 더 편리한 고속철도의 시작 (31 Aug 2026)official — Integration and integrated running from 1 Sep 2026; KTX and SRT merged into KTX; average KTX fare cut about 10%; Suseo-axis seats up about 30%; 5% mileage; Korail+ app (Korail Talk + SRT app) launched 3 Aug
- Seoul Shinmun — ‘산수유 1번지’ 전남 구례 (18 Mar 2010)news — 12th Gurye Sansuyu Flower Festival in 2010 (18–21 Mar, Jirisan Hot Spring area), consistent with a first festival in 1999; with 2023 the 24th, the numbering counts the three COVID years 2020–22
- KTO tourist data — 화엄사 (ktriptips mirror, modified 30 Jun 2026)kto — Hwaeomsa, 화엄사로 539, Masan-myeon, about 5.4 km east of Gurye-eup at the foot of Jirisan; founded 544 by Yeongi (tradition); Gakhwangjeon a National Treasure and the largest surviving wooden building in Korea; stone lantern in front 6.3 m, the largest in Korea; hours to 18:00, no entry after sunset; open year-round; free admission; free parking; homepage hwaeomsa.or.kr
- Sports Kyunghyang — 화엄사 홍매화, 국가유산 자연유산 천연기념물 지정 (25 Jan 2024)news — Hwaeomsa red plum designated natural monument 구례 화엄사 화엄매(華嚴梅) in January 2024; the only dark-red flower among the four designated plums
- Weekly Kyunghyang — 전남 구례 화엄사 홍매화 (20 Mar 2024)news — The Hwaeomsa red plum stands beside Gakhwangjeon
- Herald (heraldk.com) — 화엄사 홍매화 만개 (21 Mar 2026)news — Temple reported the Hwaeommae in full bloom on the morning of 22 Mar 2026, first buds 6 Mar; natural monument; Guryegu Station then taxi to Hwaeomsa; bloom live cam on the temple website; sansuyu festival running at the same time
- Herald (heraldk.com) — 검붉은 화엄사 홍매화 ‘청명’에도 볼 수 있어요 (27 Mar 2026)news — Hwaeommae began blooming 22 Mar and was in full bloom 28 Mar 2026, expected to last to Cheongmyeong (early April); beside Gakhwangjeon
- KTO tourist data — 구례5일장 / 구례전통시장 (3, 8일) (ktriptips mirror, modified 31 Aug 2026)kto — Market days 3, 8, 13, 18, 23, 28; 05:00–19:00; 5일시장작은길 20, Gurye-eup; about 10 minutes on foot from Gurye bus terminal; wild greens, herbs, sansuyu, chestnuts, persimmons; red-bean porridge and sugure gukbap
What we could not confirm
- Gurye County's own 2026 festival notice (gurye.go.kr) was not opened; dates and programmes come from KTO data via a mirror and news reports, and shuttle, parking and traffic details from a 2025 news report and visitor guides.
- Weekend shuttle routes, stops, frequency and fare were published only as a map image; not confirmed.
- County bus times, current fare and last return bus between Gurye Public Bus Terminal and Sandong-myeon (the 중동 route): the ₩2,200 fare and 40-minute ride come from a 2023 blog.
- Last train from Guryegu (and last KTX from Suncheon) and last bus from Gurye to Seoul Nambu on the festival dates under the timetable in force that day. Taxi times and fares from Guryegu are a 2023 estimate.
- No official visitor totals were found for 2023–2026; the latest figure is about 300,000 for 2019.
- No closing report was found for the 2025 edition, so whether it ran in full to 23 March 2025 was not confirmed.
- No KTO Traditional Chinese festival listing was found (names.zhHant left null); KTO's Traditional Chinese village listing refers to the festival as 求禮山茱萸慶典. No KTO English festival listing was found; the English name follows the Korea Herald.
- The festival is not in the site's TourAPI snapshot (listed.json); the KTO contentId 506398 comes from a TourAPI mirror. KTO pages label the province 전남광주통합특별시; the record keeps Jeollanam-do per site convention.
- Foreign-card acceptance, festival toilet locations, rain policy and pet rules were not published.
- 2027 dates not announced as of 19 October 2026; recent dates were published in late January to mid-February.
- Taxi time and fare from the festival grounds to Hwaeomsa, and from Hwaeomsa to Guryegu Station, were not found.
- Reports differ on the 2026 full bloom of Hwaeomsa's red plum (22 March in a 21 March report, 28 March in a 27 March report); the nearby note says only that it came on or after the festival's last day.
Changes: 2026-10-19 — Added to the site: fact-first record (dates, hours, prices, getting there, sources). · 2026-10-19 — Added a photograph from the Korea Tourism Organization (Korea Tourism Content Lab), KOGL Type 1. · 2026-10-20 — Founding year 1999 checked against the 2010 edition number (12th); the edition numbering counts the three COVID years. · 2026-10-21 — Transport: removed first/last train and bus clock times from the October 2026 timetables, which do not cover March 2027; journey times, frequencies and fares kept, with a reminder to check the last train and bus before the festival day. · 2026-10-30 — Nearby rewritten as 'Before or after the festival' (shuttle and last-train fit); transport: removed the 2025–26 weekend shuttle hours from the shuttle text and the parking FAQ; prices: entry was already 'free', parking now 'has been free' without a year label.
