AP PHOTOS: Cherry blossoms lure admirers around north Asia
Posted April 11, 2017 7:00 am
China, Japan and South Korea may have their differences, but they mostly see eye-to-eye on cherry blossoms.
In all three north Asian countries, people flock to parks, gardens and temples to enjoy the beauty of the pinkish-white petals, often in the lingering chill of early spring.
The shared natural heritage has been a minor source of conflict: Japan is the most well-known for cherry blossoms, but researchers in South Korea and China have argued that their country is the birthplace of the cherry tree.
The horticultural disagreement seems far removed from the "oohs" and "ahs" of the admiring crowds, busy taking selfies and photos with smartphones and DSLRs.
In a series of triptychs, Associated Press photographers in Beijing, Seoul and Tokyo capture the ways people in each country interact with the blossoms.
Each set of images focuses on a theme: architecture, children, couples, picnics and others. The combined photos are notable as much for their similarities as their differences.
In this combination of photos showing cherry blossoms with both traditional and modern architecture in Tokyo, Beijing, and Seoul, from left to right: people enjoy lunch at Zojoji Buddhist temple in Tokyo, Friday, March 31, 2017; visitors to the Yuyuantan Cherry Blossom festival walk past a Chinese pavilion in Beijing, Saturday, March 25, 2017; the Lotte World Tower is seen near cherry blossoms in Seoul, Sunday, April 9, 2017. China, Japan and South Korea may have their differences, but they mostly see eye-to-eye on cherry blossoms. In all three north Asian countries, people flock to parks, gardens and temples to enjoy the beauty of the pinkish-white petals, often in the lingering chill of early spring. (AP Photos/Koji Sasahara, Ng Han Guan, Lee Jin-man)
The Associated Press
In this combination of photos showing couples with cherry blossoms in Tokyo, Beijing, and Seoul, from left to right: a couple in Japanese traditional wedding Kimonos pose for a photograph under the blooming cherry trees in Tokyo, Wednesday, April 5, 2017; a man and woman share a moment as cherry trees bloom at rear at Yuyuantan park in Beijing, Saturday, March 25, 2017; a man and woman on a bike take a selfie near cherry blossoms in Seoul, Monday, April 10, 2017. China, Japan and South Korea may have their differences, but they mostly see eye-to-eye on cherry blossoms. In all three north Asian countries, people flock to parks, gardens and temples to enjoy the beauty of the pinkish-white petals, often in the lingering chill of early spring. (AP Photos/Shizuo Kambayashi, Ng Han Guan, Ahn Young-joon)
The Associated Press
In this combination of photos showing cherry blossom themed treats and trinkets in Tokyo, Beijing, and Seoul, from left to right: rice dumplings, including one in pink, are sold at a park in Tokyo, Friday, March 31, 2017, cherry flower-shaped popsicles are sold at the Yuyuantan Cherry Blossom festival in Beijing, Saturday, March 25, 2017; a dog wears a cherry blossom-shaped pin in Seoul, Sunday, April 9, 2017. China, Japan and South Korea may have their differences, but they mostly see eye-to-eye on cherry blossoms. In all three north Asian countries, people flock to parks, gardens and temples to enjoy the beauty of the pinkish-white petals, often in the lingering chill of early spring. (AP Photos/Eugene Hoshiko, Ng Han Guan, Lee Jin-man)
The Associated Press
In this combination of photos from Tokyo, Beijing, and Seoul, from left to right: visitors ride paddle boats beneath blooming cherry trees on the Meguro river in Tokyo, Sunday, April 9, 2017; crowds walk at the Yuyuantan Cherry Blossom festival in Beijing, Saturday, March 25, 2017; visitors take souvenir photos with cherry blossoms in Seoul, Saturday, April 8, 2017. China, Japan and South Korea may have their differences, but they mostly see eye-to-eye on cherry blossoms. In all three north Asian countries, people flock to parks, gardens and temples to enjoy the beauty of the pinkish-white petals, often in the lingering chill of early spring. (AP Photos/Shizuo Kambayashi, Ng Han Guan, Lee Jin-man)
The Associated Press
In this combination of photos from Tokyo, Beijing, and Seoul, from left to right: crowds gather under a canopy of blossoms, Friday, April 7, 2017 in Tokyo; a child runs past men resting on a mat at the Yuyuantan Cherry Blossom festival in Beijing, Saturday, March 25, 2017; visitors sit near cherry blossoms in Seoul, Sunday, April 9, 2017. China, Japan and South Korea may have their differences, but they mostly see eye-to-eye on cherry blossoms. In all three north Asian countries, people flock to parks, gardens and temples to enjoy the beauty of the pinkish-white petals, often in the lingering chill of early spring. (AP Photos/Koji Sasahara, Ng Han Guan, Lee Jin-man)
The Associated Press
In this combination of photos, from left to right: a couple takes a selfie under the blooming cherry trees at Ueno park in Tokyo, Sunday, April 2, 2017; a woman takes a selfie with cherry blossoms in Beijing, Saturday, March 25, 2017; visitors take a selfie with cherry blossoms in Seoul; Saturday, April 8, 2017. In all three north Asian countries, people flock to parks, gardens and temples to enjoy the beauty of the pinkish-white petals, often in the lingering chill of early spring. (AP Photos/Shizuo Kambayashi, Ng Han Guan, Lee Jin-man)
The Associated Press
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