Autumn Chrysanthemums in Korea: Stories, Festivals & Places

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One of the flowers that represents autumn in Korea is the chrysanthemum, which blooms from September to November.

Chrysanthemums have long been familiar to people in Korea and have become part of its cultural landscape and seasonal traditions.

In this edition of JIRO Letter, we explore the stories and culture surrounding chrysanthemums, from the film Scent of Love to Korean chrysanthemum folktales, festivals, and notable places where you can enjoy these beautiful autumn flowers.

Discover the many stories behind the chrysanthemum and experience a different side of autumn in Korea with JIRO.

The Story of Chrysanthemums, Korea’s Autumn Flower

Chrysanthemums are typical autumn flowers that bloom from September to November.

The Symbolism and Flower Meaning of Chrysanthemums

Chrysanthemums are one of the Four Gentlemen, symbolizing noble character and integrity.

The Meaning of Chrysanthemums by Color

White: Sincerity, truth, gratitude, and nobility
Yellow: Unrequited love, disappointment, truth, joy, and friendship
Pink: Love, gratitude, and affection
Red: Love, passion, and true love
Purple: Love, sincerity, elegance, and nobility

"Your hair smells like chrysanthemums, Sunbae.”
— <The Scent of Love> 2003 · Directed by Lee Jeong-wook

Hee-jae and In-ha’s love begins with the scent of chrysanthemums. 
Like chrysanthemums that bloom for a long time, their feelings for each other deepen as they cherish them over the years.

A film that makes us think of chrysanthemums’ flower meaning: “true love.”

Chrysanthemum Tea in the Joseon Dynasty — Recipe

A tea made by drying the flowers of wild chrysanthemums, a type of chrysanthemum.

Chrysanthemums are a traditional herbal ingredient believed to help cool the body and refresh the eyes and mind.

1. Pick half-bloomed wild chrysanthemums.
2. Scrape off the green outer layer of the flower base.
3. Boil them in spring water, then add honey before drinking.

— From Ojuyeonmunjangjeonsango, an encyclopedia by Yi Gyu-gyeong, a Silhak scholar of the Joseon Dynasty —

Remove the calyxes from fully bloomed wild chrysanthemums.
Coat them with honey to moisten them.
Roll them in starch powder.
Briefly dip them in boiling water, then remove them.
Add them to honey water, top with pine nuts, and drink.

Chrysanthemum Wine (A Royal Celebratory Drink)

First recorded in documents from the Goryeo Dynasty, and later included in the Joseon medical text Donguibogam.

Ingredients

Water: 6 doe
Yeast: 1 teaspoon
Chrysanthemum flowers: a small amount

Glutinous rice: 2 doe
Nuruk: 2 sheetst

Chrysanthemums can be added when brewing the alcohol, or their fragrance can be infused into liquor made only from grains and nuruk.

Recipe
1) 1Rinse the glutinous rice and soak it in water for about 3       
   hours, then steam it to make steamed rice for brewing.
2) Crush the nuruk, soak it in water, and strain it 
    through a sieve.
3] In an earthenware jar, mix the steamed rice with
   chrysanthemums, yeast, and the strained nuruk water. 
             
4] Ferment in a warm room for 4–5 days.
I   nsert a traditional rice-wine strainer
   and strain the fermented liquor.

When did white chrysanthemums begin to be used at funerals?

During the late Joseon period, when Confucian culture was dominant, incense rather than flowers was mainly used at funerals. 
After Western culture began to enter Korea following the signing of the Treaty of Ganghwa, a new funeral custom emerged in which chrysanthemums were used alongside black mourning clothes. 
It is said that white chrysanthemums came to be used as funeral flowers because they harmonized with Korea’s traditional funeral attire of white mourning clothes and hemp garments.

The Legend of the Chrysanthemum

Long ago, there was a young man in China who made a living by fishing.
One day, he was caught in a storm and swept to the coast of Japan.

He was found by a Japanese girl. She taught him Japanese and helped him adapt to his new surroundings, and the two fell in love.

However, the girl’s father opposes their marriage because the young man is poor. 
The young man then plans to make money by selling Japanese goods in China. 
Before leaving, he promises to bring her flower seeds when he returns.

After several years of doing business, the young man becomes rich!!! 
He returns to Japan with chrysanthemum seeds. But the girl has already married someone else and become a mother to a child…

Heartbroken, the young man planted the chrysanthemum seeds on a hill by the sea.
“What did I work so hard to make money for?”
Tears welled up in his eyes and fell onto the chrysanthemum seeds.

The chrysanthemums touched by his tears bloomed white. 
Thus, white chrysanthemums are said to have become a symbol of sincerity.

Chrysanthemum Festivals and Attractions

<Republic of Korea Chrysanthemum Festival!>
If Sapporo has its Snow Festival in winter, Hampyeong has the Chrysanthemum Festival in autumn!

October 23 (Fri) – November 8 (Sun), 2026
Hampyeong Expo Park and surrounding areas, Hampyeong, Jeollanam-do

With the festival theme “Chrysanthemum Garden of Myth,” giant chrysanthemum displays and a variety of chrysanthemum bonsai works are waiting for you~!

<Geochang Star Wind Hill>
A spectacular view of purple chrysanthemums in full bloom among the wind turbines!
452 Yeonsusa-gil, Sinwon-myeon, Geochang-gun, Gyeongsangnam-do

<50 Million Chrysanthemums Festival>
A Spectacular Transformation of a Quarry

September 19 – November 30, 2026
Pinnacle Land, Asan, Chungcheongnam-do

A spectacular autumn flower festival held every year around the Geoje Agricultural Development Center!

This year’s festival was canceled due to damage caused by heavy rains in August. 😢

Throughout the year, the Agricultural Development Center features autumn flowers, including chrysanthemums, along with floral sculptures and bonsai-style chrysanthemum displays. 
Visitors can enjoy the autumn flowers throughout the grounds, explore the Jungle Dome, one of the largest of its kind in Korea, and fully experience the beauty of autumn!

Let’s look forward to next year’s festival!

This time, we explored the chrysanthemum, one of Korea's representative autumn flowers, through stories, film, folklore, festivals, and local destinations.

Flowers can offer more than beautiful scenery. They can also provide a glimpse into the culture, traditions, and everyday lives of the people who have lived alongside them.

If you visit Korea in autumn, keep an eye out for chrysanthemums blooming across the country's towns and cities.

See you in the next JIRO Letter!