As temperatures rose sharply in Vilnius this week, residents gathered Tuesday evening near the White Bridge to admire the breathtaking cherry blossoms now in full bloom.
The 200 cherry trees were planted in 2001 to mark the 100th anniversary of the birth of Chiune Sugihara, a Japanese diplomat who saved about 6,000 Jews from Lithuania, Poland and Germany during World War Two. A monument at the park’s entrance notes that the trees were a gift from the people of Japan to Lithuania.
Known as sakura, or Japanese cherry trees, the blossoms typically bloom for about two weeks, most often in the second half of April. Though they are not fragrant, the flowers are among the first to bloom in spring, symbolising the season’s arrival and the renewal of nature.
Take a look:
