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Washington, D.C. welcomes the arrival of spring with the blooming of the famous cherry blossom trees. Visitors flocked to Washington, DC's Tidal Basin on Friday (March 28) to see the famous cherry blossom trees in full bloom. The plantings of the cherry blossom trees originated as a gift in 1912 from the people of Japan to the United States as a gesture of friendship and goodwill. Since then, the number of trees has expanded to approximately 3,750 trees of 16 varieties on National Park Service land. "It's awesome. I try to come here, you know, a few times. This is the second time I have seen. Even if it's not fully open, it's still pretty," said Cham Condkancoam from Chicago, Illinois. "They're beautiful. It's a great day to be out and checking them out," Illyana Casey from Alexandria, Virginia. The cherry blossom trees are not fruit-bearing trees and only produce pink, white blossoms. They are expected to bloom until April 9, with the peak bloom lasting until April 3. The National Cherry Blossom Festival, an annual two-week event, kicks off on Saturday (March 29) to celebrate spring and the enduring friendship between the citizens of the United States and Japan. Hundreds of thousands of city residents and visitors from around the world are expected to see the blossoms during their short bloom.