In this Sunday morning when I was walking and sightseeing along Tidal Basin, an artificial lake built along Potomac River, Washington D.C., I saw a signboard telling tourists how to cultivate cheery tree, how to aerate soils etc., and a brief history of how the cheery blossoms in D.C. were originally planted.  Then I realized that those beautiful but short-lived flowers were transplanted from Japan in 1920s as "a gift of beauty and friendship".  The note also said that in 1952 America returned the favor by sending the seeds from widely-planted trees in D.C. to Japan, and helping Japan rejuvenate its own flowers, sakura, in some district of Tokyo.  Interesting.     

The blossoms were yet to reach their efflorescence, even they did, I dont think the flowers would be more beautiful than other kinds of famous species.  Japanese people may have reasons in worshipping their sakura, a pathetic fallacy of literature, capturing the death and the rebirth, from the mystique feminine to the warriors code, which have influenced many aspects of their culture for years.  Do people of Taiwan have the same philosophic thinking as to admire the flower?  No, I dont think so.  Then our reasons?  Please see my writing of "cherry blossom, the vestige of Japanese colonial rule in Taiwan" at http://blog.udn.com/kkuo0810/7281976.

P.S. Besides cherry blossoms, there are many a attraction in D.C., mostly the memorial halls and monuments.  But the magnificance of the achitectures pale in comparision with those you see in Paris or other big cities of Europe.