Northernmost Population of Sericeous Newlitse at Bulgapsa Temple, Yeonggwang

The sericeous newlitse is a tree of the laurel family, distributed in Korea, Japan, Taiwan and China, among other places. In Korea it grows on Ulleungdo Island and in warm regions to the south. The Northernmost Population of Sericeous Newlitse at Bulgapsa Temple, Yeonggwang, lies on a hillside behind the temple. The trees are roughly 6 m tall and grow clustered here and there, with camellias, hornbeams and zelkova trees growing nearby. According to legend, during the Three Kingdoms period a monk of this temple named Jeongun travelled to India to study, and while there fell in love with an Indian princess. When the King of India learned of this, he had Monk Jeongun sent away from India. Grieving at their parting, the princess picked fruit from the tree at the place where the two of them used to meet and gave it to him; the monk brought the fruit back and planted it, and it is said to have grown into a sericeous newlitse. The trees of this natural habitat are said to have grown from seeds spread from that original tree. The Northernmost Population of Sericeous Newlitse at Bulgapsa Temple, Yeonggwang, marks the northernmost point at which the species can grow, giving it high value for research into plant distribution, and it also carries great cultural value in showing the historical exchange between India and Korea; for these reasons it is designated and protected as a natural monument.

AI Translation

Where it is

Region

Yeonggwang, Jeonnam & Gwangju

Designation

Natural Monument · 천연기념물