Windbreak Forest of Mulgeon-ri, Namhae

The windbreak forest at Mulgeon-ri is a stand of trees about 1,500 m long and 30 m wide running along the coast, planted by villagers some 300 years ago. It is composed mainly of deciduous broad-leaved trees 10-15 m tall, such as hackberry, aphananthe, Japanese elm, dogwood, sawtooth oak, zelkova, Chinese fringe tree and soapberry, together with the evergreen Machilus. Also growing here are deciduous broad-leaved trees such as Picrasma, snowbell, Rhamnella, cudrania, golden rain tree, spicebush, a wild lacquer relative, Sichuan pepper, Photinia villosa, buckthorn, privet, Chinese sumac, harlequin glorybower, autumn olive, Mallotus, weigela, angelica tree and winged spindle; and vines such as chinaroot greenbrier, a bittersweet nightshade relative, Smilax sieboldii, moonseed, Stauntonia, Korean raspberry, skunk vine, Oriental bittersweet, wild grape, Korean ivy and Asian jasmine. The windbreak forest at Mulgeon-ri, Namhae, is an artificial forest created to protect crops and the village from strong sea winds and storm surges; it also serves as an eobu-rim, a "fish-gathering forest", creating conditions favourable to fish and drawing in shoals. Villagers, aware that the destruction of this forest would harm the village, work hard to protect it. As such, this forest is valuable evidence of the wisdom our ancestors showed in making use of nature, and it holds great cultural value; it is therefore designated and protected as a natural monument.

AI Translation

Where it is

Region

Namhae, Gyeongnam

Designation

Natural Monument · 천연기념물