Forest of Common Camellias at Baengnyeonsa Temple, Gangjin

The common camellia (Camellia japonica) grows in warm regions of Korea, Japan and China, and in Korea it is found along the southern coast and on the southern islands. Its flowers bloom in early spring and are very beautiful; depending on the season in which they bloom, they are called chunbaek (spring camellia), chubaek (autumn camellia) or dongbaek (winter camellia). The camellia forest at Baengnyeonsa Temple, near the temple in Gangjin, is made up of about 1,500 camellia trees, with sawtooth oak, Chinese torreya, Machilus and Aphananthe aspera also growing here and there among them. The camellias average about 7m in height, and when the camellia flowers bloom the forest is very beautiful, making it a well-known scenic spot in the area. The origin of the camellia forest is not known for certain, but since Dasan Chodang, the thatched cottage where Jeong Yak-yong lived in exile, is nearby, and he is known to have studied the way of tea there, it is thought that the forest may be connected with this. The camellia forest at Baengnyeonsa Temple is not only a place where the common camellia, a tree representative of Korea's warm-temperate zone, grows in a dense stand, but is also a culturally valuable site associated with Jeong Yak-yong, and it is accordingly designated and protected as a natural monument.

AI Translation

Where it is

Region

Gangjin, Jeonnam & Gwangju

Designation

Natural Monument · 천연기념물