Population of Saw-leaf Zelkovas and Japanese Hackberries in Seongeup-ri, Jeju

The saw-leaf zelkova is distributed in Korea and in the warmer regions of Japan, Taiwan and China. Its branches spread in all directions, giving the tree a rounded form; it flowers in May, and its disc-shaped fruit ripens in October. Because of its thick trunk and long lifespan, it has been used as a shade tree for resting under, or protected as a guardian tree (dangsannamu) believed to watch over a village. The Japanese hackberry is distributed in Korea, Japan and China. It grows to a very large size, and since ancient times, following the principles of pungsu (geomancy), it has often been planted to reinforce sites thought to lack vital energy, or to serve as a windbreak. Seongeup-ri, near the south-eastern coast of Jeju Island, is a village entirely designated as National Folklore Cultural Heritage under the name Seongeup Village. Around Ilgwanheon in this village grow one zelkova and six hackberries together (originally there were seven hackberries, but one died of damage caused by Typhoon Muifa in 2011). The zelkova is estimated to be about 1,000 years old, standing 17.5m tall with a girth at breast height of 6.28m. The six hackberries range from 12.0 to 15.5m in height, with girths at breast height of 0.8 to 3.6m. Nearby, five saengdal trees (Cinnamomum japonicum) together with viburnum, machilus and camellia form a natural forest. This forest surrounds the village and acts as a windbreak, and the villagers hold it sacred. Records indicate that trees already grew here during the reign of King Chungnyeol of Goryeo (r. 1274-1308), and the trees standing today appear to include some that have survived from that time. The Population of Saw-leaf Zelkovas and Japanese Hackberries in Seongeup-ri, Jeju, is designated and protected as a natural monument for its great value as biological material, given the age and size of these large old trees, and for its great value as historical and cultural material offering a glimpse into the spiritual life of our ancestors.

AI Translation

Where it is

Region

Seogwipo, Jeju

Designation

Natural Monument · 천연기념물