Population of Castor Aralias in Sinbang-ri, Changwon

The castor aralia, commonly called eomnamu, is distributed in Korea as well as in Japan, China, Manchuria and the southern Russian Far East. Its tender leaves are eaten as a vegetable, and its thorny branches were used to ward off evil spirits. In the past, hexagonal charms were made from its wood and worn by children to keep evil spirits away; because such a charm was called an "eum", the tree came to be called eomnamu. The castor aralias of Sinbang-ri grow, four in number, on a roadside hill behind Sinbang Elementary School, with young castor aralias also growing nearby. The larger trees are generally about 15.4m tall, and the largest has a girth of 3.7m; the other three are about 3.2m. They are estimated to be around 400 years old. The castor aralias of Sinbang-ri appear to have survived well because their hillside location helped preserve the soil, and because they were believed to protect the whole village as guardian spirits warding off evil. The Population of Castor Aralias in Sinbang-ri, Changwon, comprises trees that have lived for generations under the care and attention of local people, and is designated and protected as a natural monument for its high biological conservation value as well as its high cultural value in offering a glimpse into the spiritual world of our ancestors.

AI Translation

Where it is

Region

Changwon, Gyeongnam

Designation

Natural Monument · 천연기념물