Ginkgo Tree of Bangye-ri, Wonju

The ginkgo tree of Bangye-ri is estimated to be 800 to 1,000 years old (as of the date of designation), stands 24.6m tall with a trunk circumference of 15.7m at breast height, and stands in the middle of surrounding paddies and fields. Its branches spread in every direction, giving the whole tree a magnificent appearance, but some branches are at risk of breaking and have been fitted with supports. According to legend, a member of the Seongju Yi clan who lived in this village planted and tended the tree before leaving the village; another story tells of a great monk who, passing this way, drank water and planted the walking stick he was carrying, which then grew into the tree. It was also regarded as a sacred tree, since a white snake was said to live inside it and no one dared touch it, and it was believed that if its leaves all turned colour at once in autumn, that year would bring a bountiful harvest. The ginkgo tree of Bangye-ri, Wonju is an old, large tree that has lived on through the long care and attention of our ancestors, giving it high biological value; it also has value as a record of folk culture, having served as a sacred tree and carrying its own legends, and it has accordingly been designated and protected as a natural monument.

AI Translation

Where it is

Region

Wonju, Gangwon

Designation

Natural Monument · 천연기념물