Chinese Juniper of Seonnongdan Altar, Seoul

The Chinese juniper is found in central and southern Korea, as well as in Ulleungdo Island and Japan, and is also known in Korean as sangnamu or nosongnamu. The tree has a strong fragrance and its wood has been used as incense at ancestral rites; it is also widely planted as an ornamental tree in gardens and parks. The Chinese juniper of Seonnongdan Altar, Seoul is estimated to be about 500 years old, standing 12.2m tall with a trunk circumference of 3.0m at chest height. During the Joseon dynasty, the Seonnongdan Altar was built, following Chinese ritual practice, to honour Sinnongssi and Hujikssi, deities closely associated with farming and grain, and the king himself would come to pray for a bountiful harvest. After the rites at Seonnongdan were completed, the rice wine used in the ceremony was poured onto the tree; an ox was slaughtered and boiled into soup in a large cauldron, and rice cooked with millet was served to the farmers and to the elderly people who had come to watch. It is said that the name of the dish seolleongtang derives from this practice: the soup boiled at Seonnongdan was first called seonnongtang, which then became seollongtang and finally seolleongtang. This juniper appears to have supplied material for the incense burned during the rites. Today only a few foundation stones and the juniper tree remain. The Chinese juniper of Seonnongdan Altar, Seoul is of great value as material related to the culture of our ancestors, and, having lived for over 500 years, also holds high biological conservation value. It is therefore designated and protected as a natural monument.

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Where it is

Region

Dongdaemun-gu, Seoul

Designation

Natural Monument · 천연기념물