Saw-leaf Zelkova of Haengchon-ri, Gimje

Zelkova trees are found in warm regions including Korea, Japan, Taiwan and China. Their branches spread out in all directions to form a rounded crown; the flowers bloom in May and the disc-shaped fruit ripens in October. Because of their thick trunks and long lifespans, zelkova trees have long served as pavilion trees offering shade and rest, or as guardian trees (dangsan-namu) protecting and watching over villages. The Saw-leaf Zelkova of Haengchon-ri, Gimje, is estimated to be about 600 years old (as of its designation), standing 16.5 m tall with a girth at breast height of 9.8 m. Near the base of the trunk there is a large hollow about 2 m across, beside which once stood a rock some 30 cm high; legend has it that had the rock been only a little higher, the village would have produced a rebel against the throne, though the rock can no longer be seen today. Beside the tree stands a pavilion which a wandering sage named Bae Pung, passing through long ago, named 'Iksantae', a name by which it was known for many years, though it is now called 'Banwoltae'. The villagers regard the tree as sacred, and it is said that every year on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month they tied a straw rope to it and held a tug-of-war, praying for good fortune in the year ahead. The Saw-leaf Zelkova of Haengchon-ri, Gimje, has played a central role in fostering unity and fellowship among the villagers, and as the seonang, or village guardian spirit, that watches over the community it holds great value as a cultural record shared with our ancestors through their joys and hardships. Being also an old tree of great biological conservation value, it is designated and protected as a natural monument.

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Where it is

Region

Gimje, Jeonbuk

Designation

Natural Monument · 천연기념물