Ginkgo Tree of Joryong-ri, Geumneung

The Ginkgo Tree of Joryong-ri, Geumneung stands in the left-hand corner of the rear wall of the back garden of Seomgyeseowon, a Confucian academy located behind the village. It stands 25.0 m tall with a trunk circumference of 11.5 m at breast height. Because it grows so close to the wall, most of its crown extends beyond the wall, and much of its root system is also exposed on the ground outside the wall, though there is no protective fence. At present, numerous epicormic shoots have sprouted near the roots and at the base of the trunk, and long aerial roots (yuju) have developed here and there on the upper branches. Seomgyeseowon is dedicated to the memory of Kim Mun-gi, a civil official under King Sejong who died after being involved, together with Seong Sam-mun, in the plot to restore King Danjong to the throne. The name Seomgye comes from the fact that this village was formerly called Seomgye-ri, though it is now known as Joryong-ri. Counting from 1456, the year he died, when the ginkgo is said to have been planted, its present age is estimated at about 440 years. The Ginkgo Tree of Joryong-ri, Geumneung is a tree that has lived for centuries under the care and attention of past generations, and it is designated and protected as a natural monument for its high value as cultural and biological material.

AI Translation

Where it is

Region

Gimcheon, Gyeongbuk

Designation

Natural Monument · 천연기념물