Pagoda Tree of Sinhyeon-dong, Incheon

The pagoda tree (hoehoenamu) has a round, gentle form, and in China it was favoured for planting at the tombs of high officials and the homes of scholars. In Korea, it was introduced by envoys travelling to and from China and planted at local Confucian schools (hyanggyo) and temples. As a broadleaf tree particularly resistant to pollution, it is also widely used as a street tree and in parks. The Pagoda Tree of Sinhyeon-dong, Incheon, is estimated (as of the date of designation) to be about 500 years old. It stands 22 m tall with a trunk girth at breast height of 1.76–5.84 m, and its branches extend widely in all directions. It provides shade for the villagers and is known as a tree used to foretell good or bad harvests. Villagers are said to have predicted that if the flowers bloomed first at the top of the tree the harvest would be bountiful, but if they bloomed first at the bottom the harvest would fail. Having lived for centuries under the care and attention of past generations, the Pagoda Tree of Sinhyeon-dong, Incheon, is of great value as a cultural and biological resource, and is designated and protected as a natural monument.

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Where it is

Region

Seohae-gu, Incheon

Designation

Natural Monument · 천연기념물