Pagoda Tree of Yuktong-ri, Wolseong

The pagoda tree has a round, gentle form, and in China it was favoured for planting at the graves of high officials and at the homes of scholars. In Korea it was brought back by envoys travelling to and from China and planted at hyanggyo, local Confucian schools, and at Buddhist temples. As a broadleaf tree, the pagoda tree is especially resistant to pollution, and it is also widely planted as a street tree and in parks. The Pagoda Tree of Yuktong-ri, Wolseong stands 19.0 m tall with a girth at breast height of 6.5 m. Although its age is generally given as around 400 years, tradition holds that it was in fact planted some 600 years ago, during the reign of King Gongmin of Goryeo (r. 1351-1374), by a young man from the village who was setting off to war to drive back foreign invaders; before he left, he planted the tree and asked his parents to raise it as they would a child. The young man later died a heroic death in battle, and his parents, honouring his wish, cared for the tree as if it were their own son, bringing it to its present form. Every year, on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, villagers gather before the tree to hold a rite praying for the village's peace and a bountiful harvest. The Pagoda Tree of Yuktong-ri, Wolseong has lived on for a long time under the care and attention of past generations, and its high folkloric and cultural value has led to its designation and protection as a natural monument.

AI Translation

Where it is

Region

Gyeongju, Gyeongbuk

Designation

Natural Monument · 천연기념물