Pagoda Tree of Yeongdong-ri, Haman

The pagoda tree 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 and temples. In particular, as the broadleaf tree most resistant to pollution, it is also used as a street tree and in parks. The Pagoda Tree of Yeongdong-ri, Haman, is estimated to be about 500 years old. It stands 16.5 m tall with a trunk girth at breast height of 6.0 m, and its branches extend widely in all directions. It is said to have been planted in 1482 by An Yeo-geo, the 22nd-generation ancestor of the Gwangju An clan and a teacher (hundo) at Seonggyungwan, when he settled in Yeongdong-ri. Villagers believe the tree to be a sacred guardian of the village, and a memorial rite has been held before it every year on the first day of the tenth lunar month. Having grown for centuries under the care and attention of past generations, the Pagoda Tree of Yeongdong-ri, Haman, 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

Haman, Gyeongnam

Designation

Natural Monument · 천연기념물