Japanese Hackberry of Sudong-ri, Gochang

The hackberry tree is also known in the southern regions as pongnamu or pogunamu. It grows to a very large size, and has long been planted, in accordance with feng shui beliefs, as a bibo-rim (a grove planted to compensate for a geomantic weakness in the landscape) or as a windbreak. The hackberry of Sudong-ri stands 12.0m tall, with a girth of 6.85m at breast height. It served as a dangsan tree, a village guardian tree around which villagers held a dangsan-je (village guardian ritual) and folk games such as tug-of-war on the full moon of the eighth lunar month, praying for the village's peace and a good harvest. Before the tidal flats in front of the village were reclaimed, seawater came in as far as the tree, and boats were tied to it, giving it a long and deep history bound up with Daedong village. The hackberry of Sudong-ri, Gochang, has the largest girth at breast height of any hackberry currently designated a natural monument, and its beautiful form and vigorous growth give it outstanding scenic and historical value; it is accordingly designated and protected as a natural monument.

AI Translation

Where it is

Region

Gochang, Jeonbuk

Designation

Natural Monument · 천연기념물