Date Plum of Yonggok-ri, Boeun

The date plum is a deciduous broad-leaved tree of the persimmon family, distributed in China, Taiwan, Japan and, within Korea, areas south of Gyeonggi Province. The date plum at Yonggok-ri is 17.8 m tall, with a girth at breast height of 3.1 m. Uraesil, in Yonggok-ri near Soemokgol where the tree stands, has been a clan village of the Gyeongju Kim lineage for about 300 years, and this date plum is said to have been preserved as the village's guardian tree. Even today, on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, shamans are said to come to the tree to perform the Basaroegut, a rite of spirit descent. The date plum is commonly used as rootstock when grafting persimmon trees, and it is a tree familiar to Koreans, as reflected in sayings such as 'seventy date plums are no match for a single persimmon' and 'date plums are sweeter than persimmons'; even so, large specimens have become very hard to find today. The date plum of Yonggok-ri, Boeun, has been confirmed to be the largest of its kind known in Korea to date, and is also recognised as being of great value to daily life, culture and folklore, and it is designated and protected as a Natural Monument.

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Where it is

Region

Boeun, Chungbuk

Designation

Natural Monument · 천연기념물