Zelkova in Daegang-ri, Goheung

Zelkova trees grow in warm regions including Korea, Japan, Taiwan and China. Their branches spread in all directions to give the tree a rounded form; the flowers bloom in May, and the disc-shaped fruit ripens in October. With their thick trunks and long lifespans, such trees have long served as shade trees for village gatherings, or have been protected as dangsan trees, guardian trees believed to watch over a village. The zelkova trees at Daegang-ri, Goheung, are two in number and are estimated to be about 400 years old. The larger stands 12-13m tall with a girth of 230-235cm; the other is 12m tall with a girth of 185-190cm. These trees serve as dangsan trees, standing on either side of a shrine. Before the reorganisation of administrative districts in 1914, this site was the seat of Daegang-myeon Township, and it was here that the four villages of Sadong, Saseo, Dusan and Pyeongchon jointly held dangsanje, a village guardian ritual, giving the site a historical and traditional character steeped in legend. Given its historical importance as a village guardian tree and the distinctiveness of the ritual culture surrounding the shrine built for dangsanje, the site holds academic value.

AI Translation

Where it is

Region

Goheung, Jeonnam & Gwangju

Designation

Provincial Monument · 시도기념물