Ginkgo Tree of Yongmunsa Temple, Yangpyeong

Basic information

Designation

Natural Monument No.30

Category

동식물

Designated year

1962

Location

양평군, 경기도— 경기 양평군 용문면 신점리 626-1번지

Coordinates

37.549784, 127.571246

A ginkgo tree can be as old as a fossil. The tree was introduced along with Confucianism and Buddhism from China. The trees can be found in Japan, China and Korea and it has beautiful leaves in the fall, which are not damaged by harmful insects. Because the ginkgo tree provides plenty of shade, it is often planted as an arbor or a roadside tree. The ginkgo tree of the Youngmunsa Temple is about 1,100 years old. Its height is about 42 m and its girth is about 15.2 m. This ginkgo tree is bigger than other ginkgo trees, and has knots under the stalk. According to a legend, Prince Maui of the Silla Dynasty planted the ginkgo tree on the way to Geumgangsan Mountain with grief because he lost his country. According to another legend, Buddhist Monk Uisang of the Unified Silla Dynasty planted a stick into the ground, which eventually grew into a ginkgo tree. Another legend reveals that the ginkgo tree bled when the branches of the tree were cut. Also, when Japanese soldiers set fire on the Youngmunsa Temple in 1907, the ginkgo tree didn't burn down. Since the ginkgo tree of Youngmunsa Temple has been well preserved by our ancestors for a long time and is valuable in biology, it is designated and protected as a Natural Monument.

Location