Geumnamri Hwangmokgeun(paengnamu), Yecheon

Basic information

Designation

Natural Monument No.400

Category

동식물

Designated year

1998

Location

예천군, 경상북도— 경북 예천군 용궁면 금남리 696번지

Coordinates

36.603787, 128.271139

The East Asian hackberry tree grows very tall, and it has long been used to block the wind according to traditional theories of geomancy. The tree named Hwangmokgeun in Yecheon is about 500 years old, with height of 12.7m and girth of 5.65m. The tree has a human name: its surname is Hwang, meaning yellow since yellow flowers bloom on the tree in May, and its first name is Mok-geun. The tree got its human name in 1939 when the communal village land was registered under the tree’s name. It now occupies a vast area of land and pays taxes. It is revered as the guardian deity of the village, with a rite held in its honor on the first full moon day of the year. The tree has grown over a long period of time under the love and care of past generations, and it has been designated as a Natural Monument as a symbol of community spirit and the unusual mindset that led to the tree being treated like a human being.

Location