White Mulberry of Changdeokgung Palace

Basic information

Designation

Natural Monument No.471

Category

동식물

Era

400여년 추정(수령)

Designated year

2006

Location

종로구, 서울특별시— 서울 종로구 율곡로 99, (창덕궁 내) (와룡동)

Coordinates

37.583237, 126.993385

The White Mulberry of Changdeokgung Palace is located near the wall forming the boundary with Changgyeonggung Palace. It stands 12m high and has girth of 239.5cm. This old mulberry tree is very unique as it is the biggest and handsomest one in the palace grounds. Traditionally, agriculture and sericulture were the two most important fields in Joseon industry. Growing mulberry trees, raising silkworms, and making silk were widely encouraged to the people by the Government. To emphasize the importance of sericulture, mulberry trees were planted and taken care of in the palace. The first record of mulberry tree planted in the palace appears in Taejong sillok (Annals of King Taejong). It states that Taejong, under the influence of China’s public sericulture system, ordered mulberry trees to be planted in the palace garden. Seongjong sillok (Annals of King Seongjong) also mentions that the king emphasized the importance of sericulture to Seungjeongwon, the royal secretariat, and ordered to plant mulberry trees in the back garden. According to records, the queen herself looked after the silkworms in the garden, and a rite called Chinjamnye was dedicated to the god Seoreung, who first taught sericulture skills to human. As sericulture was one of the most important industries in the past, the royal family considered mulberry trees to be very important as well. In 1911, the Japanese government-general created a sericulture center inside Seohyanggak Pavilion, the western annex of the royal library, Gyujanggak, with records stating that Chinjamnye was held at Juhamnu Pavilion (Gyujanggak building) on June 17, 1925, June 15, 1929, and June 26, 1939. As seen above, the white mulberry of Changdeokgung Palace is an important tree, showing an interesting aspect of the history of the palace

Location