Horned Holly of Sangbang-ri, Naju

Basic information

Designation

Natural Monument No.516

Category

동식물

Designated year

2009

Location

나주시, 전라남도— 전남 나주시 공산면 상구길 28 (상방리)

Coordinates

34.930977, 126.627463

This horned holly bush is said to have been planted by O Deuk-rin, a general remembered for his valor who fought against the invading Japanese alongside Admiral Yi Sun-sin, when he came to settle in this village. The village was deemed vulnerable, in terms of feng-shui position, on its right side, and a wood was created near the village entrance to address this geomantic flaw. Today only ten hackberry trees along with the horned holly bush remain of this wood. The horned holly is known in Korean as “horanggasinamu (tiger thornbush), as tigers, when they were numerously found in Korea, were fond of scratching their back against it. This shrub mainly grows along the south coast. Although there already exist Natural Monument-designated horned holly bushes, including the horned holly colony in Buan, Jeonbuk and the large ancient horned holly in Gwangju, this one was deemed, given its exceptionally large size, to merit a separate designation. The fact that it was planted by General O Deuk-rin and the geomantic function it served for the village also endow this horned holly bush with additional cultural significance, as a mirror of lifestyle in traditional Korea.

Location