Yongmun Temple

The ginkgo tree at Yongmunsa Temple is estimated to be approximately 1,100 years old, with a height of 42.0m and a chest-height girth of 11.0m. Among ginkgo trees in Korea, it holds the highest record for both age and height, and is characterized by a protuberance at the base of its trunk. There is a legend that this tree was planted by Crown Prince Maui, son of King Gyeongsun of Unified Silla (reigned 927-935), who, burdened with the sorrow of losing his country, planted it on his way to Geumgangsan Mountain. Another legend says that Uisang Daesa (Great Master Uisang) stuck his walking stick into the ground, and it grew into this tree. In addition to these, stories are told that when a saw was applied to cut down the tree, blood flowed from it; that during the Jeongmi Righteous Army (1907) resistance, the Japanese army set fire to Yongmunsa Temple, but only this tree remained unburned; and that whenever a major event occurred in the country, it would make a sound to warn people. The Yongmunsa Temple ginkgo tree in Yangpyeong was highly regarded, even receiving the rank of Dangsan-gwan (a senior third-grade official) during the reign of King Sejong of Joseon (reigned 1418-1450). It has lived for a long time amidst the interest and care of our ancestors, and due to its high value as a biological resource, it has been designated and protected as a Natural Monument.