Old trees become tourism and cultural content

A zelkova tree is embracing wide golden fields. The tree has been standing at the foot of Wolchulsan Mountain in Umgil Village, Seoho-myeon, Yeongam-gun, South Jeolla Province for over 800 years. It is 23 meters high and has a circumference of 8.4 meters. The crown of the bifurcated tree with its branches and leaves is 20 meters in diameter.

On October 18, a concert was held under the zelkova tree, which has been protecting the residents of the village. In the shade of the large tree, more than 200 people enjoyed the special concert against the backdrop of golden fields and Wolchulsan Mountain.

The concert was evaluated as a representative example of how local hidden resources can be utilized. "There is no other stage with trees, fields, and Wolchulsan Mountain," Cheon Dong-sun, a producer at the Yeongam Culture and Tourism Foundation, who planned the concert, said on December 5. "I am confident that we can hold great events, making use of hidden resources in local areas.”

Local governments in South Jeolla Province are paying attention to old trees in their regions. They are developing new cultural content based on the stories of trees that have been protecting local villages and residents for about hundreds of years.

The city of Naju is conducting research to collect stories about local trees which have significant meanings. Naju, a major city during the Joseon Dynasty, has the largest number of protected trees in the country. Of the 4,105 protected trees in South Jeolla Province, 891 are in the city.

Among them, 700-year-old twin ginkgo trees behind Geumsungwan, a hackberry tree that was struck by lightning in Naju Moksanaea, a 400-year-old pine tree in Naju Eupseong Fortress, the camellia tree in Songjuk-ri, Wanggok-myeon, a horned holly tree in Sangbang-ri, Gonggong-myeon, a native pear tree in Dado-myeon, and a conjoined tree in Bulhoesa Temple are famous.

The city plans to create unique tourism and cultural content by finding out the legends, folk tales, and stories about the trees that have been passed down through generations by writing or word of mouth. It also plans to record the information of the local protected trees through data mining, and make themed maps, story books, and e-books after selecting trees that can well represent the city.

Shinan-gun, which consists of several islands, also conducted a survey on old trees that represent each island. There are 117 protected trees in the county according to a recent report it published after the survey.

Until now, there has been no systematic ecological data on protected trees. After realizing that some of the trees were neglected, the county decided to carry out a detailed survey to come up with effective management measures. Through the survey, the county identified the number and the location of protected trees on the islands.

There were 11 species of trees designated as protected trees, including a hackberry tree, a zelkova tree, a pine tree, and a black pine tree. Of these, hackberry trees accounted for the largest number with 96 (or 82%), followed by pine trees with 6, and zelkova trees with 5. Hackberry trees are known for thriving well even in harsh environments.

※This article has undergone review by a professional translator after being translated by an AI translation tool.