1000-Year-Old Yellow Flowers, Full Bloom of Gurye Sansuyu Tree

Designated as a National Important Agricultural Heritage Site in 2014, Permanent Seed Storage "Seed Bank" Established Last Year
Gurye-gun Promotes Development of Tourist Content for Chinese Visitors Using Sansuyu Tree Origins

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Yuk Mi-seok] The oldest Cornus officinalis tree in South Korea, located in Sandong-myeon, Gurye-gun, Jeollanam-do (Governor Kim Soon-ho), has been blooming yellow flowers for 1,000 years.

In Sandong-myeon, known as the Cornus officinalis Village under Nogodan of Jirisan Mountain, more than 117,000 Cornus officinalis trees are growing.

The Gurye Cornus officinalis, said to have been brought and planted by a Chinese maiden who married into the area 1,000 years ago, accounts for 70% of the national production.

Since 1999, the Cornus officinalis Flower Festival has been held here, growing into a nationally representative spring flower festival.

Gurye Cornus officinalis was registered as a geographical indication in 2008, and in 2011, Gurye-gun was designated as a Cornus officinalis industrial special zone.

In 2014, Cornus officinalis agriculture was designated as a National Important Agricultural Heritage, and efforts are currently underway to register it as a Global Agricultural Heritage.

Notably, last year, seeds from the Gurye Cornus officinalis original tree were permanently stored in the seed vault, a permanent seed facility at the Baekdudaegan National Arboretum.

The county is also making efforts to increase residents' income by developing various products using Cornus officinalis fruit and promoting registration of functional food raw materials.

According to recent research reports, the efficacy of Cornus officinalis is known to have excellent effects on improving diabetes, women's health during menopause, prostate health, prevention of muscle loss, obesity prevention, and liver health, gaining attention as a health food.

Governor Kim Soon-ho said, “Although the festival was canceled this year as well as last year due to COVID-19, many spring visitors still come for healing trips as it is known nationwide as a spring flower,” adding, “I hope people exhausted from COVID-19 can heal their mind and body with Gurye Cornus officinalis flowers and be cured with Cornus officinalis fruit.”

Meanwhile, the county is exploring content to attract Chinese tourists based on the origin of Gurye Cornus officinalis and the long-standing ties with China through the case of Jirisan Burocho, related to Emperor Qin Shi Huang of China, and is requesting a visit to Gurye-gun during Chinese President Xi Jinping’s domestic visit.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.