Shall We Visit the 2,000-Year-Old Juniper, the Tax-Paying Tree, and Lee Mongryong’s Tree?... Gyeongbuk Culture and Tourism Corporation Proposes an Ancient Tree Theme Trip
by Gu Daeseon
Published 08 Feb.2026 10:52(KST)
The Gyeongbuk Culture and Tourism Corporation (President Kim Namil) has selected "Things That Have Long Stood in Their Place," featuring ancient trees of North Gyeongsang Province that have stayed in one place for a long time, enduring the passage of time together with local villages and residents, as the February theme for its monthly publication "Gyeongbuk Travel MVTI."
The February issue captures the sentiments of hometown and the emotion of returning home through trees that quietly keep their place even as the seasons and surrounding environment change. It focuses on the idea that old trees are both silent witnesses to the lives of villagers and symbolic beings that welcome those who return to their hometowns. Even when people leave and the scenery changes, the trees remain where they are, remembering the lives of the villagers and quietly greeting those who come back.
Ancient trees are those with great age and historical or cultural value, and across North Gyeongsang Province, such trees express local identity in a variety of locations, including village entrances, Confucian academies and temples, walking trails, and coastal areas. The February issue of Gyeongbuk Travel MVTI goes beyond simply introducing these ancient trees; it also includes real stories connected to the trees and the efforts of local residents, proposing a themed trip in which travelers seek out "trees with stories."
The zelkova tree in Yongpo-ri, Sangju, has protected the village for over 300 years, and simply standing under its shade conveys a sense of long-standing protection and comfort. The crooked pine tree at Gyeseodang in Muryang-myeon, Bonghwa, is associated with a legend that Lee Mongryong once rode and played on it, showing how a single tree can preserve both scenery and story. The Seokhyang tree in Dodong on Ulleungdo is a 2,000-year-old juniper, the oldest of its kind in Korea, and serves as a symbolic presence of Ulleungdo infused with the island’s history and the memories of its people.
The four quince trees at Sayuwon in Gunwi call to mind the meaning of "protecting and preserving," while the bald cypress at Gicheongsan Arboretum in Pohang, with its roots exposed along the water’s edge, conveys the quiet depth of accumulated time. The zelkova tree in Wijung-ri, Uiseong, has served as a village guardian tree receiving the village’s origins and wishes, illustrating the time during which people and nature have supported one another. Seoksongryeong in Gamcheon-myeon, Yecheon, is a special tree that inherited a person’s name and property, telling the story of how a single tree has become a subject of life in its own right.
Journeys that follow forests and trees extend beyond the pleasure of seeing to the pleasure of eating. The acorn sujebi of Goryeong is a simple yet hearty bowl made from the fruits of the forest, and at a cafe in Yecheon overlooking Seoksongryeong, visitors can relax with a cup of tea while gazing at the tree. In addition, the winter delicacy of sigeumchi rice in Gyeongju offers a warm meal that captures the season’s passage of time, and at a long-established restaurant in Andong that opened in 1983, diners can savor the long-honed flavors of barley rice served with 11 side dishes and salted mackerel.
President Kim Namil said, "With this February MVTI, we wanted to showcase another side of North Gyeongsang’s charm through trees that have long remained in their places even after people have left," adding, "We hope that trips in search of these old, ancient trees will give visitors an opportunity to feel the sentiment and restfulness of their hometown."
"Gyeongbuk Travel MVTI" stands for Monthly Visit Theme Item, and is a monthly project that creatively and emotionally reconfigures North Gyeongsang’s diverse resources into content based on trend analysis and strategic ideas.
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