Majestic South Korean tree, 860 years old (5 photos + 1 video)

Every year in late autumn, thousands of people flock to the village of Banggyeo-ri, located in the South Korean province of Gyeongsang, to see the beauty of the 860-year-old ginkgo biloba tree. At around 32m tall, it's not even the tallest ginkgo in the Asian country, but the way its branches spread out makes the tree one of the most impressive on Earth.





The ginkgo tree in Banggyeo-ri is a natural monument, known for its impressive crown, which measures about 37.5 m in width.



Interestingly, the peak of popularity of the most beautiful tree in South Korea occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic. Families began visiting outdoor attractions to minimize contact with strangers.

"Due to the pandemic, couples and families have started going outdoors more often, especially by car, where they don't have to come into contact with strangers," Professor Lee Hong of the School of Tourism at Hanyang University told the Korea JoongAng Daily.





“Before the pandemic, the village was quiet, but last year the number of tourists tripled, and this year it quadrupled,” Chae Beom-sik, head of Banggyeo-ri, said in 2021. - On average, 4,000 people visit the village per day, regardless of whether it is a weekday or a weekend. There are no restaurants nearby and the nearest store is 1.5 km away, but people come here just because of the beauty of this tree."



The pandemic is already behind us, but the popularity of ginkgo is not subsiding. Now, when the tree sheds its yellow leaves, forming a carpet of tens of meters around itself, thousands of people come to Banggyeo-ri to see this magic with their own eyes.



Ginkgo biloba is a popular tourist attraction outside of South Korea. For example, the famous ginkgo near the Gu Guanyin Buddhist Temple in the Zhongnan Mountains of China.