Good News For Gingko Tree Lovers

For the first time in twenty years, a private gingko forest has been opened for public viewing somewhere on the foothills of Odaesan. It may not seem very big, standing at  43,000 sq m. ( about the size of a baseball stadium) but many of the trees here are more than 30 years old.

Gamsa hamnida to the owner and patient planter of these trees, Yoo Ki-chun. Apparently he bought the abandoned land 20 years ago and planted gingko trees when he realised the soil wasn't suitable for fruit trees.

The reporter from Arirang News who covered this story didn't indicate if there was any admission charge nor were there any details about how to get to Mr Yoo's estate So watch this space as I try to get more information to update this page if picnicking under the golden shade of these most elegant and hardy trees in autumn is on your bucket list.

BTW, interesting that Odaesan seems to be enjoying a fair bit of limelight in the local press of late. First, it gets the title of No 1 Most Beautiful Forest in Korea for 2011 and now this. Just how close is it to Pyeongchang?

Meanwhile if you're not venturing beyond Seoul but want to feast your eyes on this goldern hoard, check out these gingko trees at the Olympic Park in the capital.

Gingko gold in Seoul's Olympic Park

sources:
http://english.chosun.com/site/data/html_dir/2011/10/31/2011103101346.html
http://eng.me.go.kr/content.do?method=moveContent&menuCode=res_tou_pak_kor_odaesan
http://english.chosun.com/site/data/html_dir/2011/10/31/2011103100367.html#

The Most Beautiful Forest in Korea for 2011

Beats me what kind of yardstick is used by the Korea Forest Service when it comes to ranking their forests and one wonders why it seems necessary in the first place to have such a list in the first place.

Anyway, they've just declared on 26th October that the "MOST BEAUTIFUL FOREST FOR 2011"...drumroll please... is...in Odaesan in Gangwon-do.

Odaesan in winter

In particular, the stretch of fir forest sandwiched between the Iljimun ( One Pillar Gate) at the entrance of  Woljeong Temple and the Kumgang Bridge is supposed to be particularly fetching. Tree huggers can take their pick from the 1,700 fir trees in this area. But do handle them with some respect. The  average age of these firs is about 83 years, but there are  some which are over 3 CENTURIES old. Now , that's impressive.

The  fir forest of Woljeong Temple on Mount Odae, Gangwon Province.

Must check out what was the Most Beautiful Forest for the past years.


sources:
http://english.hani.co.kr/arti/english_edition/e_entertainment/502726.html
http://english.visitkorea.or.kr/enu/SI/SI_EN_3_1_1_1.jsp?cid=264215