tourism

The ginkgo trees in Kwail County in South Hwanghae Province are a pair of male and female ginkgo trees growing in the courtyard of a building halfway up Mt Naesong.

The two trees growing for over 1 000 years since the period of Koryo dynasty (918-1392) are associated with the patriotic spirit of the Koryo people who bravely fought against foreign aggressors.

The people and soldiers of Koryo built forts to defend the west coast of Korea and named them inner fort and outer fort. Mt Naesong (inner fort) was named so as the inner fort was built around the mountain.

The Koryo soldiers planted the two ginkgo trees before their barracks in the inner fort and protected and tended them.

The male tree is 20m high, 12m round at the root neck and 18m wide at the crown, and is stronger in the growing force than the female.

The female is 17m high, 9.5m round at the root neck and 9m round at the chest height and 14m wide at the crown.

Though it is old, the tree still bears lots of fruits.

The ginkgo trees in Kwail County are natural monuments under protection as important objects in scientific research and historical studies.