Yongmunsa Temple & the Great Ginkgo

문화재청 · KOGL Type 1

A ginkgo over forty metres tall, the oldest in Korea, shading most of a mountain temple's courtyard.

The path up to Yongmunsa follows a clear stream for about twenty minutes, then the courtyard opens and you understand why everyone talks about the tree before the temple. This ginkgo is over forty metres tall, more than fourteen metres around the trunk, and is held to be over eleven hundred years old — planted, the story goes, when Prince Maui of Silla pushed his staff into the ground. It survived the burning of the temple in the Korean War, when everything around it went up. In mid-November the whole canopy turns gold and drops across the courtyard, and the entire valley comes to look.

Visitor information

When is the best time to visit Yongmunsa Temple & the Great Ginkgo?

Mid-November (golden leaves)

How much does it cost to visit Yongmunsa Temple & the Great Ginkgo?

Free (the cultural heritage fee was abolished in May 2023); parking charged separately

How long do you need at Yongmunsa Temple & the Great Ginkgo?

2–3 hours

What are the opening hours of Yongmunsa Temple & the Great Ginkgo?

08:00–18:00

Did you know

The ginkgo is about 42m tall with a trunk over 14m in girth.
It is thought to be more than 1,100 years old, the oldest ginkgo in Korea.
It is designated Natural Monument No. 30.
The tree survived when Yongmunsa temple was burned down during the Korean War.

Travel tips

Come in mid-November for the brightest gold.
The walk from the park gate to the temple is a gentle 20–30 minute climb.
Take the Gyeongui-Jungang line to Yongmun station, then a local bus.

Source: https://www.khan.co.kr/article/202305011106001

Updated: 2026-08-04