Gyeongnam Tour Guide

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In Un-ri, Danseong-myeon, Sancheong-gun, Gyeongsangnam-do the ridge of Jirisan Mountainslopes down vigorously and stops at Ongnyeobong Peak. The Dansoksa Temple Site ispositioned below this peak facing south. To the east and west, there stand the three-storystone pagodas, while corner stones are scattered haphazardly amid these, there stands an oldapricot tree named Jeongdangmae.According to the book 《Yanghwasorok (an encyclopedia on horticulture)》 written by Injae

Gang Hui-an (1419~1464), it is written that his ancestor Tongjeonggong planted an apricot treewith his own hands in his youth while staying at Jirisan Mountain‘s Dansoksa Temple to studyand that he recited a poem afterwards. The ancestor referred to by Injae here is TongjeongGang Hoe-baek (1357~1402) who served in the government in the late Goryeo Dynasty; hepassed the civil service exam in the 2nd year of King Uwang‘s reign (1376) and was graduallypromoted to higher appointments, finally attaining the position of Jeongdangmunhak(chancellery scholar, a governmental position in Jungseoseong (Grand Secretariat) and inMunhaseong (Chancellery), with a ranking of jong-2-pum) and Daesaheon. After JeongMong-ju was killed in the 4th year of King Gongyang (1392) Tongjeong was sent into exile inJinyang but was later appointed to the position of Dongbuk-myeon Dosunmunsa (districtgovernor), in the 7th year of King Taejo after the founding of the Joseon Dynasty (1398).He was a native of Sancheong, Gyeongsangnam-do and became the grandfather of Injae GangHui-an. The poem that he read after planting Jeongdangmae is as follows.Another poem recorded in the Tongjeongjip is one which he recited upon returning to visitJeongdangmae, the apricot tree he had planted, at the age of 46 as he anticipated the end ofhis life. This poem greatly moves the reader with its deep poignancy and sentiment.The monks of Dansoksa Temple reflected on his talent and virtue and admired his cleandignity and noble character; they said that the sight of the apricot tree reminded them ofhim. Each year, they strengthened the roots with soil and cultivated the health of the treeaccording to season.The branches bend gently, and blue moss covers the tree trunk; its appearance is the veryimage of the old apricot described in Maebo; it is thus the true ancient visage representativeof Yeongnam. Anyone who visited this region of Yeongnam on governmental business wouldmake sure to visit Dansoksa Temple to admire the apricot tree and compose a poemcorresponding to the spirit of our ancestor‘s poem, leaving the poem hanging above the door.Thus the monks of Dansoksa Temple looked after the apricot tree with attentive care and thedescendants of Tongjeonggong and the officials who came down from the capital to Yeongnamwould frequently come to pay homage to Jeongdangmae. Since it is recorded thatTongjeonggong planted this apricot tree at an age when he was a boy reading in theDansoksa Temple, if we assumed that he was under the age of 20 when he studied at thistemple, before taking a governmental position, then we can estimate that the tree wastransplanted before 1376 and that its age is now over 630.At present, Jeongdangmae has a height of 8m and a circumference of 1.5m. 4 branches havegrown out from the root collar and have grown upward or sideward. The color of itsuni-florous blossoms is white. The tree never fails to bloom around March 20th, wafting apure scent into the air.The descendants built a structure housing a monument to honor Jeongdangmae. Maegak wasbuilt in 1915 along with the erection of the "maebi" momument. There is a sign that says'Jeongdangmaegak' and inside the building we can find the "Jeongdangmaegakgi" which is arecord of the reason for this memorial building, as well as the poem "Maehwawonun" byTongjeonggong himself as well as various poems composed by descendants.As of November 10, 1982, Jeongdangmae became the tree that officially represents theprovince of Gyeongsangnam-do and has been designated as a protected tree (registry number12~41).