This tree is located in the middle of Hasong-ri village in Yeongwol-eup and is said to be 1000 to 1200 years old. It is known as the world's largest ginkgo tree, with a height of 23 meters and a trunk circumference of 14.5 meters at chest height. It was designated as a Natural Monument on December 7, 1962, and is said to have been planted by Eom Im-ui, the progenitor of the Yeongwol Eom clan. It originally stood in front of a temple called Daejeongsa, but after the temple disappeared and houses were built, it now stands in the center of the village. The tree serves as the village's guardian tree, and residents believe a sacred snake lives inside it, preventing animals and insects like ants, chickens, and dogs from approaching, which supposedly protects children from serious injury if they fall from the tree. The residents cherish this tree; during the Japanese colonial period and the Korean War, its northern branch broke, and on Liberation Day (August 15), the eastern branch broke, which is said to have foretold the nation's sorrow and joy. In the past, there was a custom where wives offered prayers to conceive children.
Donggang Riverside Park is a riverside park created along the Donggang River, which flows through Yeongwol-eup, Yeongwol-gun, Gangwon-do. It was named Donggang Riverside Park because the riverside park was established while improving the area around Donggang. In 2008, Yeongwol-gun transformed the old Hasong embankment into a resting space for residents as part of flood-prone area improvement projects in the Hasong district. While preserving the functional purpose of the river embankment facilities, Donggang Riverside Park also serves as a popular space for rest and culture among locals. It functions not only as a sports area with facilities like soccer and baseball fields but also as the main venue for major local cultural events such as the Danjong Cultural Festival, Donggang Raft Festival, and Donggang Winter Festival. The camping area under Donggang Bridge has long been popular for open-air camping, with about 700 meters of a wide waterfront park stretching south along the riverside, making it very spacious for car camping. Yeongwol Central Market, famous for buckwheat pancakes, is nearby, making it convenient to purchase food. In December 2021, Yeongwol-gun completed installing a multipurpose stadium at Donggang Riverside Park, refurbishing the existing track and adding two basketball courts and two courts serving both badminton and jokgu (foot volleyball).
Gwanpungheon Hall was used as a magistrate’s office to handle local affairs during the Joseon Dynasty. The site consists of an annex and a 3x3 kan building (a traditional Korean structural unit). Currently, it serves as a mission center for the Bodeoksa Temple of the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism.
About 50 meters away from the hall is Jagyuru Pavilion, where King Danjong (r. 1452–1455) stayed during his exile after losing the throne to King Sejo (r. 1455–1468). It is said that Danjong frequently visited this pavilion to write poetry known as jagyu poetry. In these works, he compared his own grief to the blood-spitting cries of the jagyu (oriental scops owl), a bird characterized by its painful and mournful call. The pavilion was originally built by County Magistrate Shin Kwon-geun in 1428 (the 10th year of King Sejong's reign) and was initially called Maejungnu. It was renamed after Danjong wrote his famous poems there. The buildings were eventually lost and forgotten until they were rediscovered and restored by Gangwon Provincial Governor Yun Sa-guk in 1791 (the 15th year of King Jeongjo's reign).
(Source: National Heritage Administration)
Gwanpungheon is a government office building from the Joseon Dynasty used for local administrative duties, consisting of a structure with 3 bays in front and 3 bays on the side, along with attached buildings. It is currently used as a temple lecture hall by the Jogye Order's Bodeoksa. About 50m away from here is a pavilion called Jagyuru. Jagyuru is where King Danjong (reigned 1452–1455) briefly stayed after King Sejo (reigned 1455–1468) usurped the throne and exiled him. Danjong is said to have frequently ascended this pavilion and composed Jagyu poems. Jagyu refers to a cuckoo that is said to cry sorrowfully while spitting blood, symbolizing his own plight. Originally built in the 10th year of King Sejong's reign (1428) by county magistrate Shin Gwongeun and called Maejukru, the pavilion's name was changed to Jagyuru because Danjong's Jagyu poems were so mournful. Later it fell into ruin, and houses were built on the site. In the 15th year of King Jeongjo's reign (1791), Gangwon-do governor Yoon Saguk found the site and restored it. (Source: Cultural Heritage Administration)
It is said that Geumgangjeong Pavilion was built by Kim Bokhang in 1428. However, according to Yeongwoljeyeong, there is also a story that Lee Jasam built it after admiring the beauty of Geumgang during his time as county magistrate. Inside the pavilion hangs a plaque inscribed with 'Geumgangjeong' in the handwriting of former President Syngman Rhee. Below Geumgangjeong flows the blue Donggang River, and the film 'Radio Star' was filmed here. Around Geumgangjeong, there are historic sites related to the tragic King Danjong. The building has four bays in front and three bays on the side. It is designed in the Ikgong style with a wooden floor. The roof has double eaves in a Paljak style and is decorated with Morodancheong. Geumgangjeong is surrounded by Gyejoksan and Taehwasan Mountains, offering picturesque views of Yeongwol's eight scenic spots. In 1684, Wooam Song Si-yeol wrote 'Geumgangjeonggi' while gazing at the spectacular scenery around Geumgangjeong. (Source: Yeongwol County Office Cultural Tourism)
Yeongwol Hyanggyo is a local educational institution established in 1398 (the 7th year of Taejo in the Joseon Dynasty). During the Joseon Dynasty, it functioned as a national educational institution responsible for the education and moral guidance of local people. All buildings except Daeseongjeon were destroyed during the Korean War in 1950, but after several restorations and repairs, it has maintained its current form. Yeongwol Hyanggyo is arranged in the jeonhak-humyo style, with the educational hall Myeongnyundang in front and the ritual hall Daeseongjeon at the back. Myeongnyundang was the space where students studied, a building with a gabled roof, three kan wide and two kan deep. Existing buildings include Daeseongjeon, Myeongnyundang, Dongmu, Seomu, Dongjae, Seojae, and Pungwharu. Daeseongjeon enshrines Confucian sages and is a double-eaved paljak roof building, five kan wide and three kan deep. It houses memorial plaques for the Five Saints of China (Confucius, Yan Hui, Zengzi, Zisi, Mencius), the Confucian Classics' Ten Masters, the Six Sages of the Song Dynasty, and eighteen Korean sages. During the Joseon period, the state provided land, books, and slaves, and one instructor educated 30 students. After the Gabo Reform, educational functions disappeared, and now the Confucian tradition continues through Seokjeon rites and offerings.
