Hongcheon’s Naemyeon Ginkgo Tree Forest at Peak as Around 2,000 Trees Turn Golden

【Financial News, Chuncheon = Kim Gi-seop, staff reporter】Under a blue autumn sky, the forest in Gwangwon-ri, Naemyeon, Hongcheon County, where around 2,000 ginkgo trees form a golden tunnel, opens for just one month a year and welcomes autumn visitors free of charge.
According to Hongcheon County on the 23rd, the Naemyeon Ginkgo Tree Forest was created by planting ginkgo trees in neat rows, five meters apart, across an area of about 40,000 square meters. At the height of autumn, the trees turn entirely golden, and ginkgo leaves pile up even across the forest-path floor, creating a distinctive scene.
The forest is normally closed and opens to the public only in October each year. Since the forest’s owner began opening it free of charge every autumn in 2010, word of mouth has spread nationwide. It has now become one of Hongcheon’s leading autumn attractions, a must-visit for travelers to Naemyeon.
Trips that take in nearby attractions are also popular. Sambong Mineral Spring, one of Hongcheon’s nine scenic spots, and Guryongnyeong, a mountain pass along the Baekdu-daegan, are nearby, and many visitors use the Ginkgo Tree Forest as a starting point for exploring the natural scenery around Naemyeon.
Local residents are also helping welcome visitors. Residents of Gwangwon 1-ri serve local foods such as potato pancakes and acorn jelly near the forest and sell agricultural products harvested in Naemyeon, sharing the flavors of a mountain village.
Hongcheon County has staff on site to manage the grounds and direct parking during periods when visitor numbers surge. The county also plans to urge visitors to tour in an orderly manner and move safely, while working to preserve Naemyeon’s natural resources and maintain a pleasant environment for tourism.
“Now, with the ginkgo trees planted in rows five meters apart all turning color at once, is the most beautiful time of year for the forest,” said Park Yu-dong, head of Naemyeon in Hongcheon County. “I hope you’ll stroll along the forest paths, sample the potato pancakes and acorn jelly prepared by residents of Gwangwon 1-ri, then stop by Sambong Mineral Spring and enjoy Naemyeon’s autumn to the fullest.”

[email protected] Kim Gi-seop Reporter