Seonghwanglim （Sacred Forest） in Seongnam-ri, Wonseong （Natural Monument No. 93）
(Natural Monument No. 93)
Seonghwangnim Forest in Seongnam-ri, Wonseong
Detail
- Classification : Natural heritage/ natural monument/ cultural and historical landmark/ folklore
- Designation/ registration date : December 7, 1962
- Location : 191 beonji, Seongnam-ri, Sillim-myeon, Wonju-si, Gangwon-do
- Owner (ownership group) : State-owned (Ministry of Construction and Transportation, etc.)
- Manager (management group) : Wonju City
In the Korean folk belief system, a seonghwangrim is a forest that protects and guards the village. The seonghwanglim in Seongnam-ri, Wonseong, located outside village also has functioned such a role.
The plant species that make up the forest include Lonicera chryantha, Kalopanax, Quercus serrata, Cornus controversa, Lindens, Juglans mandshurica, Styrax obassia, Fraxinus mandschurica, Alangium platanifolium var. trilobum, Zanthoxylum piperitum, Ficus religiosa, Flueggea suffruticosa, Rubus coreanus, Rosa multiflora, Celastrus orbiculatus, and Akebia, which are commonly seen in forests in central temperate regions. The residents of Seongnam-ri have considered the seonghwangsin god living in Chiaksan Mountain as the guardian deity of their village and have performed a rite to pray for the peace of the village on April 8 and September 9 every year for the past 100 years, but these traditions and events are gradually fading away with the advancement of science.
The seonghwangrim in Seongnam-ri, Wonseong, as a typical broad-leaved forest in central temperate regions, has high academic value and also functions as a folklore material important in understanding the belief system of ancient Koreans. For this reason, it has been designated and protected as a natural monument.