CreatripTeam

Wonju city in Gangwon Province will hold the 2025 Ban-gye-ri Ginkgo Tree Festival on November 2 at the Ban-gye-ri Ginkgo Tree Plaza in Munmak-eup. The event celebrates a natural monument: the Ban-gye-ri ginkgo tree (estimated 1,318 years old), Korea’s oldest ginkgo, which turns brilliant gold each fall. Festival programs include traditional percussion (pungmul) performances, Nanta (percussion theater), dance, a brass ensemble from the Wonju Municipal Symphony, and an autumn foliage concert. Visitors can also enjoy a planned photo exhibition of the ginkgo, wish-writing, calligraphy, balloon art, face painting, and other hands-on activities. The tree stands 32 m tall with a trunk circumference of 16.27 m, and local lore says its simultaneous turning of leaves predicts a bountiful harvest the following year. Wonju has developed a plaza, performance stage, and access paths to improve tourist convenience and plans to continue supporting eco-cultural tourism.