CreatripTeam

The 2025 Ban-Gye-ri Ginkgo Tree Festival will be held on November 2 in Ban-gye-ri, Munmak-eup, Wonju, Gangwon Province. Even on the afternoon of November 1 — the day before the festival — visitors were already flocking to the ginkgo tree plaza. The Ban-Gye-ri ginkgo, estimated at about 1,318 years old (domestic oldest), is Natural Monument No. 167 and measures approximately 32 m tall with a 16.27 m circumference, making it a famous autumn foliage spot. Leaves are currently a mix of yellow and green, with peak color later than usual this year, but visitor numbers remain high and parking was nearly full. The festival, organized by Wonju City and hosted by the Ban-gye community, will feature pre-event performances such as pungmul (traditional Korean percussion), Nanta (percussive performance), and dance; the Wonju City Symphony brass ensemble and an autumn music concert; a themed photo exhibition of the ginkgo tree; and participatory programs like writing wish tags, calligraphy, and balloon art. Local improvements around the tree — including a plaza, walking paths, and additional ginkgo plantings — have made visits more appealing.