Nature Wallpaper at Yeowon-ro, Wonju-si | Free HD Download
Photographed at Yeowon-ro, Wonju-si in November 2024
An ancient ginkgo tree in full autumn golden glory towers over crowds of visitors along Yeowon-ro in Wonju, its massive trunk splitting into multiple limbs that spread a canopy of pure yellow against a flawless November sky. The tree is enormous, clearly centuries old, its gnarled bark and the sheer breadth of its crown suggesting it may be one of the designated natural monuments that Korea protects throughout the countryside. Visitors gather at its base, some photographing, others simply standing in the rain of fan-shaped leaves that accumulates in a golden carpet on the ground. The sunlight is low and warm, typical of early November, backlighting the yellow leaves so they appear to glow from within. Korea's ancient ginkgo trees are celebrated each autumn as individual landmarks, drawing visitors who track their color change on social media, and a specimen of this size in Wonju's countryside represents hundreds of years of survival through wars, development, and changing climate.