Uiseong Sachon-ri Roadside Forest

On the western edge of Sachon village in Jeomgok-myeon, Uiseong, a long belt of centuries-old zelkovas and hackberries lines the fields. It was planted at the end of the Goryeo period as a windbreak by a scholar who settled here, and villagers still call it Seorim (西林), the West Forest. It runs north to south in a long band along the western approach to the village, so you pass through the trees before you reach the houses. Guarding the village for more than 600 years, it is now protected as the Uiseong Sachon-ri Roadside Forest, a national Natural Monument.

A forest planted against the wind

Tradition credits the forest to Kim Ja-cheom, the first member of the Andong Kim clan to settle in the village. Having moved here from Andong, he planted trees to block the strong winds that swept across the flat land to the west, and those plantings grew into today's forest. It is thought to date from the 1380s.

The forest now holds more than 500 trees aged roughly 300 to 600 years, including zelkova, hackberry, oriental white oak, Chinese scholar tree and elm. Because a woodland created for a practical need has lived alongside the village for centuries, it was recognised as a heritage site that shows how earlier Koreans worked nature into everyday life, and was designated a Natural Monument in 1999.

The legend of Ryu Seong-ryong's birth

The forest carries a legend that Ryu Seong-ryong, the chief state councillor who guided Korea through the Japanese invasions of the 1590s, was born here. Sachon has long been home to the Andong Kim and Pungsan Ryu clans, and whenever people talk about Ryu's link with the village, the forest is part of the story. That is why it has always meant more to villagers than a simple windbreak.

Walking the forest and the village

Inside the forest, tall trees cast wide shade, so it is pleasant to walk even in midsummer. Many old trunks are thick and lean at striking angles, and it is worth taking time to look at individual trees. About 250 m away in the village stands Manchwidang, a national Treasure built between 1582 and 1584 by Kim Sa-won, a disciple of the philosopher Yi Hwang; its name board was written by the famous calligrapher Han Ho (Seokbong). Poems by visitors such as Yi Hae and Ryu Seong-ryong are preserved there. It began as a simple raised pavilion; two bays were added to the east in 1727 and a heated room to the west in 1764, giving it its present T-shaped plan. Seeing the forest and Manchwidang together gives a good sense of the families who shaped Sachon.

Tripto tips

• When to go: summer for deep shade, or late October to early November, when the zelkovas turn yellow and red.
• Time needed: around 30 minutes for the forest; 60–90 minutes if you add Manchwidang and the village.
• Getting there: it is about 20 km south of central Andong, roughly 30 minutes by car. Public transport connections are poor, so it fits best into a driving trip. There is no admission fee.
• Good to know: Sachon is a living village. Do not peer into private houses or make noise; stick to the areas open to visitors.