A ginkgo tree can be as old as a fossil. Introduced with Confucianism and Buddhism from China, the trees are found in Japan, China, and Korea. The ginkgo tree has beautiful leaves in fall, undamaged by harmful insects, and provides large, cool shade. Therefore, it is often planted as an arbor or a roadside tree. The ginkgo tree in Jeokcheonsa Temple, Cheongdo is about 800 years old, with height of approximately 25.5m and girth of about 8.7m. According to local legend, in the fifth year of the reign of King Myeongjong (1175) in the Goryeo Dynasty, a Buddhist priest named Jinul sticked his staff into the ground after reconstructing Jeokcheonsa Temple. Later, the staff grew into this big ginkgo tree. The ginkgo tree in Jeokcheonsa Temple, Cheongdo has been preserved well by descendants for a long time. Biologically and ethnically valuable, it is designated and protected as a Natural Monument.