[Ko Gyu-hong's Trees and People] The Trees of Songdang, Their Roots Reached the People

<4> Park Young's Seonsan Quince Tree

There is a reason for planting trees. During the agricultural culture era, trees were planted and nurtured routinely, but it was not without purpose. For example, some trees were planted to symbolize a scholar’s family, while others were planted to pray for future peace and to convey the wishes of the living world to the heavens. There were also trees planted to save people who were collapsing and dying nearby.

On a scenic hilltop in Singi-ri, Seonsan-eup, Gumi, Gyeongbuk, in front of the beautiful old pavilion called 'Songdangjeongsa,' there stands such a tree. The person who planted the tree was Songdang (松堂) Park Young (朴英, 1471?1540), who began his career as a military officer, later became a Neo-Confucian scholar, and eventually lived a multifaceted life as a Korean medicine doctor. The tree he planted is a quince tree. The person who now carefully protects this quince tree, which can be considered a symbol of the family, is his 19th-generation descendant, Park Hyukjin (朴赫鎭, 65).

"This quince tree is a special tree that symbolically shows Songdang grandfather’s stance on scholarship. He grew tired of his military life and returned to his hometown here, planting this tree himself as a practicing Neo-Confucian scholar who respected life, as well as a Korean medicine doctor and physician."

Park Young, born and raised in the Seonsan area of Gumi, passed the military examination in 1492, just over twenty years old, and began his career as a military officer. He distinguished himself as a military officer but also dreamed of transforming into a civil official scholar who would benefit the world widely.

"Military officers inevitably lost out to civil officials. It seems he always felt regret about that. Grandfather Park Young was the maternal grandson of Prince Yangnyeong. So, as a royal descendant, he must have had the desire to rise to the status of a scholar who could control the world, like other royal descendants."

Songdangjeongsa, built by Park Young after abandoning his honorary position, located in Seonsan area of Gumi, his hometown. Constructed in 1496 and rebuilt in the 1860s, it is designated as Gyeongsangbuk-do Cultural Heritage Material No. 664.

After relinquishing his military post and returning home, he built Songdangjeongsa pavilion... Devoted to Neo-Confucianism and then immersed himself in Korean medicine
Planted quince trees effective against common ailments like vomiting, diarrhea, and stomach diseases
Though the original trees he planted no longer exist, descendants and successor trees still remain in place

As a descendant recounting his ancestor’s youth, Park Hyukjin’s words carry a sense of regret. Dissatisfied with his military life, Park Young resigned three years after passing the military exam and returned to his hometown. First, he built a house called Songdangjeongsa on a low hill overlooking the Nakdong River. Afterward, he immersed himself in scholarly pursuits.

To build a foundation as a scholar, Park Young sought guidance from Jeong Bung (鄭鵬, 1467?1512) of Sindang. Jeong Bung was continuing the orthodox academic lineage of Joseon Neo-Confucianism in their hometown village. He accepted Park Young’s enthusiasm. Park Young took Jeong Bung, who was four years his senior, as his teacher and devoted himself to study. Park Hyukjin proudly speaks of his ancestor’s passion for learning.

"Whether he thought he was lacking or was just extremely determined by nature, he studied very intensely. After returning home, with Jeong Bung’s help, he began reading the 'Great Learning' and reportedly repeated it as many as 20,000 times. Thanks to that, Songdang grandfather was called the 'Great Learning boy' in the neighborhood."

The court was aware of Park Young’s outstanding abilities and frequently summoned him. However, Park Young did not accept official positions unconditionally. He sometimes declined high-ranking posts according to his own circumstances and stance. But when he judged that the country was in danger, such as during Japanese pirate invasions, he was a born warrior who unsheathed his sword without hesitation. Due to frequent summons from the court, he spent more time away from his hometown than at Songdangjeongsa.

Park Young expanded his scholarly scope to Korean medicine and medical practice around the time he returned home and devoted himself to Neo-Confucianism. As a battlefield commander, he personally faced life and death and had to soothe people’s pain. For him, there was no more essential study than saving human lives.

He immersed himself in what could be called 'practical Neo-Confucianism.' Eventually, he devoted himself to medical practice, that is, Korean medicine. Having already treated many wounded soldiers, he was efficient in studying medicine. It did not take long for him to gain a reputation as a renowned doctor in the area.

Park Young even left major Korean medicine writings such as 'Gyeongheombang (Experience Prescriptions)' and 'Hwalinsinbang (New Prescriptions for Reviving People).' Later, he served as a Jejo (chief pharmacist) at the Naewiwon, the royal pharmacy of the Joseon dynasty. This is evidence of the high level of Korean medicine he achieved through self-study.

"If we talk in modern terms, he could be called a multidisciplinary scholar. Ultimately, I think he believed that the ultimate goal of all scholarship should be to save people."

Park Hyukjin’s pride as a descendant of this honorable ancestor continues with the story of the tree. While healing people’s pain with medicine, Park Young also planted trees. They were quince trees. He chose quince trees among many kinds because he needed medicinal herbs.

The fruit of the quince tree is inedible but has long been used as a valuable medicinal herb. It was especially effective against coughs, colds, vomiting, diarrhea, and stomach diseases. These illnesses were common among the people, but there were no proper treatments at the time. Park Young wanted to care for even one more person peacefully. He focused not on rare diseases but on the most common illnesses. This is why he chose the quince tree.

This recalls the legendary Chinese doctor Dong Bong (董奉). Dong Bong made his patients plant apricot trees around his house as payment for treatment. He recommended five trees for seriously ill patients and one tree for those with mild symptoms. Soon, apricot trees formed a forest around Dong Bong’s house.

Dong Bong eventually became a symbol of a benevolent doctor. Since then, 'Hengnim (杏林),' meaning 'apricot forest,' has been used to refer to 'righteous doctors.' The festival of medical scientists is also called 'Hengnimje' after this.

The Park Young Stele, composed and personally written by Heo Mok to honor Park Young's achievements.

The trees Park Young planted were not just one. Because they were for medicinal use, he planted several. Quince trees, which grow well regardless of growing conditions, must have formed a forest around Songdangjeongsa like Dong Bong’s Hengnim. Unfortunately, the quince tree currently standing is not the original tree Park Young planted.

If it were the tree Park Young planted, it would be at least 500 years old. However, the quince tree with a magnificent shape at the entrance of Songdangjeongsa is about 250 years old. It is a successor tree nurtured from the original. Descendants have preserved this tree to remember their ancestor’s precious intentions for a long time.

The quince tree, embodying the spirit of Park Young, a military officer, Neo-Confucian scholar, and medical doctor, still stands guarding his home. It has grown up to 10 meters tall. Its trunk splits into several branches from the base, spreading evenly in all directions. The quince tree’s characteristic smooth bark with distinct mottled patterns is clear.

Quince trees grow well throughout Korea, but it is rare to encounter one with such a beautiful shape. This is why the Korea Forest Service designated this quince tree as a protected tree in October last year. It seems the devoted efforts of the descendants to preserve their ancestor’s will have been rewarded.

"He was robust and took excellent care of his health, living to the age of 70, which was considered long-lived at the time. Moreover, he worked in office until the moment he passed away, dying in service."

Lee Eonjeok (李彦迪, 1491?1553), a fellow scholar of the Sarim faction, mourned Park Young’s death by composing a long elegy beginning with "Heaven does not forsake the scholars (天不喪斯文) / There are still people in the eastern corner of this land (東隅尙有人)." In it, Lee praised Park Young’s achievements, saying he "explored the profundities of scholarship (窮探極遐妙) / and reached a lofty and pure state (高步入眞純)," "used medicine to save lives (活人憑藥餌) / and corrected the nation’s suffering with his governance."

About 130 years later, in 1540, Heo Mok (許穆, 1595?1682), a successor of the Yeongnam Neo-Confucian academic lineage, personally wrote a lengthy epitaph for Park Young and erected it in front of Songdangjeongsa. He called Park Young "the exemplar of a nobleman (君子之表)" and wrote that his scholarship "penetrated the teachings of heaven and humanity (貫天人之敎)."

Time has passed, and those people are all gone, leaving only the tree planted by a person for people. In these painful times of strange diseases running rampant, we long for the great scholar who planted a tree, praying that all the people of this land live peacefully and longer, considering one person’s pain as their own.

Ko Gyu-hong, Tree Columnist