Chun, Young Woo College of Forest Science, Kookmin University, KOREA

1. Reconciling ecological and cultural forest values: South Korean Buddhist Temple Forests and the National Park System Chun, Young Woo College of Forest Science, Kookmin University, KOREA

2. Buddhist Temple Forest? • Definition : the forest formed and managed in order to maintain temple's scenery and landscape and/or • the forest needed to supply operational expenses and materials of the temple.

3. The Roles of Buddhist Temple Forest 1) religious space : the monks and priests’ religious disciplining, meditation, teamwork training 2) resource space : famine foods, wild herbs and vegetables, fuel-wood and timber material could be acquired. 3) sacred space: holy place and shelter from the secular society

4. Well preserved forest at Haeinsa Buddhist Temple Forest

5. Baekyangsa Buddhist Temple Forest

6. Historical Background of Buddhist Temple Forests 1. A long history of 1,500 year in Korea 2. originated from the 7th century because Buddhist temple began to be built deep in Mt. area 3. the broadminded cultural attitude of Buddhism: -integration of indigenous and ancient mountain god faith -the introduction of Zen Buddhism (in Unified Silla) -the art of native geomancy (Chinese, FengShui)

7. Buddhist Temple Forests of Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910) • Joseon Dynasty established the new religion policy, such as to respect Confucianism and suppressed Buddhism. Because of the new policy, Buddhism went downhill. • However, the royal family still needed Buddhism to pray for their parents to go to the paradise. • Buddhist temple also needed royal family’s protection power to escape from the suppression policy. • Buddhist temple and the royal family used each other as an ‘insurance’. As a result of this special relationship between Buddhism and the royal family, the new forest ownership was established Taebongsan(胎封山)-forest, Yulmokbongsan (栗木封山)-forest, Hyangtanbongsan (香炭封山)--forest, Songhwabongsan (松花封山)-forest .

8. Taebongsan(胎封山)-forest : Pine forest for the protection of the preserves of royal family’s umbilical cords • Eunhaesa Buddhist Temple’s Taebongsan Forest

9. The umbilical cord preserve of Joseon Dynasty’s 12th King Injong at Eunhaesa Buddhist Temple

10. Yulmokbongsan(栗木封山)-forest : Chestnut forest for the production of ancestral tablet used in the ceremony of ancestor worship (royal tombs). • Yeongoksa Buddhist Temple’s YulmokbongsanForest

11. Ancestral Tablet used in the Ceremony of Ancestor Worship

12. Hyangtanbongsan(香炭封山)-forest : Forest for the manufacture of charcoal used for royal family and related royal ceremonies • Kimyongsa Buddhist Temple’s Hyangtanbongsan Forest

14. Songhwabongsan(松花封山)-forest : Pine forest for collecting the pine pollen for traditional “pine pollen sweets” for royal family • Anjungsa Buddhist Temple’s Songhwabongsan Forest : The red pine forest to collect the pine pollen for the traditional pressed sweets for royal family identification wood disk for protection activity pine pollen sweets

15. Species of Buddhist Temple Forest • Korean red pine (Pinusdensiflora) • Manchurian fir (Abiesholophylla) • Nutmeg (Torreyanucifera) • Camellia (Camellia japonica) • Maple (Acer palmatum) • Tea (Theasinensis)

16. Tongdosa Buddhist Temple’s Red Pine forests

17. Woljungsa, Naesoda Buddhist Temple’s Fir Forests

18. The fruits of Nutmeg (Torreyanucifera) was used as an anthelminticto take a dose of 7 fruits for 7 days. • Baekyangsa Buddhist Temple’s Nutmeg Forest

19. Baekyeonsa, Sununsa Buddhist Temple’s Camellia Forests

20. Hwaeumsa, Sumamsa Buddhist Temple’s Tea Plantation

21. New Emerging Functions of Buddhist Temple Forest • maintenance of traditional cultural landscape and natural treasure • provision of health and meditation space • preservation of biodiversity

22. The Urgent Problem of Temple Forests Total area of Temple Forest is ~1% of the Korean Forest. The temple forests has long history of 1600 years The national park system has been institutionalized since 1967 in Korea and old temples in famous Mt. were designated as National Park. Naejangsa, Haeinsa, Naesosa, Weolchulsa owned the temple forests over 30% of the designated National Park’s area. Those temple forests are regulated by the National Park Law strictly National Park and general park laws are restrictively allowed the utilization of temple forests.

23. Swinging Between Millennial Conservation and Modern Cultural Prosperity • Value conflicts between 1)the cultural use of the temple forests and 2)the conservation of National Park (or Province Park) • A salient example between 1)the cultural values of religion and 2)the aesthetical and ecological values of modern society : a general phenomenon of the Buddhist temple forests of Korea

24. The Buddhist monk’s protest ceremony to clear the park laws

25. CONCLUSION How we can solve this conflict between cultural value of religion and ecological value of modern society? Buddhist temple forests in Korea represent a salient example of modern day conflict between ecological and cultural forest values. Drawing on historical experiences, this presentation argues that ecological and cultural forest values are not mutually exclusive and presents strategies to reconcile the ecological and cultural values of forests