서천 마량리 동백나무 숲
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One of the Eight Scenic Views of Seocheon, the Dongbaek (camellia) tree forest in Marang-ri, Seomyeon, is designated as a Natural Monument. Here, 85 camellia trees, each around 500 years old, form a dense forest across 8,265㎡. Visiting the camellia forest, you can fully enjoy the shyly blooming red camellia flowers among the green leaves from late March to early May, and climbing to Dongbaekjeong Pavilion at the top offers a panoramic view of the blue West Sea and the beauty of the sunset. In particular, the view of the sea harmonizing with the nearby island of Oeryeokdo feels like admiring a piece of Oriental painting. The western side of the Marang-ri camellia forest has strong winds, leaving only a few trees, while about 70 trees are distributed on the eastern side. The camellia tree, belonging to the tea family, is a warm-temperate evergreen broadleaf tree that can grow up to 7m tall, but due to strong winds, the camellias here grow to about 2m in height and spread sideways. According to legend, about 500 years ago, the naval commander of Marang received a revelation in a dream that if he greatly propagated the flower clusters on the beach, the village would always bloom with smiles and prosper. Going to the beach, he found the flowers and propagated them. Since then, villagers have gathered here every year on the first month of the lunar calendar to hold rituals praying for abundant fish catches and safety at sea. Currently, this forest serves as a windbreak for the village. Additionally, due to the Earth's rotation and revolution along with geographical peculiarities, this area allows simultaneous views of sunrise and sunset on the west coast, gaining much popularity. In Marang-ri, there is a large-scale power plant, and following the back road of the plant, passing stone steps on the hill and climbing a short while, you will find a pavilion called Dongbaekjeong on the hilltop. The camellia trees on this hill are spaced with some distance between them, and their shapes are nearly circular. Although this camellia forest is said to have been planted for windbreak purposes, its windbreak function is hard to discern. The Marang-ri camellia forest is located on a low hill by the seaside, about 4.5km from Seodo Elementary School. Climbing a bit further up the hill, there is a modest pavilion called Dongbaekjeong (冬栢亭), where about 80 camellia trees are scattered and growing. Meanwhile, the Marang-ri camellia forest is one of the few camellia forests in Korea, situated on the northern limit line where camellias can grow, giving it high value in plant distribution studies. It also holds cultural value as a forest preserving windfall rituals and legends, and is thus designated and protected as a Natural Monument. The camellia tree belongs to the tea family and is distributed in warm regions including Korea, Japan, and China. In Korea, it grows on the southern coast and islands. Its flowers bloom in early spring and are very beautiful; depending on the blooming period, they are called Chunbaek (春栢), Chubaek (秋栢), or Dongbaek (冬栢). The Marang-ri camellias are Chunbaek (春栢) evergreen broadleaf trees, with thick leaves that have a glossy dark green surface, densely packed together for a beautiful appearance. Moreover, the red flowers blooming from late winter through late spring enhance their beauty. About 500 years ago, villagers here went out to sea on rafts to fish, and many were swept away and never returned. During this time, an old woman who had lost her husband and child saw a dragon ascending from the sea in front of the village and thought that they must serve the Dragon King well to avoid disaster. Through a revelation from a white-haired elder in a dream, she obtained five sacred portraits in a coffin and camellia seeds on the beach, enshrined the portraits in a shrine, and planted the camellia seeds around. The camellia forest of 85 trees flourished, and rituals have been held at the shrine from the first day of the first lunar month until the third day, continuing to this day, and it is said that no fishing accidents have occurred since. The ritual proceeds in the order of Seonchangje, Dokgyeong, Daejap-i, Madangje, Yongwaje, and Georije; several days before the ritual begins, one doe of rice per household is collected for expenses, dozens of fishing boat flags for abundant catches and full loads are planted near the shrine, and preparations such as costumes for the Hwaju, Hwajang (assistant to the boat owner), and 2-3 Danggul (net handlers) are completed.