County Flower
Gardenia
Designated Date
1973. 12. 24
Habitat
The flowers grow in hills of Namhae-gun and especially a lot in Naneum District in Yidong-myeon.
Features and Designation
- Gardenias are evergreen, broad-leaved shrubs and they can not tolerate cold but can withstand heat relatively well.
- GThey have glossy leaves and the white flowers have quite strong fragrance and, the fruits are also used in traditional Chinese medicine and as natural dye.
- GThe flowers bloom around June~July and have about 6~7 petals.
- GThe fruits are called ‘chija’ in Korean and they are used in traditional oriental medicine for treating insomnia and jaundice and for their anti-inflammatory, hemostatic and diuretic properties.
- GThe fruits can also be used as natural dye and in the old days, to prevent rice from turning bad, people soaked the rice in chija water and steamed the rice to store them for a long time.
- Gardenia was designated as the county flower of Namhae because the flower’s image resembles the county people’s integrity and love for their native land.
County Tree
Torreya Nut Tree
Designated Date
1979. 1. 27
Habitat
The trees grow in hills of Namhae-gun and the beautifully grand, nutmeg tree in Danghang-ri, Nam-myeong was designated as the Monument No.200 of Gyeongsangnam-do Province in 1997.
Features and Designation
Features and Designation
- Torreya nut trees are evergreen, needle-leaved trees. The wood is used for making premium crafts and the fruits are used in traditional oriental medicine.
- The trees have thick leaves and bear a lot of fruits which have unique fragrance.
- The fruits are used for making anthelmintic drugs, cooking oil and lamp oil and the wood is specially used for making premium crafts or go boards.
County Bird
White Heron
Designated Date
1998. 7. 9
Habitat
Bongjeon Village, Asan-ri, Namhae-eup and Pyeongsan-ri, Nam-myeon
Features and Designation
White herons are elegant, gentle, beautiful yet simple and they have always been friendly birds to the farmers of Namhae County. It signifies a neighborhood of sincerity, harmony of the people, and a long life without much illness. The bird was designated as the county bird to symbolize the truly figured and harmoniously united people of Namhae. Their pure, strong, and intensive diligences are similar to the nature of the county people. The bird symbolizes sincerity in people, harmony of the people and a healthy, long life. White heron was designated as the county bird of Namhae because the bird’s cleanliness, strength, independence and diligence resemble those qualities of the people of Namhae and to symbolize Namhae people’s harmonious spirits.
County Fish
Black Sea Bream
Designated Date
2011 .11.22
Habitat
All over Namhae County
Features and Designation
- Black sea bream is one of the most highly prized species by fishermen and they usually live in the clean water of Namhae and they have a beautiful figure.
- They breed from March to July and leave eggs on gravels, sand and on relatively complex terrain of sea bed.
- They have an oval-shaped body, protruding lips and developed grinders.
- Most of them are males for the 1st year of their life and protogynous hermaphrodites for the rest of their life.
- They have ctenoid scales but there are no scales between the eyes or under the gills.
