Sandong-myeon has a tradition that a woman arriving from China’s Shandong about 1,200 years ago brought a cornelian-cherry tree. An old tree in Gyecheok Village is known locally as the origin tree.
The 27th Gurye Sansuyu Flower Festival ran March 14–22, 2026. The origin story is identified as village tradition, while dates and bloom conditions require annual official checks.