Mount Paektu

Mount Paektu, rising 2,744 metres on the border with China, is the highest and most sacred mountain of the Korean peninsula, revered by Koreans everywhere as the mythical birthplace of the nation. This dramatic dormant volcano is crowned by Heaven Lake, an immense, astonishingly deep and blue crater lake filling its caldera, a scene of stark, elemental beauty. Snow lingers late on its slopes, and the surrounding highlands are wild and remote. Reached on the northern side via the town of Samjiyon as part of organised tours, and also visitable from the Chinese side, Paektu is one of the most beautiful and mythically resonant places in all of Korea.

History

The crater lake at the top is the scar of the Millennium eruption of 946, one of the most powerful eruptions of the last 5,000 years, which blew away much of the summit and left the caldera that Heaven Lake now fills. Its ash has been found in southern Hokkaido and as far away as Greenland. The Korean chronicle Goryeosa records that "thunders from heaven's drum" were heard that year in Kaesong, about 450 kilometres to the south, and temple records in Nara, Japan, tell of "white ash rain" falling on 3 November. The volcano has erupted at least three times since, in 1668, 1702 and 1903 (Wikipedia, Paektu Mountain).

The landscape

• Heaven Lake - the vast, deep-blue crater lake in the caldera.
• The volcanic summit - the dramatic dormant volcano's rim.
• The stark landscape - the elemental, often snow-streaked scenery.
• The sacred setting - the mountain revered across all Korea.

When to go

June to September offers the mildest access to this high, remote mountain, when the snow has largely retreated from the caldera rim and Heaven Lake shows its full deep blue; the rest of the year is severely cold and often inaccessible. Visits are made as part of organised tours via Samjiyon, or from the Chinese side as Changbai.

Before you go

Paektu is high, remote and weather-dependent, and cloud can veil the caldera, so a clear day is a real prize; the northern approach is reached as part of an organised tour. As a sacred volcano crowned by the breathtaking Heaven Lake, one of the most beautiful and mythically resonant places in all Korea, though, Mount Paektu is an unforgettable sight for those who reach it.

Nearby

The town of Samjiyon and its highlands are the usual base on the northern side.

Key facts