Difference between revisions of "Baekdu Mountain" - New World Encyclopedia

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<!-- BEGIN WikiProject Mountains infobox (scroll down to edit main article text) —>
 
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{| border="1" bgcolor="#ffffff" cellpadding="5" align="right" width="205" style="margin-left:3px"
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{|class="infobox" width="175" style="float:right;"margin:0 0 1em 1em;" border="1" bgcolor="#ffffff" cellpadding="5" align="right" width="205" style="margin-left:3px"
!bgcolor=#e7dcc3 colspan=2|Baekdu Mountain
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!bgcolor=#e7dcc3 colspan=2|Snow-covered view of Heaven Lake, at the top of Baekdu Mountain
 
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|colspan=2|[[Image:Paektu-san.jpg|250px|Baekdu Mountain volcano, April 2003]]
 
|colspan=2|[[Image:Paektu-san.jpg|250px|Baekdu Mountain volcano, April 2003]]
 
|-
 
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|bgcolor=#e7dcc3|[[Elevation (geography)|Elevation]]:||2,744 metres (9,012 feet)
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|bgcolor=#e7dcc3|[[Elevation (geography)|Elevation]]:||2,744 meters (9,012 feet)
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|bgcolor=#e7dcc3 width=90|[[Geographic coordinates|Coordinates]]:
 
|width=215|{{coor dms|42|00|20|N|128|03|19|E|type:mountain}}
 
 
|-
 
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|bgcolor=#e7dcc3|Location:||[[North Korea]] - [[Jilin]], ([[China]])
 
|bgcolor=#e7dcc3|Location:||[[North Korea]] - [[Jilin]], ([[China]])
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|bgcolor=#e7dcc3|[[List of mountain types|Type]]:||[[Stratovolcano]]
 
|bgcolor=#e7dcc3|[[List of mountain types|Type]]:||[[Stratovolcano]]
 
|-
 
|-
|bgcolor=#e7dcc3|[[Last eruption]]:||1903<ref>{{VNUM|1=1005-06-|2=Baitoushan}}</ref>
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|bgcolor=#e7dcc3|[[Last eruption]]:||1903<ref>{{VNUM|1=1005-06-|2=Baitoushan}}. Retrieved November 9, 2007.</ref>
 
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| [[Hanja]] || 白頭山
 
| [[Hanja]] || 白頭山
 
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| [[McCune-Reischauer]] || Paektusan
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| [[McCune-Reischauer]] || Baekdusan
 
|-
 
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| width=150 | [[Revised Romanization of Korean|Revised Romanization]] || width=150 | Baekdusan
 
| width=150 | [[Revised Romanization of Korean|Revised Romanization]] || width=150 | Baekdusan
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'''Baekdu Mountain''', also known as '''Changbai Mountain''' in [[Chinese language|Chinese]], is a volcanic [[mountain]] on the border between [[China]] and [[North Korea]], located at {{coor dms|42|00|24|N|128|03|18|E|type:landmark}}. At 2,744 m, it is the highest mountain of the [[Changbai Mountains]] to the north and [[Baekdudaegan]] to the south.  It is also the highest mountain in [[Korea]] and [[Manchuria]].
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'''Baekdu Mountain''' (Baekdusan), also known as '''Changbai Mountain''' in [[Chinese language|Chinese]], is a volcanic [[mountain]] on the border between [[North Korea]] and the [[Manchuria|Manchurian]] region of [[China]]. At 2,744 m, it is the highest mountain of the [[Changbai Mountains]] to the north and [[Baekdudaegan]] to the south, and higher than any other mountain in [[Korea]] or Manchuria.
  
The [[Korean language|Korean]] name, ''Baekdu-san'', means "white-headed mountain"Both the [[Chinese language|Chinese]] name, ''Changbai Shan'' and [[Manchu language|Manchu]] name, ''Golmin Šanggiyan Alin'' mean "perpetually white mountain".  
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The [[Korean language|Korean]] name, ''Baekdu-san,'' means "white-headed mountain." Both the [[Chinese language|Chinese]] name, ''Changbai Shan'' and [[Manchu language|Manchu]] name, ''Golmin Šanggiyan Alin'' mean "perpetually white mountain."  
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{{toc}}
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One of the highest [[crater lake]]s in the world, called [[Heaven Lake]] (Lake Cheonji (천지)in Korean / Lake Tianchi (天池) in Chinese), lies at the top of the mountain. Baekdusan marks the northern boundary of Korea, and the location where Korea's foundation myths regarding [[Dangun]] take place.
  
One of the highest [[crater lake]]s in the world, called [[Heaven Lake]] (天池), lies at the top of the mountain.
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==Geography==
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Baekdusan's [[volcano]], Baitoushan, had its most recent minor eruptions in 1702 and 1903, and it is now considered to be dormant. Baitoushan's most recent major eruption, around 1000 C.E., one of the largest in the modern [[Holocene]] [[geology|geologic]] period, deposited erupted ash material as far away as [[Hokkaido]], in Northern [[Japan]], about 1,200 km away, and created the 4.5 kilometer diameter crater, about 850 meters deep that contains Heaven Lake. Sixteen peaks exceeding 2500 m surround the lake.
  
==Geography==
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From mid-October to mid-June, Heaven Lake is covered with ice. The lake has a circumference of 12 to 14 kilometers, an average depth of 213 m and maximum depth of 384 m. Water flows north out of the lake, and near the outlet there is a 70 meter waterfall. Heaven Lake is popular with tourists, known both for its natural beauty and for sightings of an unidentified creature living in its waters.  
The central section of the mountain rises about 3 mm every year, due to rising levels of [[magma]] below the central part of the mountain.  The highest peak, called Janggun Peak, is covered in snow about eight months of the year. The slope is relatively gentle until about 1800 m.  
 
  
Sixteen peaks exceeding 2500 m surround [[Chonji]]. The crater lake was probably created in 1597, when a recorded eruption took place. [[Volcanic ash]] from this eruption has been found as far away as the southern part of [[Hokkaidō]] of [[Japan]].  The lake has a circumference of 12 to 14 kilometres, with an average depth of 213 m and maximum depth of 384 m. From mid-October to mid-June, the lake is covered with ice.
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The central section of the mountain rises about 3 mm every year, due to rising levels of [[magma]] below the central part of the mountain. The highest peak, called Janggun Peak, is covered in snow about eight months of the year. The slope is relatively gentle until about 1800 m. The mountain is the source of the [[Songhua River|Songhua]], [[Tumen River|Tumen (Tuman)]] and [[Yalu River|Yalu (Amnok)]] rivers.
  
Water flows north out of the lake, and near the outlet there is a 70 meter waterfall.  The mountain is the source of the [[Songhua River|Songhua]], [[Tumen River|Tumen (Tuman)]] and [[Yalu River|Yalu (Amnok)]] rivers.
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Baekdusan is the northern end of the Baekdu Daegan Mountain Range System which extends 1,400 km, forming the backbone of the Korean peninsula, and dividing the Korean watersheds.
  
 
==Climate==
 
==Climate==
The weather on the mountain can be very erratic. The annual average temperature at the peak is about -8.3 degrees Celsius. During summer, temperatures of about 18 degrees Celsius can be reached, and during winter temperatures can drop to -48 degrees Celsius. Average temperature is -24 degrees Celsius in January, 10 degrees Celsius in July, remaining below freezing for eight months of the year. Average wind speed is 11.7 meters per second, reaching an average of 17.6 m/s in December. Relative humidity averages 74%.
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The [[weather]] on the mountain can be very erratic. The annual average [[temperature]] at the peak is about -8.3 degrees Celsius. During summer, temperatures of about 18 degrees Celsius can be reached, and during winter temperatures can drop to -48 degrees Celsius. Average temperature is -24 degrees Celsius in January, 10 degrees Celsius in July, remaining below freezing for eight months of the year. Average wind speed is {{convert|42|km|1}} per hour, peaking at {{convert|63|km|1}} per hour. Relative humidity averages 74%.
  
 
==Flora and fauna==
 
==Flora and fauna==
[[Image:Manchu veritable records - Changbaishan.jpg|thumb|Painting from the [[Manchu Veritable Records]]]]
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[[Image:Changbai-2005.JPG|left|thumb|250px|[[Cairn]]s]]
There are five known species of plants in the lake on the peak, and some 168 were counted along the shores. The area is a known habitat for [[tiger]]s, [[bear]]s, [[leopard]]s, [[wolf|wolves]], and [[wild boar]]s. Deer in the mountain forests, which cover the mountain up to about 2000 metres, are of the Paekdusan [[roe deer]] kind. Many wild birds such as [[black grouse]], [[owl]]s, and [[woodpecker]] are known to inhabit the area.
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There are five known species of plants in the lake on the peak, and some 168 were counted along the shores. The area is a known habitat for [[tiger]]s, [[bear]]s, [[leopard]]s, [[wolf|wolves]], and [[wild boar]]s. Deer in the mountain forests, which cover the mountain up to about 2000 meters, are of the Baekdusan [[roe deer]] variety. Many wild birds such as [[black grouse]], [[owl|owls]], and [[woodpecker]] are known to inhabit the area.
  
 
==History==
 
==History==
The Baekdu/Changbai Mountain has been worshipped by the surrounding peoples throughout history. Koreans and Manchus alike consider it the place of their ancestral origin.
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{{readout||right|250px|Baekdu (Changbai) Mountain, a dormant [[volcano]] between [[China]] and [[North Korea]], has one of the highest [[crater lake]]s in the world, called "Heaven Lake"}}
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The Chinese-Korean border divides the mountain into two, running down the middle of the crater lake. The Baekdu/Changbai Mountain has been worshiped by the surrounding peoples throughout history, and is still considered sacred by the Korean population living nearby. Koreans and Manchus alike consider it the place of their ancestral origin.
  
 
===China===
 
===China===
{{wikisourcelang|zh|山海經/大荒北經|Shanhaijing (in Chinese)}}
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The first written record of Baekdusan is recorded in the Chinese classic text [[Shan Hai Jing]] with the name Buxian Shan (不咸山,即神仙山, the Mountain with God). It's also called Shanshan Daling (單單大嶺, the Big Big Big Mountain.《說文》:“單,大也。”) in the [[Canonical Book of the Eastern Han Dynasty]]. In the [[Canonical Book of the Tang Dynasty]], it was called Taibai Shan (太白山, the Grand Old White Mountain)<ref>''Second Canonical Book of the Tang Dynasty.''《新唐書/卷219|新唐書.北狄渤海傳》:"契丹盡忠殺營州都督趙翽反,有舍利乞乞仲象者,與靺鞨酋乞四比羽及高麗餘種東走,度遼水,保太白山之東北,阻奧婁河,樹壁自固。"(English translation: Khitan general Jinzhong Li killed Hui Zhao, the commanding officer of Yin Zhou. Officer Dae Jung-sang, with Mohe chieftain Qisi Piyu and Goguryeo remnants, escaped to the east, crossed Liao River, guarded the northeast part of the Grand Old White Mountain, blocked Oulou River, built walls to protect themselves.)</ref>. The current Chinese name Changbai Shan (長白山. Perpetually White Mountain)was first used in the [[Liao Dynasty]] (907-1125)<ref>''Records of Khitan Empire''. 《契丹国志|契丹国志》:“长白山在冷山东南千余里......禽兽皆白。”(English translation: "Changbai Mountain is a thousand miles to the southeast of Cold Mountain Birds and animals there are all white.")</ref> and then the [[Jurchen Jin Dynasty]] (1115-1234)<ref>''Canonical History Records of the Jurchen Jin Dynasty.''《金史/卷35|金史.卷第三十五》:"長白山在興王之地,禮合尊崇,議封爵,建廟宇。""厥惟長白,載我金德,仰止其高,實惟我舊邦之鎮。”(English translation: "Changbai Mountain is in old Jurchen's land, highly respectful, suitable for building temples.""Only the Changbai Mountain can carry Jurchen Jin Dynasty's spirit; It is so high; It is a part of our old land.")</ref>.
{{wikisourcelang|zh|後漢書/卷85|Canonical Book of the Eastern Han Dynasty. Volume 85 (in Chinese)}}
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[[Image:Manchu veritable records - Changbaishan.jpg|thumb|right|Painting from the Manchu Veritable Records]]
{{wikisourcelang|zh|新唐書/卷219|Second Canonical Book of the Tang Dynasty. Volume 219 (in Chinese)}}
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The [[Jurchen Jin Dynasty]] (1115–1234) bestowed the title "the King Who Makes the Nation Prosperous and Answers with Miracles" (興國靈應王 ''Xingguo Lingying Wang'') on the mountain god in 1172 and it was promoted to "the Emperor Who Cleared the Sky with Tremendous Sagehood" (開天宏聖帝 ''[[Kaitian Hongsheng Emperor]]'') in 1193. During the [[Manchu]] [[Qing Dynasty]], the [[Kangxi Emperor of China|Kangxi Emperor]] designated Changbai Mountain as the legendary birthplace of the imperial family [[Aisin Gioro]] following a survey, although it is no longer supported. He set a forbidden zone around the mountain, although it was still in dispute whether it was part of Korea ([[Joseon]]) or China. The Qing Dynasty held annual rites for the mountain, as did the earlier Jin Dynasty.
{{wikisourcelang|zh|金史/卷35|Canonical History Records of the Jurchen Jin Dynasty.  Volume 35 (in Chinese)}}
 
 
 
It was first recorded in the Chinese classic text [[Shan Hai Jing]] with the name Buxian Shan (不咸山,即神仙山, the Mountain with God). It's also called Shanshan Daling (單單大嶺, the Big Big Big Mountain. 《說文》:“單,大也。”) in the [[Canonical Book of the Eastern Han Dynasty]]. In the [[Canonical Book of the Tang Dynasty]], it was called Taibai Shan (太白山, the Grand Old White Mountain)<ref name=NewTang>Second Canonical Book of the Tang Dynasty.《[[:s:zh:新唐書/卷219|新唐書.北狄渤海傳]]》:"契丹盡忠殺營州都督趙翽反,有舍利乞乞仲象者,與靺鞨酋乞四比羽及高麗餘種東走,度遼水,保太白山之東北,阻奧婁河,樹壁自固。"(English translation:[[Khitan]] general Jinzhong Li killed Hui Zhao, the commanding officer of [[Yin Zhou]]. Officer [[Dae Jung-sang]], with [[Mohe]] chieftan [[Qisi Piyu]] and [[Goguryeo]] remnants, escaped to the east, crossed Liao River, guarded the northeast part of the Grand Old White Mountain, blocked Oulou River, built walls to protect themselves.)</ref>. The current Chinese name Changbai Shan (長白山. Perpetually White Mountain)was first used in the [[Liao Dynasty]] ([[907]]-[[1125]])<ref name=Liao>"Records of [[Khitan Empire]]". 《[[:zh:契丹国志|契丹国志]]》:“长白山在冷山东南千余里......禽兽皆白。”(English translation: "Changbai Mountain is a thousand miles to the southeast of Cold Mountain...Birds and animals there are all white.")</ref> and then the [[Jurchen Jin Dynasty]] ([[1115]]-[[1234]])<ref name=Jin>"Canonical History Records of the [[Jurchen Jin Dynasty]]".《[[:s:zh:金史/卷35|金史.卷第三十五]]》:"長白山在興王之地,禮合尊崇,議封爵,建廟宇。""厥惟長白,載我金德,仰止其高,實惟我舊邦之鎮。”(English translation: "Changbai Mountain is in old Jurchen's land, highly respectful, suitable for building temples.""Only the Changbai Mountain can carry Jurchen Jin Dynasty's spirit; It is so high; It is a part of our old land.")</ref>.
 
 
 
The [[Jurchen Jin Dynasty]] ([[1115]]–[[1234]]) bestowed the title "the King Who Makes the Nation Prosperous and Answers with Miracles" (興國靈應王 ''Xingguo Lingying Wang'') on the mountain god in 1172 and it was promoted to "the Emperor Who Cleared the Sky with Tremendous Sagehood" (開天宏聖帝 ''[[Kaitian Hongsheng Emperor]]'') in 1193. During the [[Manchu]] [[Qing Dynasty]], the [[Kangxi Emperor of China|Kangxi Emperor]] designated Changbai Mountain as the legendary birthplace of the imperial family [[Aisin Gioro]] following a survey, although it is no longer supported. He set a forbidden zone around the mountain, although it was still in dispute whether it was part of Korea ([[Joseon]]) or China. The Qing Dynasty held annual rites for the mountain, as did the earlier Jin Dynasty.
 
  
 
===Korea===
 
===Korea===
The [[legendary]] beginning of Korea's first semi-mythical kingdom, [[Gojoseon]] (2333 BCE–108 B.C.E.), takes place here. [[Buyeo (state)|Buyeo]] (2nd c. BCE - 494), [[Goguryeo]] (37 BCE - 668), and [[Balhae]] (698 - 926) kingdoms also considered the mountain sacred. <ref>http://enc.daum.net/dic100/viewContents.do?&m=all&articleID=b09b0712b Korea Britannica</ref>
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The [[legendary]] beginning of Korea's first semi-mythical kingdom, [[Gojoseon]] (2333 B.C.E.–108 B.C.E.), takes place here. [[Buyeo (state)|Buyeo]] (2nd c. B.C.E. - 494), [[Goguryeo]] (37 B.C.E. - 668), and [[Balhae]] (698 - 926) kingdoms also considered the mountain sacred.  
  
The [[Goryeo]] dynasty (935–1392) first called the mountain ''Baekdu''{{Fact|date=May 2007}}, recording that the [[Jurchen]]s across the [[Yalu River]] were made to live outside of Baekdu Mountain. The [[Joseon Dynasty]] (1392-1910) recorded volcanic eruptions in 1597, 1668, and 1702. King [[Sejong the Great of Joseon]] strengthened the fortification along the Tumen and Yalu rivers, making the mountain a natural border with the northern peoples.<ref>http://kr.dic.yahoo.com/search/enc/result.html?p=%B9%E9%B5%CE%BB%EA&pk=13856900&subtype=&type=enc&field=id Yahoo Korea Encyclopedia</ref>
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The [[Goryeo]] dynasty (935–1392) first called the mountain ''Baekdu,'' recording that the [[Jurchen]]s across the [[Yalu River]] were made to live outside of Baekdu Mountain. The [[Joseon Dynasty]] (1392-1910) recorded volcanic eruptions in 1597, 1668, and 1702. [[King Sejong|King Sejong the Great of Joseon]] strengthened the fortification along the Tumen and Yalu rivers, making the mountain a natural border with the northern peoples.
  
 
Dense forest around the mountain provided bases for Korean armed resistance against the [[Korea under Japanese rule|Japanese occupation]], and later communist guerrillas during the [[Korean War]]. North Korea claims that [[Kim Il-sung]] organized his resistance against the Japanese forces there and that [[Kim Jong-il]] was born there, although records outside of North Korea show that these events took place a short distance within the borders of the [[Soviet Union]].
 
Dense forest around the mountain provided bases for Korean armed resistance against the [[Korea under Japanese rule|Japanese occupation]], and later communist guerrillas during the [[Korean War]]. North Korea claims that [[Kim Il-sung]] organized his resistance against the Japanese forces there and that [[Kim Jong-il]] was born there, although records outside of North Korea show that these events took place a short distance within the borders of the [[Soviet Union]].
  
 
===Border disputes===
 
===Border disputes===
Because of the continuous entry of Korean people into Gando, a region in Manchuria that lay between the Tumen and Yalu Rivers, in 1712, Manchu and Korean officials surveyed the area and negotiated a border agreement. To mark the agreement, they built a monument describing the boundary at a watershed, near the south of the crater lake at the mountain peak. The interpretation of the inscription caused a territorial dispute from the late 19th century to the early 20th century, and is still disputed by academics today. The 1909 [[Gando Convention]] between Qing and Japan (while Korea was a Japanese colony) recognized the area north and east as Chinese territory. The border was further clarified in 1962, when China and North Korea negotiated a border treaty on the mountain border in response to minor disputes. The two countries agreed to share the mountain and the lake at the peak, with Korea controlling approximately 60% and gaining approximately 230 km² in the treaty.<ref>역사비판 (Historical Criticism), Fall, 1992</ref>
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Because of the continuous entry of Korean people into Gando, a region in Manchuria that lay between the Tumen and Yalu Rivers, in 1712, Manchu and Korean officials surveyed the area and negotiated a border agreement. To mark the agreement, they built a monument describing the boundary at a watershed, near the south of the crater lake at the mountain peak. The interpretation of the inscription caused a territorial dispute from the late nineteenth century to the early twentieth century, and is still disputed by academics today. The 1909 [[Gando Convention]] between Qing and Japan (while Korea was a Japanese colony) recognized the area north and east as Chinese territory. The border was further clarified in 1962, when China and North Korea negotiated a border treaty on the mountain border in response to minor disputes. The two countries agreed to share the mountain and the lake at the peak, with Korea controlling approximately 60 percent and gaining approximately 230 km² in the treaty.<ref> 역사비판 (''Historical Criticism''). (Fall, 1992) (in Korean)</ref>
  
 
===Recent disputes===
 
===Recent disputes===
Some South Korean groups argue that recent activities conducted on the Chinese side of the border, such as [[economic]] development, [[cultural]] festivals, [[infrastructure]] development, promotion of the [[tourism]] industry, attempts at registration as a [[World Heritage Site]], and bids for a [[Winter Olympic Games]], are an attempt to claim the whole mountain as Chinese territory. These groups object to China's use of ''Changbai Mountain'', which has been used since [[Liao Dynasty]]<ref name=Liao/> and [[Jin Dynasty, 1115-1234]]<ref name=Jin/>. Some groups also regard the entire mountain as Korean territory that was given away by [[North Korea]].<ref name = "Chosun">[http://english.chosun.com/w21data/html/news/200609/200609070022.html  Chosun].</ref><ref name = "Hankooki">[http://times.hankooki.com/lpage/opinion/200608/kt2006080117133154050.htm  Hankooki].</ref><ref name = "Donga">[http://english.donga.com/srv/service.php3?biid=2006073164698 Donga].</ref><ref name = "Focus">[http://www.koreafocus.or.kr/main_view.asp?volume_id=52&cate_code=C&g_cate_code=CB&g_code=101267  Korea Focus].</ref>
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Some South Korean groups argue that recent activities conducted on the Chinese side of the border, such as [[economic]] development, [[cultural]] festivals, [[infrastructure]] development, promotion of the [[tourism]] industry, attempts at registration as a [[World Heritage Site]], and bids for a [[Winter Olympic Games]], are an attempt to claim the whole mountain as Chinese territory. These groups object to China's use of ''Changbai Mountain,'' which has been used since the [[Liao Dynasty]] (907–1125)<ref name=Liao>"Records of [[Khitan Empire]]": "Changbai Mountain is a thousand miles to the southeast of Cold Mountain...Birds and animals there are all white.")</ref> and the [[Jurchen Jin Dynasty]] (1115–1234).<ref name=Jin>"Canonical History Records of the Jurchen Jin Dynasty": "Changbai Mountain is in old Jurchen's land, highly respectful, suitable for building temples.""Only the Changbai Mountain can carry Jurchen Jin Dynasty's spirit; It is so high; It is a part of our old land.")</ref>Some groups also regard the entire mountain as Korean territory that was given away by [[North Korea]].<ref>BBC World [http://english.donga.com/srv/service.php3?biid=2006073164698 China Seeks U.N. Title to Mt. Baekdu], July 31, 2006, ''Donga''. Retrieved November 9, 2007.</ref>  
 
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[[Image:Changbai chute1.JPG|Waterfall on Baekdusan|thumb|right|220px]]
During the [[2007 Asian Winter Games]], which were held in [[Changchun]], [[China]], a group of South Korean athletes held up signs during the award ceremony which stated "Mount Baekdu is our territory". Chinese sports officials delivered a letter of protest on the grounds that political activities violated the spirit of the Olympics and were banned in the charter of the [[International Olympic Committee]] and the Olympic Council of Asia. The head of the Korea Olympic Committee responded by stating that the incident was accidental and held no political meaning. " And, South Korea promised China never to do a political insistence. "There are no territorial disputes between China and South Korea. What the Koreans did this time hurt the feelings of the Chinese people and violated the spirit of the Olympic Charter and the Olympic Council of Asia."<ref>Chosunilbo China Upset with "Baekdu Mountain" Skaters [http://english.chosun.com/w21data/html/news/200702/200702020024.html] "There are no territorial disputes between China and South Korea. What the Koreans did this time hurt the feelings of the Chinese people and violated the spirit of the Olympic Charter and the Olympic Council of Asia," the official said, according to the China News." </ref> <ref>Yonhap News, "Seoul asks Beijing to respond in composed manner to dispute over Mount Paektu", http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr/Engnews/20070202/610000000020070202150304E1.html, accessed February 2, 2007</ref> <ref>The Korea Times, "Seoul Cautious Over Rift With China", http://times.hankooki.com/lpage/200702/kt2007020218122853460.htm, accessed February 2, 2007 </ref> <ref>Sports World Korea [http://kr.news.yahoo.com/service/news/shellview.htm?articleid=20070202230520117d6&linkid=4&newssetid=1364&nav=1]</ref>Finally, South Korea had ended this issue before making the dispute become a source of friction between [[South Korea]] and [[People's Republic of China|China]]. This dispute did not become a big issue such as [[Liancourt Rocks]] and the [[Sea of Japan naming dispute]].[http://photo.chosun.com/site/data/html_dir/2007/02/02/2007020200774.html][http://photo.chosun.com/site/data/html_dir/2007/02/01/2007020100834.html]
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During the [[2007 Asian Winter Games]], which were held in [[Changchun]], [[China]], a group of South Korean athletes held up signs during the award ceremony which stated "Mount Baekdu is our territory." Chinese sports officials delivered a letter of protest on the grounds that political activities violated the spirit of the Olympics and were banned in the charter of the [[International Olympic Committee]] and the Olympic Council of Asia. The head of the Korea Olympic Committee responded by stating that the incident was spontaneous and held no political meaning. <ref>[http://english.chosun.com/site/data/html_dir/2007/02/02/2007020261024.html China Upset with "Baekdu Mountain" Skaters]. ''Chosun''. Retrieved May 6, 2016. "There are no territorial disputes between China and South Korea. What the Koreans did this time hurt the feelings of the Chinese people and violated the spirit of the Olympic Charter and the Olympic Council of Asia," the official said, according to the China News." </ref> The incident did not escalate into a major source of friction between [[South Korea]] and [[People's Republic of China|China]].
  
 
==Sightseeing==
 
==Sightseeing==
 
Foreign visitors, including South Koreans, usually climb the mountain from the Chinese side, although Baekdusan is a common tourist destination for the few foreign tourists in North Korea.
 
Foreign visitors, including South Koreans, usually climb the mountain from the Chinese side, although Baekdusan is a common tourist destination for the few foreign tourists in North Korea.
  
There are a number of monuments on the North Korean side of the mountain. Paektu Spa is a natural spring and is used for bottled water. Pegae Hill is a famous camp site of the [[Korean People’s Revolutionary Army]] during their struggle against [[Korea under Japanese rule|Japanese colonial rule]]. There are also a number of secret camps which are now open to the public. There are several waterfalls, including the Hyongje Falls which splits into two separate falls about a third from the top.
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There are a number of monuments on the North Korean side of the mountain. Baekdu Spa is a natural spring and is used for bottled water. Pegae Hill is a famous camp site of the [[Korean People’s Revolutionary Army]] during their struggle against [[Korea under Japanese rule|Japanese colonial rule]]. There are also a number of secret camps which are now open to the public. There are several waterfalls, including the Hyongje Falls which splits into two separate falls about a third from the top.
  
==See also==
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==Baekdusan Gallery==
{{commons|Baitou Mountain}}
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<gallery>
*[[Changbai Mountains]], [[Geography of China]]
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Image:Baitou_Mountain_Tianchi.jpg|Heaven Lake
*[[Geography of North Korea]]
+
Image:Changbai hotspring.JPG|Hot springs
*[[List of mountains in Korea]]
+
Image:SV100365.JPG|River
 +
Image:Korea paektu-san locmap.png|Map of the Baekdusan area
 +
</gallery>
  
==References==
+
==Notes==
 
<references/>
 
<references/>
  
==Further reading==
+
==References==
*{{cite journal | author = Hetland, E.A. ''et al.'' | year = 2004 | title = Crustal structure in the Changbaishan volcanic area, China, determined by modeling receiver functions | journal = Tectonophysics | volume = 386 | issue = 3-4 | pages = 157-175 | doi = 10.1016/j.tecto.2004.06.001 }}
+
*Harris, Mark Edward. ''Inside North Korea.'' San Francisco: Chronicle Books, 2007. ISBN 978-0811857512
 +
*Hetland, E.A. ''et al.'' Crustal structure in the Changbaishan volcanic area, China, determined by modeling receiver functions. ''Tectonophysics'' 386(3-4) (2004): 157-175.
 +
*UNDP., and ESPRI of KWAAK HwanKyung Group (Republic of Korea). ''Environmentally sound tourism development in the Tumen region: realizing the potential of the Mt. Paekdusan/Changbaishan area.'' Seoul: UNDP, 1999. {{OCLC|82271116}}
  
 
==External links==
 
==External links==
*[http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&ie=UTF8&om=1&z=12&ll=42.003897,128.044968&spn=0.111488,0.22316&t=k Satellite image by Google Maps]
+
All links retrieved August 26, 2023.
 +
 
 +
*[http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&ie=UTF8&om=1&z=12&ll=42.003897,128.044968&spn=0.111488,0.22316&t=k Satellite image by Google Maps]
 +
*[http://english.donga.com/srv/service.php3?bicode=060000&biid=2006090567338 Article about development near Baekdusan]
  
<gallery>
 
Image:Baitou_Mountain_Tianchi.jpg|Cheonji
 
Image:Changbai-2005.JPG|[[Cairn]]s
 
Image:Changbai chute1.JPG|Waterfall
 
Image:Changbai hotspring.JPG|Hot springs
 
Image:SV100365.JPG|River
 
</gallery>
 
  
{{DEFAULTSORT:Baekdu Mountain}}
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[[Category:Geography]]
[[Category:Crater lakes]]
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[[Category:Mountains]]
[[Category:Mountains of China]]
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[[Category:Bodies of water]]
[[Category:Mountains of North Korea]]
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[[Category:Korea]]
[[Category:Sacred mountains]]
 
[[Category:Stratovolcanoes]]
 
[[Category:VEI-6 volcanoes]]
 
[[Category:Volcanic calderas]]
 
[[Category:Volcanoes of China]]
 
[[Category:Volcanoes of North Korea]]
 
  
 
{{credits|140245206}}
 
{{credits|140245206}}

Latest revision as of 05:38, 26 August 2023


Snow-covered view of Heaven Lake, at the top of Baekdu Mountain
Baekdu Mountain volcano, April 2003
Elevation: 2,744 meters (9,012 feet)
Location: North Korea - Jilin, (China)
Type: Stratovolcano
Last eruption: 1903[1]
Chinese name
Traditional Chinese 長白山
Simplified Chinese 长白山
Hanyu Pinyin Chángbái Shān
Wade-Giles Ch'ang-pai Shan
Korean name
Hangul 백두산
Hanja 白頭山
McCune-Reischauer Baekdusan
Revised Romanization Baekdusan
Manchu name
Manchu Golmin Šanggiyan Alin

Baekdu Mountain (Baekdusan), also known as Changbai Mountain in Chinese, is a volcanic mountain on the border between North Korea and the Manchurian region of China. At 2,744 m, it is the highest mountain of the Changbai Mountains to the north and Baekdudaegan to the south, and higher than any other mountain in Korea or Manchuria.

The Korean name, Baekdu-san, means "white-headed mountain." Both the Chinese name, Changbai Shan and Manchu name, Golmin Šanggiyan Alin mean "perpetually white mountain."

One of the highest crater lakes in the world, called Heaven Lake (Lake Cheonji (천지)in Korean / Lake Tianchi (天池) in Chinese), lies at the top of the mountain. Baekdusan marks the northern boundary of Korea, and the location where Korea's foundation myths regarding Dangun take place.

Geography

Baekdusan's volcano, Baitoushan, had its most recent minor eruptions in 1702 and 1903, and it is now considered to be dormant. Baitoushan's most recent major eruption, around 1000 C.E., one of the largest in the modern Holocene geologic period, deposited erupted ash material as far away as Hokkaido, in Northern Japan, about 1,200 km away, and created the 4.5 kilometer diameter crater, about 850 meters deep that contains Heaven Lake. Sixteen peaks exceeding 2500 m surround the lake.

From mid-October to mid-June, Heaven Lake is covered with ice. The lake has a circumference of 12 to 14 kilometers, an average depth of 213 m and maximum depth of 384 m. Water flows north out of the lake, and near the outlet there is a 70 meter waterfall. Heaven Lake is popular with tourists, known both for its natural beauty and for sightings of an unidentified creature living in its waters.

The central section of the mountain rises about 3 mm every year, due to rising levels of magma below the central part of the mountain. The highest peak, called Janggun Peak, is covered in snow about eight months of the year. The slope is relatively gentle until about 1800 m. The mountain is the source of the Songhua, Tumen (Tuman) and Yalu (Amnok) rivers.

Baekdusan is the northern end of the Baekdu Daegan Mountain Range System which extends 1,400 km, forming the backbone of the Korean peninsula, and dividing the Korean watersheds.

Climate

The weather on the mountain can be very erratic. The annual average temperature at the peak is about -8.3 degrees Celsius. During summer, temperatures of about 18 degrees Celsius can be reached, and during winter temperatures can drop to -48 degrees Celsius. Average temperature is -24 degrees Celsius in January, 10 degrees Celsius in July, remaining below freezing for eight months of the year. Average wind speed is 42 kilometers (26.1 mi) per hour, peaking at 63 kilometers (39.1 mi) per hour. Relative humidity averages 74%.

Flora and fauna

There are five known species of plants in the lake on the peak, and some 168 were counted along the shores. The area is a known habitat for tigers, bears, leopards, wolves, and wild boars. Deer in the mountain forests, which cover the mountain up to about 2000 meters, are of the Baekdusan roe deer variety. Many wild birds such as black grouse, owls, and woodpecker are known to inhabit the area.

History

Did you know?
Baekdu (Changbai) Mountain, a dormant volcano between China and North Korea, has one of the highest crater lakes in the world, called "Heaven Lake"

The Chinese-Korean border divides the mountain into two, running down the middle of the crater lake. The Baekdu/Changbai Mountain has been worshiped by the surrounding peoples throughout history, and is still considered sacred by the Korean population living nearby. Koreans and Manchus alike consider it the place of their ancestral origin.

China

The first written record of Baekdusan is recorded in the Chinese classic text Shan Hai Jing with the name Buxian Shan (不咸山,即神仙山, the Mountain with God). It's also called Shanshan Daling (單單大嶺, the Big Big Big Mountain.《說文》:“單,大也。”) in the Canonical Book of the Eastern Han Dynasty. In the Canonical Book of the Tang Dynasty, it was called Taibai Shan (太白山, the Grand Old White Mountain)[2]. The current Chinese name Changbai Shan (長白山. Perpetually White Mountain)was first used in the Liao Dynasty (907-1125)[3] and then the Jurchen Jin Dynasty (1115-1234)[4].

Painting from the Manchu Veritable Records

The Jurchen Jin Dynasty (1115–1234) bestowed the title "the King Who Makes the Nation Prosperous and Answers with Miracles" (興國靈應王 Xingguo Lingying Wang) on the mountain god in 1172 and it was promoted to "the Emperor Who Cleared the Sky with Tremendous Sagehood" (開天宏聖帝 Kaitian Hongsheng Emperor) in 1193. During the Manchu Qing Dynasty, the Kangxi Emperor designated Changbai Mountain as the legendary birthplace of the imperial family Aisin Gioro following a survey, although it is no longer supported. He set a forbidden zone around the mountain, although it was still in dispute whether it was part of Korea (Joseon) or China. The Qing Dynasty held annual rites for the mountain, as did the earlier Jin Dynasty.

Korea

The legendary beginning of Korea's first semi-mythical kingdom, Gojoseon (2333 B.C.E.–108 B.C.E.), takes place here. Buyeo (2nd c. B.C.E. - 494), Goguryeo (37 B.C.E. - 668), and Balhae (698 - 926) kingdoms also considered the mountain sacred.

The Goryeo dynasty (935–1392) first called the mountain Baekdu, recording that the Jurchens across the Yalu River were made to live outside of Baekdu Mountain. The Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910) recorded volcanic eruptions in 1597, 1668, and 1702. King Sejong the Great of Joseon strengthened the fortification along the Tumen and Yalu rivers, making the mountain a natural border with the northern peoples.

Dense forest around the mountain provided bases for Korean armed resistance against the Japanese occupation, and later communist guerrillas during the Korean War. North Korea claims that Kim Il-sung organized his resistance against the Japanese forces there and that Kim Jong-il was born there, although records outside of North Korea show that these events took place a short distance within the borders of the Soviet Union.

Border disputes

Because of the continuous entry of Korean people into Gando, a region in Manchuria that lay between the Tumen and Yalu Rivers, in 1712, Manchu and Korean officials surveyed the area and negotiated a border agreement. To mark the agreement, they built a monument describing the boundary at a watershed, near the south of the crater lake at the mountain peak. The interpretation of the inscription caused a territorial dispute from the late nineteenth century to the early twentieth century, and is still disputed by academics today. The 1909 Gando Convention between Qing and Japan (while Korea was a Japanese colony) recognized the area north and east as Chinese territory. The border was further clarified in 1962, when China and North Korea negotiated a border treaty on the mountain border in response to minor disputes. The two countries agreed to share the mountain and the lake at the peak, with Korea controlling approximately 60 percent and gaining approximately 230 km² in the treaty.[5]

Recent disputes

Some South Korean groups argue that recent activities conducted on the Chinese side of the border, such as economic development, cultural festivals, infrastructure development, promotion of the tourism industry, attempts at registration as a World Heritage Site, and bids for a Winter Olympic Games, are an attempt to claim the whole mountain as Chinese territory. These groups object to China's use of Changbai Mountain, which has been used since the Liao Dynasty (907–1125)[6] and the Jurchen Jin Dynasty (1115–1234).[7]Some groups also regard the entire mountain as Korean territory that was given away by North Korea.[8]

Waterfall on Baekdusan

During the 2007 Asian Winter Games, which were held in Changchun, China, a group of South Korean athletes held up signs during the award ceremony which stated "Mount Baekdu is our territory." Chinese sports officials delivered a letter of protest on the grounds that political activities violated the spirit of the Olympics and were banned in the charter of the International Olympic Committee and the Olympic Council of Asia. The head of the Korea Olympic Committee responded by stating that the incident was spontaneous and held no political meaning. [9] The incident did not escalate into a major source of friction between South Korea and China.

Sightseeing

Foreign visitors, including South Koreans, usually climb the mountain from the Chinese side, although Baekdusan is a common tourist destination for the few foreign tourists in North Korea.

There are a number of monuments on the North Korean side of the mountain. Baekdu Spa is a natural spring and is used for bottled water. Pegae Hill is a famous camp site of the Korean People’s Revolutionary Army during their struggle against Japanese colonial rule. There are also a number of secret camps which are now open to the public. There are several waterfalls, including the Hyongje Falls which splits into two separate falls about a third from the top.

Baekdusan Gallery

Notes

  1. Smithsonian Institution Global Volcanism Program: Baitoushan. Retrieved November 9, 2007.
  2. Second Canonical Book of the Tang Dynasty.《新唐書/卷219|新唐書.北狄渤海傳》:"契丹盡忠殺營州都督趙翽反,有舍利乞乞仲象者,與靺鞨酋乞四比羽及高麗餘種東走,度遼水,保太白山之東北,阻奧婁河,樹壁自固。"(English translation: Khitan general Jinzhong Li killed Hui Zhao, the commanding officer of Yin Zhou. Officer Dae Jung-sang, with Mohe chieftain Qisi Piyu and Goguryeo remnants, escaped to the east, crossed Liao River, guarded the northeast part of the Grand Old White Mountain, blocked Oulou River, built walls to protect themselves.)
  3. Records of Khitan Empire. 《契丹国志|契丹国志》:“长白山在冷山东南千余里......禽兽皆白。”(English translation: "Changbai Mountain is a thousand miles to the southeast of Cold Mountain … Birds and animals there are all white.")
  4. Canonical History Records of the Jurchen Jin Dynasty.《金史/卷35|金史.卷第三十五》:"長白山在興王之地,禮合尊崇,議封爵,建廟宇。""厥惟長白,載我金德,仰止其高,實惟我舊邦之鎮。”(English translation: "Changbai Mountain is in old Jurchen's land, highly respectful, suitable for building temples.""Only the Changbai Mountain can carry Jurchen Jin Dynasty's spirit; It is so high; It is a part of our old land.")
  5. 역사비판 (Historical Criticism). (Fall, 1992) (in Korean)
  6. "Records of Khitan Empire": "Changbai Mountain is a thousand miles to the southeast of Cold Mountain...Birds and animals there are all white.")
  7. "Canonical History Records of the Jurchen Jin Dynasty": "Changbai Mountain is in old Jurchen's land, highly respectful, suitable for building temples.""Only the Changbai Mountain can carry Jurchen Jin Dynasty's spirit; It is so high; It is a part of our old land.")
  8. BBC World China Seeks U.N. Title to Mt. Baekdu, July 31, 2006, Donga. Retrieved November 9, 2007.
  9. China Upset with "Baekdu Mountain" Skaters. Chosun. Retrieved May 6, 2016. "There are no territorial disputes between China and South Korea. What the Koreans did this time hurt the feelings of the Chinese people and violated the spirit of the Olympic Charter and the Olympic Council of Asia," the official said, according to the China News."

References
ISBN links support NWE through referral fees

  • Harris, Mark Edward. Inside North Korea. San Francisco: Chronicle Books, 2007. ISBN 978-0811857512
  • Hetland, E.A. et al. Crustal structure in the Changbaishan volcanic area, China, determined by modeling receiver functions. Tectonophysics 386(3-4) (2004): 157-175.
  • UNDP., and ESPRI of KWAAK HwanKyung Group (Republic of Korea). Environmentally sound tourism development in the Tumen region: realizing the potential of the Mt. Paekdusan/Changbaishan area. Seoul: UNDP, 1999. OCLC 82271116

External links

All links retrieved August 26, 2023.

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