Lake Chon and Mount Paektu
Straddling the high alpine border between North Korea and China, Mount Paektu (Changbai Mountain) is an active stratovolcano rising to 2,744 meters as the highest peak on the Korean Peninsula. At its summit lies Lake Chon (Heaven Lake), a breathtakingly vast volcanic caldera lake filled with crystal-clear indigo water over 380 meters deep. Formed during the catastrophic 'Millennium Eruption' around 946 CE—one of the most violent volcanic explosions in recorded human history—Mount Paektu holds supreme sacred status in Korean spiritual culture as the mythical birthplace of Dangun, founder of Gojoseon in 2333 BCE. Renowned globally for legendary sightings of the 'Lake Chon Monster' (Lake Tianchi Monster), the mountain is shrouded in dark mountain lore, mountain spirit (*Sanshin*) manifestations, strange electromagnetic anomalies, and ghost stories from anti-Japanese guerrilla resistance camps.