Baitou Mountain
Baitou (Paektu) Mountain is a mountain on the border between China and North Korea. The mountain's name is 白頭山 in Chinese characters, and is pronounced as Baitoushan ( bai2 tou2 shan1) in Mandarin and as Paektu-san and Baekdu-san (백두산) in Korean in the North and South respectively.The name means "White-Headed Mountain," and the mountain is the highest peak of the Changbai (Changbaek) Mountains, standing at 2,744 m. It is also the highest mountain on the Korean peninsula. A lake (Tianchi (天池) in Chinese; Cheonji (천지) in Korean; "Heavenly Lake") lies on the top of the mountain. The crater lake was probably created in 1597, when a recorded erruption took place. The lake itself has a circumference of 12 to 14 kilometres and it is sometimes said that it looks like a sea. The average depth of the crater lake is 213 metres, its maximum 384 metres. From mid-October to mid-June the lake is covered with ice. The mountain is the source of the Songhua, Tumen (Tuman) and Yalu (Amnok) rivers.
For many Koreans, the moutain has a special meaning. It is, according to some foundation legends, the origin of the Korean people. The mountain is also considered the most beautiful mountain of the Korean peninsula. Some Koreans have chosen this mountain as the symbol for reunification.
The weather on the mountain is very changeable. The annual average temperature is about -8.3 centigrades. During summer, temperatures of about 18 centigrades can be reached, and during winter temperatures can drop to -48 centigrades.
During the Joseon Dynasty in Korea, a rock resembling a tiger was chosen to demarcate the border to China. This rock was removed during Japan's colonial rule over Korea, during which time some land was left to China: the Kanto-region. The mountain is North Korea's official national monument #19.
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 PeopleÃÂÃÂs Revolutionary Army during their struggle against the Japanese colonial power. There are also a number of secret camps which are now open to the public. The Hyongje Falls are particular in that their water is split into two seperate falls about a third from the top. There are numerous other water falls which are appreciated for their beauty.
Further significance is given to the mountain by North Koreans as it is the claimed place where Kim Il-Sung organized his resistance against the Japanese forces, as well as the claimed birth place of Kim Jong-Il.