Heaven Lake

On the border between China and North Korea, there lies a stunning lake called Heaven Lake that is actually a crater lake. It is located inside a caldera that was formed by a significant eruption in 969 AD on top of the volcanic Baekdu Mountain. Heaven Lake, which resembles a crescent-shaped body of water, earns the moniker "pearl of Heavenly Mountain" thanks to its source of melted snow, crystal-clear water, and great summertime location.

Tourists can stroll along the mountain routes around the lake, and those who are more fit can hike or ride a horse up to the glacier plains where the landscape is really breathtaking. The lake is incredibly serene and lovely. Heaven Lake has a surface elevation of 7,182 feet, a diameter of 9.82 km2, a length of 4.85 km in the south-north direction, and a width of 3.35 km. The lake has a maximum depth of 1,260 feet and an average depth of 699 feet.

It normally has ice on it from mid-October until mid-June. According to North Korean folklore, Kim Jong-il was born next to the mountain's lake. According to the Korean Central News Agency, the lake's ice cracked "so loudly, it seemed to shake the Heavens and the Earth" as he died. The Lake Tianchi Monster is also said to reside in Heaven Lake.

Location: Ryanggang