Mount Paektu formed over millions of years as lava poured out from deep inside the Earth, building the mountain layer by layer. It last erupted about a thousand years ago in one of the biggest volcanic explosions in recorded history, and that eruption hollowed out the huge bowl at the top that is now filled with water.
The crater lake, Lake Chon, sits at 2,189 metres and is roughly circular, stretching about five kilometres across. The water is famously deep and crystal clear, shimmering blue or emerald green depending on the light. In winter the surface freezes solid, and snowfields stretch all around it.
Dense forests of pine, spruce and birch grow on the slopes below the summit. These forests are home to Siberian roe deer, red foxes and many birds. In spring, wildflowers carpet the hillsides in yellow and purple before the snow returns.
Mount Paektu is deeply loved across the Korean peninsula as a symbol of natural beauty and cultural heritage. Poets, painters and musicians have celebrated it for centuries. Stories and songs about the mountain have been passed down through many generations.