tourism

The Mt Paektu area, which was registered as a global geopark in April 2025, is rich in natural resources for tourism including geology and topography related to several rounds of volcanic eruptions, flora and fauna combined with natural environment in the alpine area and hydrological movements originating from Lake Chon.

First of all, there are geological resources for tourism consisting of geological formations and terrains.

The geological stratum section of the Mt Paektu area has already been recognized at home and abroad. The volcanic eruption turning section from the Cenozoic era is the largest volcanic activity district in the continent of East Asia. There has been volcanic action since the Cenozoic era and the volcanoes are big in scale and vary in type. Therefore, the district is of great value in terms of scientific research, pedagogy, tourism and ornament.

Chongun Rock, fantastic rocks on Mt Sobaek and Mt Jungam and other things in distinctive shapes delight people, striking them with admiration and leading them into a world of mystery. Especially high and steep mountains, deep and rough valleys and gorges and rugged terrains are very suitable for tourist activities including mountaineering and exploration.

And the volcanic body of Mt Paektu, Mudu Peak Scoria Cone and the lava rock on Mt Pukphothae are important objects of study for natural sciences, especially geology and geography, and give people a wide knowledge of nature.

The Mt Paektu area is of great value as spectacular scenery as it has such scenic spots and other unique and mysterious natural spectacles as the mountain itself, Jong Il Peak, Lake Samji, the Rimyongsu Falls and Mupho.

The geological tourism resources of the area are generally distributed in the areas of Lake Chon on Mt Paektu, Paektusanmilyong-dong, Kanbaeksan Secret Camp and Soyonjibong Secret Camp.

The Mt Paektu area also has diverse eco-tourism resources.

The area, which was registered as an international biosphere reserve in April 1989, has conditions for fully satisfying the desire of people to enjoy nature as it is while camping in the vast primitive forests.

The Paektusan Biosphere Reserve is featured by highly diverse plant species according to climatic zones as it is situated in the highest place of the DPRK.

The communities of Korean rhubarb, the country’s indigenous plant, distributed in the Mt Namphothae area are good for eco-tourism. Pinus pumila, Betula ermanii Cham, Salix rotundifolia and rhododendron grow in the mountain, and the area above 2 000 metres above sea level is the habitat of Korean rhubarb, a living monument. And the mountain abounds with sable, heat cock, musk deer and various other animals.

Lake Chon at the summit of Mt Paektu, volcanic debris, the Rimyongsu Falls and other waterfalls, ever-blooming rhododendron and the carpet of flowers at the foot of Mt Paektu where white, yellow and light pink and purple flowers bloom all at once in July and August enable people to enjoy the beautiful natural ecosystem of the alpine region. Such ecological environment is hard to find elsewhere in the world.

The eco-tourism resources of the Mt Paektu area are of ornamental value as they include comprehensive natural landscape comprising the combination of plants and animals and individual animals and plants of high aesthetic value.

As an alpine region linked with the Asian continent by land, the Paektusan Biosphere Reserve has unique fauna adapted to severe climate and geological and geographical environments.

The reserve resembles a wildlife park as it is inhabited by dozens of kinds of animals including tiger, deer and brown bear and well over a hundred kinds of birds.

Of very high ornamental value are the rhododendron, an alpine plant which beautifully blooms in snow on Mt Paektu, and chars in Lake Chon.

The Mt Paektu area also abounds in meteorological and climatic tourism resources unlike other areas.

The sunrise on Mt Paektu, double rainbow on Mt Paektu and water-spout in Lake Chon are special tourist attractions that cannot be found in other tourist destinations and they add charm to the tourist area.

The mountain’s alpine climate, which is of value in physical training and medical treatment, is used for the treatment of abnormal constitutions and neuralgia and for skin training and is effective in the treatment of respiratory disease and retarding of ageing.

Besides, the Mt Paektu area has such resources for balneotherapy as Paektu Hot Spring and such resources favourable for ski tour as the Phothae area.