tourism

Mt Kumgang, a world celebrated mountain, was registered in 2018 as a world biosphere reserve as it provides a broad expanse of habitat and biodiversity and occupies an important position in terms of global biological region.

The mountain has living things mainly of temperate origin and also of polar, subarctic and subtropical origin. They include more than 1 800 kinds of vascular plants, over 40 kinds of mammals, some 170 kinds of birds, over 20 kinds of amphibians, reptiles and freshwater fishes and more than 400 kinds of insects.

According to altitude, plant life can broadly be divided into the wetland herbal community, simple pine forests and low-mountain mixed coniferous-broadleaved forests.

Distributed in the wetland herbal community found around the sea, rivers, lakes and wetlands are pine trees, sweet briers and other plants, different kinds of birds, amphibians and reptiles, crucian carps and other freshwater fish and various marine animals, enriching animal diversity.

The simple pine forests are widely spread from below the height of 300 metres above sea level in the Outer Kumgang-Inner Kumgang areas to the Lagoon Samil area and the Sea Manmulsang (Myriad-shaped Peaks) area of Sea Kumgang. These are the habitats of white cranes and other birds.

The low-mountain mixed coniferous-broadleaved forests are distributed at the heights ranging from 300 to 800 metres above sea level in the Outer Kumgang-Inner Kumgang area. They are composed of pine trees, such broad-leaved trees as overcup oaks and arrowroots. Fir trees grow in some areas of Inner Kumgang. And purplebloom maples, royal azaleas and Pentactina rupicola are distributed at the heights ranging from 500 to 800 metres above sea level.

According to experts, upwards from that line the distribution of broadleaved trees gets gradually denser and low-mountain pine groups begin to be replaced with the broadleaved tree groups. There inhabit such animals and birds as badger, fox, weasel, scops owl and short-eared owl.

Various kinds of organisms inhabit the clear and blue waters of Sea Kumgang, including laver, Undaria pinnatifida, shellfish, Echinoidea, trepang, octopus and right-eyed flounder.

The mountain is of great scientific significance as it is a home to Pentactina rupicola, a plant of single genus and single species growing on rocky cliffs, such glacial relics as Lycopodium obscurum and Rhododendron fauriei, species representing the limit of distribution like Japanese snowbell, and such indigenous species as Keumkangsania asiatica.

In addition, the mountain is rich in such medicinal plants as Amur maackia, evening primrose, hawthorn and veratrum and other kinds of plants including maples and bamboos, enriching tourism resources.

The ecological environment of the mountain most of which remains untouched provides a good habitat for wildlife and the mountain constitutes an area of great importance in the study of the ecological and biological development process it has undergone since it came under the influence of glaciers.

As there are distinct seasonal changes in four seasons, Mt Kumgang unfolds unique natural beauty and has different names each season.

It is called Mt Kumgang (mountain of diamond) in spring when the buds begin to sprout and flowers bloom, Mt Pongnae in summer when it is thick with foliage in the meaning that spirits live in the mountain, Mt Phungak in autumn in the meaning that the mountain is filled with enthusiasm and mettle as it is decorated with red maples and Mt Kaegol or Mt Solbong in winter since snow-covered peaks and rocks rise high.

The mountain evokes varied aesthetic feelings for the diverse combination of plants according to elevations and sections by season.

“It is the present global trend to further diversify tourism resources. Especially, eco-tourism has a lion’s share,” said O Chol Su, PhD, associate professor and section chief of Kim Il Sung University.

According to him, what is important in eco-tourism is biodiversity.

The biodiversity of Mt Kumgang, which is rich in species of animals and plants for the unique physiographical and weather conditions, is of great academic significance and adds value to the celebrated mountain of Korea and the world.