tourism

A research group of Kim Il Sung University has recently discovered new and rare formations with unique aesthetic and attractive tourist value in the Songam Cave during their research to register the major scenic spots in the DPRK as world heritage sites.

1. Stone lotus flower

Seen in the cave pools of the Jangsu and Ryonggung sections of the Songam Cave are stone lotus flowers formed in various shapes and sizes.

This formation in the shape of a thin layer and plate covering the water surface of the cave pool is called stone lotus flower as its shape is similar to lotus flower.

The layer of the stone lotus flower on top of Jangsu Pool in the Jangsu section is 0.5-1cm thick. Though it is very thin, it is so hard that it is not broken even when several people stand on it.

The cave walls and roofs around the cave pools including Jangsu Pool in the Songam Cave are decorated with stalactites, stalagmites, stone pillars and stone flowers, presenting breathtaking views.

2. Unusual cave grapes in Phungnyon section

Several old cave pools were discovered in the Phungnyon section of the cave and cave grapes, a singular formation that is round like a ball, were found there.

Among the old cave pools newly discovered in the Phungnyon section is a cave pool which is nearly circular in shape and about five metres in diameter. Over it are spread about 50 individual stone lotus flowers, each of which is about 20cm in diameter on average.

On the lower part of this stone lotus flower has been formed a 10-30cm thick layer of cave grapes. In addition, cave grapes are seen at the bottom of the cave pool in the form of an aggregate of cave grapes of a certain thickness. It is characteristic of these cave grapes that each of them, 3-8mm in diameter, is delicately spherical in shape like cave pearls.

3. Stone steps in Ryonggung section

In the last part of the Ryonggung section is a straight cave passage. It is 32m long and 7.4m wide at the entrance and it narrows down to 5 metres at the end. The slope of the cave floor is gentle and here is a stone staircase formed in a relatively large size, called the “Pearl Bank”.

Between the stone banks forming the stone staircase are small pools like the stairs. The pools are 1.5m wide and 5m long at maximum.

4. Stone flute of Kongju Pool and underwater stalactite of Jangsu Pool

Near the waterfall in the Jangsu section, there is a small side cave, where there is Kongju Pool. It is not so large, but around the cave pool is found the layer of cave grapes and over it stalactites, called stone flute or stone pipe, have developed in group to offer a spectacular sight. The stone flute is a special stalactite in the shape of a slender, long and hollow stem like a pipe.

Newly found in Jangsu Pool of the Jangsu section in the Songam Cave were more than 60 underwater stalactites grown downward at the projecting part of the edge of the pool.

Unlike those formed in the space inside the cave, these underwater stalactites are very slender and long and some have zigzag shape. Underwater stalactites had never been discovered in our country before and they are very rare in the world.

5. Cave corals and sight of clay

Also seen in the Songam Cave are cave corals, formations in the shape of coral.

Cave corals may be formed by flowing water, stagnant water like cave pools, or water flow on the surface of cave walls and other cave formations or weak water jets from cave walls.

In the Sonnyo section there is also the sight of clay, a unique sight which was formed when the topographic form in the shape of a cliff similar to Chongsokjong appeared on the layer of clay of the cave floor by the downpour of cave and stone flowers grew on it.

6. Stone flower

The Songam Cave is full of stone flowers so diverse, rich, elaborate and delicate to be called a stone flower museum. The cave is 2 160 metres long, not so large in the world, but is filled with large and small stone flowers in about 1 500m distance divided into the Solgyong (snowscape), Surim (forest), Pomul (treasure), Paekhwa (100 kinds of flowers), Kungjon (palace), Sosaeng (resuscitation), Sonnyo (fairy), Phungnyon (rich harvest) and other sections.

The stone flowers in the Songam Cave are more diverse and richer than and superior to all stone flowers formed in the karst caves of the world put together and win the admiration of people for their elaborateness and delicacy.

Most of the formations in karst caves are of calcite.

But in the Songam Cave a vast amount of aragonite formations exist in the form of stone flowers, a rare example in the world.

The Songam Cave is a unique type of cave heritage which shows all the diversity, mysteriousness and beauty of the karst caves in the world.

Now the Songam Cave area has been designated as a nature reserve, with the cave registered as a scenic spot.