calendar>>June 8. 2009 Juche 98
Peculiar Landscape of Mt. Paektu in Four Seasons
Pyongyang, June 8 (KCNA) -- Mt. Paektu, one of the famous mountains of Korea unrolls peculiar landscape every season.

Spring comes from early May in the mountain, when the thunder rolls, avalanches of snow rush down and the snow piled in the valleys begins to thaw.

The rapid thaw forms streams and falls here and there and the murmurs of snow water at the dead of night are peculiar.

Various species of plants including Therorhodion redowskianum which is called Chonji ( Lake Chon) Azalea in the meaning of heralding the spring of Mt. Paektu shoot out buds and open flowers.

Migrant birds fly in the area of Mt. Paektu from hot regions and Ochotona alpina which had been in holes all the winter and the Chonji Chars (Salvelinus malma m. chonjiensis) which had wintered under the ice begin to move in search of fodder.

The wind brings about pollens from other parts to cover the ice and on the surface of the Lake Chon, presenting one more beautiful landscape.

The summer is about 40 days from mid-July, during which fine days are rare to see. However, the temperature is not high but warm and the color of leaves and flowers of plants are clear and deep because the amount of ultraviolet radiation in the area of Mt. Paektu is higher than other regions.

The autumn is nearly 50 days from the late August to the early October.

In this season, most of the plants gradually lose their green color, the blueberry around the Lake Chon turns into violet color and only Rhododendron keeps its green.

The winter which starts from the middle of October continues more than 200 days till the end of next April. Heavy snows are frequent to fall, accompanied by high winds of over 10-15 meters per second.

Conspicuous in winter landscape is ice of the Lake Chon. The lake begins to freeze from the middle of September and the surface of the lake is completely covered with ice in the early December. The ice is very clear and transparent so one may see the bottom of the lake. Various forms of ice "sculptures" come into being in the shore of the lake, which adds beauty to its wintry scenery.
