Mt Chilbo, a Celebrated Mountain of the DPRK

Location

Mt Chilbo covers an area of hundreds of square kilometres, including some regions of Myongchon, Hwadae, Myonggan and Orang counties of North Hamgyong Province of

the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.

From olden times, it has been called “Kumgang in North Hamgyong Province” for superb mountain scape and seascape. Its name derived from a legend that it has seven kinds of treasures.

Temperature

The area of Mt Chilbo is greatly affected by oceanic climate as it is surrounded by the high Hamgyong Mountain Range in the west and flat area in the east and faces the east sea.

The annual average temperature is 6 to 6.5°C, with the lowest of 20 to 24°C below zero in January and the highest of 30 to 36°C in August. The annual average precipitation is 800 mm, 60% of which is observed in July and August. In winter, the eastern slope of the mountain is covered with snow, which is about 1 metre deep between December and March. The atmospheric humidity is 65% in spring and 80 to 85% in summer, and mist hangs frequently in May. Wind blows mainly southeastward in summer and northeastward in winter.

Elevation

Mt Chilbo comprises mountains rising about 1 000 metres above sea level, with its main peak Sangmae (1 103 m) in the centre, Paktal Pass (761 m), Chondok (985 m) and

Samgak (1 030 m) peaks in the north, and Hamae (1 045 m), Kkachi (900 m) and Hyangno (844 m) peaks in the south.

Fauna and flora

Mt Chilbo has a rich diversity of flora. It is distributed with more than 800 species of plants, including pine, oak and maple. Also found here are rhododendron and tea ledum growing in the northern alpine area, and Korean sasa, chestnut and memorial rose growing in the southern regions.

In the mountain there are wild pear, wild grape, Fructus Schizandrae and other wild fruits, over 70 species of medicinal herbs such as wild insam (ginseng), barrenwort and

Schizandra chinensis.

In particular, songi mushroom is counted as one of the best mushrooms in the country for its unique flavour and aroma. It is inhabited by over 30 animals, including bear, roe deer, raccoon dog, badger and hare, many birds like eagle owl, thrush, gray starling and oriole, and reptiles, amphibians and insects. The waters off Pochon of Sea Chilbo are blessed with various marine resources, including pollack, crab, octopus, sea urchin, shellfish and seaweed.