At the site of the Olympics, the oldest rocks date back into the Triassic. Almost 250 million years ago the North China and South China terrains collided, starting to fold up and upthrust a first version of the Taebaek Mountains. At the time this mountain range was as high and impressive as today the Himalayas. However, erosion quickly started to ground down the mountains. The resulting conglomerates, sandstones, and shale-rocks filled various basins around the mountains, forming the Nogam-Formation. The name Nogam-fm (Korean for green rocks) derives from the green color of the rocks, caused by the presence of the metamorphic mineral chlorite.
The Taebaek Mountains, sometimes called the backbone of Korea, run the length of Gangwon-do (Gangwon province). Because of this geographical division, the province has two distinct regions: Yeongseo, the region west of the mountains, which has a small amount of farmable land, and Yeongdong, the region east of the mountains, whose people primarily rely on food from the sea. Because South Korea's three largest rivers (Namhan, Bukhan, and Nakdong) all originate in the Taebaek Mountains, Gangwon-do was traditionally known as the "area that started our ancestor's life."
Traveling through the region, you will discover the beauty of the land (with unfettered forests), and learn about the history of the people. There are a handful of cities, but none of them is highly developed or very large in size, so the region retains some of the natural beauty it has had for centuries, although the carving of the mountains for new roads coupled with severe rains have eroded some of the terrain's green splendor, leaving exposed dirt and unsightly concrete supports.
Gangwon-do and its North Korean counterpart, Kangwon, are together called the Gwandong region. The area west of Taebaeksan is called Yeongseo, while the part east of the mountains is called Yeongdong. Other than the main cities highlighted earlier, other major cities in the province include Donghae and Wonju, which are discussed below.
The Biosphere Reserve forms the ecological backbone of the Korean Peninsula. They are situated within two of the three core ecological axes of the Peninsula designated by the Ministry of Environment, namely the DMZ and Baekdu-daegan ecological axes, forming the eastern and north-south ecological belts. The area, with a wide variety of unique environmental landscapes ranging from the flat areas in the west to the mountainous areas in the east, and incorporating plains, grassland, farmland, rivers, high moors, and mountains, is an invaluable conservation site and a treasure trove for academic research owing to its diverse landscape and ecosystems.
The Taebaek mountains are located to the east of the peninsula and run along the East Sea. Hwangnyong Mountain in North Korea with 1268 metres forms the northern end of the range. Busan lies at the southern end of the mountain range. This makes the mountain range a total length of over 500 kilometres, averaging about 1000 metres in height.
Gangwon remains directly effected by in South Korea's troubled history, with the Demilitarized Zone still cutting off the third of the province that lies in North Korea. The site of fierce battles during the Korean War, Gangwon's mountains remain a focal point for recovery missions searching for the remains of more than 7,700 American soldiers still unaccounted for, according to Pentagon figures.
There are also performances on the weekends during the festival season. Entering into the park is FREE, but there are special fees for some hands-on programs.
Check out the link for more details: festival.taebaek.go.kr (Korean only)
Selected by CNN as one of the 50 most beautiful places to visit in South Korea, the Taebaek Mountains are a true beauty. Taebaek is a mountain range that extends across North and South Korea. The mountains form the main ridge of the Korean peninsula. Not are they a popular tourist attraction, but they are also one of the chosen venues for the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympics.
The port city visible on the Sea of Japan coast is Sokcho (ììˆ/æŸè), South Korea's northernmost city, and a stop on my 2008 South Korean road trip. The mountains next to it are Mt. Seorak (ììì/éªåå), a national park. The mountain in the far distance, on the left edge of this photo at the horizon, would be North Korea's Diamond Mountain (êˆêì/éåå), considered the most beautiful mountain on the entire peninsula.
Another factor is easterly winds that blow from the Taebaek Mountains in South Korea's eastern area. Warm air flowing down from the mountains pushed up temperatures in Seoul. This condition is known as a dry foehn.
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