Heaven Lake
Heaven Lake is a volcanic crater lake atop Paektu Mountain. It lies on the border between China and North Korea, and is roughly evenly divided between the two countries.
The Chinese part is in Jilin Province while the North Korean part is in Ryanggang Province.
Geology and limnology
The caldera which contains Heaven Lake was created by the 946 eruption of Paektu Mountain.The lake has a surface elevation of. The lake covers an area of, with a south–north length of and an east–west length of. The average depth of the lake is and a maximum depth of. From mid-October to mid-June, it is typically covered with ice.
History
Names and legends
In ancient Chinese literature, Tianchi also refers to Nanming.North Korean propaganda claims that Kim Jong-il was born near the lake on the mountain. In accordance with this, North Korean state news agencies reported that on his death, the ice on the lake cracked "so loud, it seemed to shake the heavens and the Earth".
Lake Tianchi Monster
Heaven Lake is also alleged to be home to the Lake Tianchi Monster.On September 6, 2007, Zhuo Yongsheng shot a 20-minute video of six seal-like, finned Lake Tianchi Monsters, near the North Korean border. He sent pictures of the Loch Ness Monster-type creatures to Xinhua's Jilin provincial bureau. One of them showed the creatures swimming in three pairs, in parallel. Another showed them together, leaving ripples on the volcanic lake.