Everything about The Changbai Mountains totally explained
The
Changbai Mountains or
Baekdu Mountains are a
mountain range on the border between
China and
North Korea (41°41' to 42°51'N; 127°43' to 128°16'E). The range extends from the
Northeast Chinese provinces of
Heilongjiang,
Jilin and
Liaoning to the North Korean provinces of
Ryanggang and
Chagang. Most peaks exceed 2,000
metres in height, with the highest mountain being
Baekdu Mountain (Changbai Mountain).
The range represents the mythical birthplace of Bukūri Yongšon, ancestor of
Nurhaci and the
Aisin Gioro Imperial family, who were the founders of the
Manchu state and the Chinese
Qing Dynasty. The name literally means "
Perpetually White Mountain Region" in
Mandarin Chinese and "
Perpetually White Mountain Range" in
Korean.
Changbaishan Nature Reserve, established in 1960, was involved in the UNESCO's "Man and Biosphere" program in 1980 and becomes part of the world's biosphere reserves. Approved by the State Council in 1986, it becomes a State-level reserve.
History
It was first recorded in the
Chinese classic text Shan Hai Jing with the name Buxian Shan. It's also called Shanshan Daling in the
Book of Later Han. In the
New Book of Tang, it was called Taibai Shan.
The territory has been, successively, the home of the
Malgal tribes and
Jurchen people, occupied by the kingdoms of
Goguryeo,
Balhae and
Liao (
Khitan,
907-
1125).ref>《》(Records of
Khitan Empire):"长白山在冷山东南千余里......禽兽皆白。"(Baekdu Mountain is a thousand miles to the south of Cold Mountain...Birds and animals there are all white.)
The
Jurchen Jin Dynasty (1115–1234) bestowed the title "the King Who Makes the Nation Prosperous and Answers with Miracles" (興國靈應王
Xingguo Lingying Wang) on the mountain god in 1172 and it was promoted to "the Emperor Who Cleared the Sky with Tremendous Sagehood" (開天宏聖帝
Kaitian Hongsheng Emperor) in 1193. According to
Wei Yuan's work on warfare in the early
Qing Dynasty,
Shengwuji ("Our august dynasty's military memorial"), the
Tungus tribes of
Neyen and
Yalu were living in this territory during in the
Ming dynasty. Later it formed part of the
Manchu Later Jin Empire (changed to Qing), created by
Nurhaci.
During the Qing Dynasty, the
Kangxi Emperor designated the Baekdu Mountain as the legendary birthplace of the imperial family
Aisin Gioro following a survey. He set a forbidden zone around the mountain. The Qing Dynasty held annual rites for the mountain, as did the earlier Jin Dynasty.
Economy
The range plays an important economic role. It is known for a variety of
ginseng that grows there. In addition, the heavily-forested slopes are an important area for
logging. In recent years,
tourism has also become an increasingly important source of revenue on the Chinese side.
Geography and climate
The highest mountain is
Baekdu Mountain (2,745 m), a
volcano which is also known as Changbai Mountain. Baekdu mountain is the source of the
Songhua,
Tumen (Tuman) and
Yalu (Amnok) rivers. Many tributaries of the
Liao He also originate from the Changbai Mountains.
The climate in the mountains is very cold during winter, with absolute minima on the highest peaks in January as low as −45°C (−49°F), but reaching 17°C (62°F) in July.
Precipitation is low in the winter but in the higher parts very high in the summer, with annual averages reaching as high as 1,150
mm (45
inches) and over 300 mm (12 inches) in July alone. The dry winters mean there are no
glaciers even on the highest and wettest peaks, but
permafrost extends down to 1,800 metres (5,900 feet) and is continuous on the highest peaks.
Flora and fauna
The rugged terrain of the Baekdu Mountains provides refuge for many rare animals, including bears, and
Siberian tigers. A large portion of the Jilin Province side is protected as the
Baekdu Nature Reserve, which covers more than 2,100 square kilometres.
The vegetation of the mountain slopes is divided into several different zones. At the top, above 2000 metres,
tundra predominates. From 1700 to 2000 metres, vegetation is dominated by
mountain birch and
larch. Below this zone, and down to 1100 metres, the dominant trees are
spruce,
fir, and
Korean pine. From 600 to 1100 metres, the landscape is dominated by mixed forest, consisting of
Amur linden,
Korean pine,
maple, and
elm. Further down, a
temperate hardwood forest is found, dominated by second-growth
poplar and
birch. (Liu et al., p. 3388).
Further Information
Get more info on 'Changbai Mountains'.
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