The Gimnyeonggul Lava Tube, located in Donggimnyeong-ri, Gujwa-eup,

Jeju City Jeju City ( ko, 제주시, Jeju-si; ) is the capital of the Jeju Province in South Korea and the largest city on Jeju Island. The city is served by Jeju International Airport ( IATA code CJU). Located on an island off the Korean Peninsula, Jeju ...

, is one of the

World Heritage Sites in South Korea The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) World Heritage Sites are places of importance to cultural or natural heritage as described in the UNESCO World Heritage Convention, established in 1972. Cultural heri ...

. The lava tube is about 705 m long, and is believed to be separated from Manjanggul Lava Tube by lava flows. The upper part of entrance is 12 m high and 4 m wide and is bent in a collapsed S shape. The upstream end of the passage was sealed with subsequent lava flows. The downstream passage is bi-level and the entrance is filled with

sediments Sediment is a naturally occurring material that is broken down by processes of weathering and erosion, and is subsequently transported by the action of wind, water, or ice or by the force of gravity In physics, gravity () is a fundame ...

, most of which are

carbonate A carbonate is a salt of carbonic acid (H2CO3), characterized by the presence of the carbonate ion, a polyatomic ion with the formula . The word ''carbonate'' may also refer to a carbonate ester, an organic compound containing the carbonate ...

sediments that had flown in from the beach. This is understood to be why there are lime features. The upstream end part is covered by a rich natural forest and the other end is covered with sand dunes. There is a significant amount of sand inside the tube. Because very little organic material has infiltrated the tube, Gimnyeonggul does not offer favorable habitats for cave life. Around 20 species are living in tube. The Gimnyeong lava tube is also called "Gimnyeongsagul" or "Sagul (Snake Cave)", a name originating in ancient history. According to a legend, there was a big snake living in the cave, and the snakes demanded the yearly sacrifice of a girl. If people didn’t make that offering to it, it caused natural disasters such as

typhoon A typhoon is a mature tropical cyclone that develops between 180° and 100°E in the Northern Hemisphere. This region is referred to as the Northwestern Pacific Basin, and is the most active tropical cyclone basin on Earth, accounting for a ...

s. A judge Mr. Lin Seo killed the snake in 1515. After that event, the legend states, the village was able to be in peace. By the entrance of the cave, a monument was established speaking highly of Mr. Lin Seo.

References

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Jeju Special Self-Governing Provincial Tourism Association

External links

Jeju Volcanic Island and Lava Tubes, UNESCOJeju Special Self-Governing ProvinceJeju World Natural Heritage
{{coord missing, South Korea Lava tubes Caves of Jeju Province ko:김녕굴·만장굴

See also

References

External links