Songam Cavern is a major tourist venue in
North Korea
North Korea, officially the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the northern half of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and shares borders with China and Russia to the north, at the Yalu River, Y ...
. It consists of 17 well-lit karst
cave
A cave or cavern is a natural void in the ground, specifically a space large enough for a human to enter. Caves often form by the weathering of rock and often extend deep underground. The word ''cave'' can refer to smaller openings such as sea ...
s full of picturesque stone formations including
stalactites
A stalactite (, ; from the Greek 'stalaktos' ('dripping') via
''stalassein'' ('to drip') is a mineral formation that hangs from the ceiling of caves, hot springs, or man-made structures such as bridges and mines. Any material that is soluble an ...
and
stalagmite
A stalagmite (, ; from the Greek , from , "dropping, trickling")
is a type of rock formation that rises from the floor of a cave due to the accumulation of material deposited on the floor from ceiling drippings. Stalagmites are typically ...
s. The cavern is located in
Kaech'ŏn-si,
South Pyongan
South Pyongan Province (Phyŏngannamdo; ) is a province of North Korea. The province was formed in 1896 from the southern half of the former Pyongan Province, remained a province of Korea until 1945, then became a province of North Korea. Its ca ...
Province.
Among the 70 scenic sites within the caverns are the flower gate (Kkotmun Dong), a waterfall (Phokpho Dong), an underground snowscape (Solgyong Dong) and a series of geological curiosities named Kiam Dong.
The venue is lighted and air conditioned. International tourism to the site is administered through the
Korea International Travel Agency in
Pyongyang
Pyongyang (, , ) is the capital and largest city of North Korea, where it is known as the "Capital of the Revolution". Pyongyang is located on the Taedong River about upstream from its mouth on the Yellow Sea. According to the 2008 populatio ...
.
See also
*
Tourism in North Korea
External links
''Songam Cavern'' picture albumat
Naenara
Kaechon
Caves of North Korea
Limestone caves
Tourism in North Korea
South Pyongan
{{NorthKorea-geo-stub