Underground Forest, Changbaishan
The 'Underground Forest' at Changbaishan Mountain Biosphere Reserve. |
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Though the highlight of visiting Changbaishan is getting to see Tianchi, or Heavenly Lake, the caldera lake surrounded by 16 mountain peaks, the Underground Forest on the mountainside is not to be missed either.
Formed in the same massive eruption that created the caldera lake, the Underground Forest is so named because its forest floor is hundreds of metres below normal ground level. The fauna remains largely similar with its surroundings of birch and pine, and the forest itself has remained mostly untouched. A 45-minute trek takes one to the edge of the Underground Forest, and it is fascinating to see how the land literally falls away, along with a rushing river which is transformed in turn into a waterfall.
Published on 8/10/09

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