Mt. Myohyang that has been known as one of the 6 famous mountains and the 8 famous scenic spots in Korea is the one located in the northeastern part of Korea.
The name of Mt. Myohyang (375 square kilometers in area, over 300-ri in circumference and 1 909 meters in height) is derived from the fact that it is a beautiful mountain with fragrance and mysterious beauty.
Originally, it was called “Mt. Yonju” as it belonged to Yonju district, and had been called “Mt. T
And the northern region of Piro Peak on Mt. Myohyang discovered first historically was called old Hyangsan and the region around Pohyon Temple discovered later called new Hyangsan.
Generally, Mt. Myohyang indicates new Hyangsan (valley of Myohyang stream) with the most distinguished scenic beauty.
The Korean people have regarded the mountain as the most superb scenic place of all famous mountains.
It has distinguished scenes that are called as the “8 famous scenic spots of Mt. Myohyang.” It is well known to the Korean people as it is not only beautiful in its scenes but also associated with the Korean people’s patriotic struggle against the foreign invaders and has lots of cultural heritages that prove their cultural and artistic techniques and creative talents.
Its most superb scenic beauties are concentrated in new Hyangsan area. The beauties are lots of peaks and cliffs soaring in front and in the rear of the Myohyang Stream; Sangwon Valley, Manphok Valley, Chont
Facilities for tourists and campers including Myohyansan History Museum inaugurated in May 1947, the Myohyangsan Children’s Mountaineering Camp of Pyongyang City, Piro Pick Camping Area. Hyangsan Hotel, Myohyangsan Mineral Spring, etc. have been arranged on Mt. Myohyang refurbished as the tourist mountaineering and visiting place to accommodate the visitors’ convenience.
Sangwon Valley, Manphok Valley, Chont
With Sangwon Ravine, Sangwon Valley includes Sanju falls which looks like dancing snow, Ryongyon falls which reminds of a blue dragon ascending to the sky and a grand Chonsin falls including Kumgang falls and Daeha falls.
Manphokdong covers Pison falls, Yuson falls and Murung falls including Kuchung falls (9-storey Falls).
Pison falls reminding of the celestial raiment of a fairy girl is the most beautiful on Mt. Myohyang.
Hundreds of plants are distributed and animals of 30 kinds and beautiful and rare birds over 130 kinds habit in the mountain.
Mt. Myohyang is also the historical one with cultural relics and remains.
Numerous precious relics and remains including old buildings, sculptures, pagodas, tombstones, drawings, craftworks and printed cultural remains proving the wise and diligent Korean people’s creative talents and artistic skills are preserved in this beautiful mountain.
Relics and remains including the wooden buildings like Pohyon Temple and its small Buddhist temples which are very high in its artistic value representing the architecture of Korea in the early 11th century and several pagodas, tombstones, the complete collection of Buddhist Scriptures printed with 80 000 wooden blocks and the wood printing plate are preserved in the mountain at present.
Such national cultural relics not only highlight the landscape of famous mountain along with the beautiful scenes of the mountain but also prove a long history of the Korean nation.
Mt. Myohyang has become widely known to the people as there is International Friendship Exhibition House in it.
Construction of the International Friendship Exhibition House (43.3 meters in height with 6 storeys) erected in a grand and brilliant form beside Myohyang stream started in January 1977 and inaugurated on August 26, 1978 before the 30th founding anniversary of the DPRK.
It is a grand structure reflecting the national form and the socialist contents in harmony with the natural beauty of the mountain.
Exhibited in it are the precious gifts presented by the heads of state and the distinguished personages from different countries in the world to President Kim Il Sung and Chairman Kim Jong Il.
The house is the grand monumental edifice that symbolizes friendship and unity between the Korean people and the world peace-loving people and comprehensively proves the world revolutionary people’s boundless respect toward the great leaders.
Mt. Myohyang is associated with the immoral history of the great persons of Mt. Paektu to be conveyed through generations.
Even he was busy with the building of a new county after the liberation, the President unfolded a bright prospect and wisely led the refurbishing of the mountain into the place for the people’s cultural recreation area and the world tourist mountaineering area.
Looking round the building in Pohyon Temple one by one, he presented the detailed orientation and ways for protecting and managing well the scenic beauty of the mountain and the national cultural heritages, stressing that the relics and remains including the complete collection of Buddhist Scriptures printed with 80 000 wooden blocks and the wooden printing blocks, the precious cultural heritages should be preserved and managed well so as to let the younger generations can see.
The President who always paid deep attention into the mountain not only in the period of the fierce Fatherland Liberation War but also after the war, took measures for removing the damages of the war, protecting and managing the natural scenic beauty and rehabilitating the relics and remains including the destroyed Taeung Pavilion and Manse Pavilion. In August 1976, he initiated the construction of the International Friendship Exhibition House in a scenic spot on the mountain and personally chose the site for the house.
He came to the mountain scores of time later on to give the programmatic instructions for arranging it to be the better cultural recreation place for young people and the working people and the world tourist mountaineering area.
Mt. Myohyang could be refurbished as the world famous one thanks to the wise leadership of Chairman Kim Jong Il who was true to the President’s intention.
In order to successfully realize the President’s plan, Kim Jong Il comprehensively clarified the orientation and ways for refurbishing the mountain into the people’s scenic spot while personally looking round Sangwon Valley, Manphok Valley and Piro Pick.
He sent powerful building forces and even airplane to actively accelerate the refurbishing of the mountain and personally fixed mountaineering routes and provided the train and bus, thus enabling the people, youth and students to explore the mountain to their hearts’ content.
Marshal Kim Jong Un who visited the Myohyangsan Children’s Mountaineering Camp of Pyongyang City in May 2013 instructed not to reconstruct but build the camp freshly, stressing that arranging the camp as required by the era of Songun was an important affair to realize the lifelong intention of the great leaders who had devoted their all for the children as their own parents. He clarified orientation and ways for the building of the camp and took necessary measures for supplying the building equipment and materials.
The Myohyangsan Children’s Mountaineering Camp of Pyongyang City was built on a modern basis as required by the new century thanks to the wise leadership of the Marshal.
Engraved on the natural rocks on Mt. Myohyang well known to the world for its world picturesque sceneries are the writings reflecting the aspiration of the Korean people to convey long the greatness, immortal exploits and boundless benevolence of President Kim Il Sung and Chairman Kim Jong Il.
The world famous Mt. Myohyang has a constant stream of not only the Korean people but also the people from all over the world.
