Jeju Island is the largest island in Korea. Legend has it that the goddess Solomanle took the soil of the Han River and scattered it in the South China Sea, so it is called the "island of myths".
1. Location and area
Jeju Island is located in the southwest of Korea, across the Jeju Strait from the Korean Peninsula. It is more than 90 kilometers away from the southern coast of Korea in the north, and is the gateway to the Korean Strait, so it has an important geographical location.
The line between the mouth of the Yangtze River in mainland China and Jeju Island in Korea is the boundary between the East China Sea and the Yellow Sea, so Jeju Island is located at the intersection of the Yellow Sea, the East China Sea and the Korean Strait.
Jeju Island, also known as Tamna Island, includes 34 small islands including Wodo, Udo, Chakhi, Brother Island, Tiger Island, and Mosquito Island, with an area of 1,850.3k㎡. It is the largest island in Korea.
2. Topography and climate
The whole island is elliptical in shape, slightly long from east to west, and is made of volcanic rock. Located in the middle of the island at an altitude of 1,950 meters, Mt. Hallasan is an extinct volcano covered in clouds and mist all year round. Jeju Island was formed by volcanic eruptions, and the landform is composed of deposited rock layers, basalt, volcanic undercurrents, and volcaniclastic rocks formed by volcanic activity.
The White Deer Lake at the top of the mountain is a famous crater lake. There are 45 karst caves scattered throughout the island, with a total length of 13.3km, including Perak Mozhi Cave, Golden Cave, Jaejae Cave, Zhaotian Cave, Roulette Cave, Snake Cave, Wanzhang Cave, etc.
There are many waterfalls on the south coast, such as Tiandiyuan Waterfall, Tianchiyuan Waterfall and Zhengfang Waterfall. The most famous Yongduam Rock on the west coast, which is said to have turned into a rock here because the dragon offended the King of the Sea, is one of the ten scenic spots of Jeju Island. On the east coast, there is a T-shaped Seongsan Peninsula in the middle of the sea, and there is a Sunrise Peak of Seongsan Mountain, which is a good place to watch the sunrise.
The latitude of Jeju Island is between 32~33 degrees north latitude and is located at the southwest end of the Korean Strait, so it belongs to the subtropical monsoon marine climate, with significant oceanic characteristics and the characteristics of the southern climate.
With an average temperature of 19 degrees Celsius, Jeju Island has a mild climate and a small annual difference, and is known as the Korea Hawaii, and is the region with the highest average temperature and the most precipitation in Korea.
3. Jeju City, the largest city on Jeju Island
Jeju City is located at the northern tip of the island, i.e. 977 square kilometers, accounting for half of the ridge Jeju Island. Jeju City was the center of Tamna in ancient times. Today, it is the administrative center and transportation hub of Jeju Island.
Jeju City has historic sites such as Guandeokjeong, Samtu Cave, Sam Surname Cave, Sam Shot Stone, and Gohyun Altar. Among them, the Three Disciple Caves, the Three Surname Caves, and the Three Shooting Stones are said to be the birth holes of the three gods who founded the Tamna Kingdom in ancient times, Gao Yina, Liang Yi Na and Fu Yi Na, as well as the place where the Tamna Kingdom was established by shooting stones.
The Five Shrines are the ancestral halls of five sages who were innocently exiled here, including Kim Chong-an, Jung Tong-hee, Kim Sang-hyun, Song In-mo, and Zhu Shi-yeol.
To the east of Jeju City, there is Saro Peak, which is only 148m high, but on the north side is a cliff of broken rock, which is extremely thrilling, and the silver-white wave vortex underneath makes for a good view. From now on, you can also watch the sunset, and it is one of the ten scenic spots of Jeju Island.
4. Tourism and special products
Jeju Island is blessed with beautiful scenery, warm climate, and 256 kilometers of coastline, with unique customs. Villas and folk villages are located in the southern part of the island. Hallasan Mountain is home to a natural ecological garden of herds of elk and more than 180 species of plants.
Citrus is an important crop in Jeju Island, and citrus produced near Handapong has a higher sugar content and is popular in the consumer market.
Jeju Island is located in the middle of the sea and is rich in a variety of marine products. Among the marine products, the high-quality fish sea bream is the most famous, and it is mainly sold after freezing or drying, and is eaten as soup or grilled fish.
(Picture from the Internet)