At 2744 metres Baekdu Mountain is the highest mountain on the Korean Peninsula and is situated on the border between the North Korean Province Ryanggang-do and the Chinese Province Jilin. The mountain is an active volcano, which had its most violent eruption around the year 969 registering a magnitude of 7 on the Richter scale.

The «Heaven Lake» is situated on the Baekdu Mountain and, although surrounded by two hot springs, is one of the coldest lakes in the world due to it’s altitude. North Korean propaganda exalts the mountain as a sacred, “spirited“ mountain. Reproductions of the lake can be found nationwide and Kim Il-sung, Kim Jong-il and his mother Kim Jong-suk are admired for being «the three military leaders of Baekdu mountain».