Mount Chilbo Biosphere Reserve

UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, inscribed 2014, in Democratic People's Republic of Korea. The Mount Chilbo Biosphere Reserve forms part of the Great Paektu Mountain Range, created on the eastern coast of the Korean Peninsula by fault movement and volcanic eruption during the late Neogene and early Quaternary period. The mountains range from 700 m to 1,103 m, creating a mid-altitudinal landscape. The Chilbo Stream flows through the Mount Chilbo Biosphere Reserve. Mount Chilbo holds significant cultural heritage, notably Kaesim Temple (built in 826) and ten other State Natural Monuments. The biosphere reserve covers 50,340 ha, with its highest elevation at 1,103 m above sea level and the lowest at 13 m. Primary protection targets include the Korean mushroom (Tricholoma matsutake) and its ecological environments.