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온라인 홍보
경기문화재단
Yeoncheon_Jaein Falls
Emerald pond underneath a waterfall falling along basaltic columnar joints
About half a million years ago, lava flowed along the Hantangang River and covered lower lands. After the lava cooled down, the river flowed once again before another influx of lava. Giving way to the lava and waiting for it to cool and harden, the river steadily flowed along the area. It eroded and cleaved the basalt made of lava, creating the magnificent columnar joints of Yeoncheon.
Among them, those found at Jaein Falls boast the most beautiful scenery. The water streams falling from 18.5 meters from above along columnar joints that spread like an amphitheater gather in an emerald pond. As time goes by, the pool becomes deeper and the color of the water gives off a more mystique impression. The waterfalls have gradually receded as they have continued to erode the cliff rocks. For over 500,000 years, the waterfalls have moved 380 meters upstream. The basaltic columnar joints that form the background of the waterfalls are mostly hexagonal or pentagonal, but some of them are rectangular or hexagonal. Looked at more closely, these columns form various shapes together such as flowers, fans, and wings.
Jaein Falls presents great views changing season to season: colored leaves in autumn, abundant water in early summer, and icicles hanging down the basalt rocks like curtains in winter. There is a glass observation deck from which you can look down on the waterfalls and a staircase that leads to the bottom of the cliff. But convenience always comes at a price. In the afternoon, the shadows of the observation deck and the staircase are cast on the waterfalls, hindering the appreciation of the scenery. The basalt canyon area in the basins of the Hantangang and Imjingang Rivers is designated as a national geological park.
Jaein Falls creates a beautiful landscape falling along the black basaltic columnar joints. The pond beneath the waterfalls is a habitat for spotted barbels, which are Natural Monument No. 238, and endangered species such as pink catchflies.
As it is case for many places with a beautiful landscape, there are many old stories that have been told about Jaein Falls. In one of them, a magistrate of the area falls in love with the wife of Jaein, who is an acrobat, kills him when he was walking a tightrope over the waterfalls by cutting the rope. In another story, Jaein walks on the waterfalls to show off his talent, and those who envy him cut the rope to kill him. Even the very thought of a clown walking on a rope hanging across 18-meter-high cliffs with a fan in a hand may make you dizzy.
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