Manjanggul

Manjanggul
In the cave, the largest known lava column in the world, reaching 7.6 metres (25') in height (2020)
Coordinates	33.5282°N 126.7701°E / 33.5282; 126.7701
Length	8.928km (5½ miles)

Manjanggul
Hangul	만장굴
Hanja	萬丈窟
Revised Romanization	Manjanggul
McCune–Reischauer	Manjanggul

Manjanggul (Korean: 만장굴) is a lava tube located in Gimnyeong-ri, Gujwaeup, Jeju City, South Korea. At up to 23 metres (75') wide, 30 metres (100') high and 8.928 km (5½ miles) long, it is the 12th-longest lava tube in the world and the second longest on Jeju Island,^[1] although a significant portion of the cave is closed to visitors.^[2] It is the only cave of the Geomunoreum Lava Tube System, considered one of the finest lava tube systems in the world,^[3] regularly open to the public.^[4] It is also part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site list, under the item Jeju Volcanic Island and Lava Tubes.^[3]

Lava stalactites and lava stalagmites, lava columns, lava flowstone, lava rafts, lava shelves,^[5] Among them, a lava column of 7.6 metres (25') is the largest known in the world.^[5]

There are three entrances to the cave, although tourists are able to enter through just one of them (No. 2, facing southwards) and able to go up to 1 km (0.62 mi) into it.^[5]

Entrance No. 3 contains the most favorable habitats for cave life. Between entrances 1 and 2, there is a lower level main tube where most of creatures living in the cave can be found. In the Geomunoreum Lava Tube System, the Manjanggul Lava Tube has the greatest number of living creatures, including the Jeju cave-spider. In the upper part of Entrance 2, there are at least 30,000 common bent-wing bats forming the largest colony of bats confirmed to be living in Korea so far.

Gallery

• 
  Details of the wall of the cave (2017)
• 
  The cave, illuminated with colored lights (2020)
• 
  Looking out the exit of the cave (2020)

See also

• List of World Heritage Sites in South Korea
• Jeju Volcanic Island and Lava Tubes
• Seongsan Ilchulbong
• Hallasan
• Jeju-do
• Geomunoreum Lava Tube System
• Gimnyeonggul

References

1. "Manjanggul Lava Tube - Jeju Volcanic Island and Lava Tubes". Google Arts & Culture. Retrieved 2023-12-11.
2. "Manjanggul Lava Tube [National Geopark] (만장굴 (제주도 국가지질공원)) : VISITKOREA". Manjanggul Lava Tube [National Geopark] (만장굴 (제주도 국가지질공원)). Retrieved 2023-12-11.
3. "Jeju Volcanic Island and Lava Tubes". UNESCO World Heritage Centre. Retrieved 2023-12-11.
4. "Jeju's lava tubes are opening for the World Heritage Festival after 2 years of cancellations". koreajoongangdaily.joins.com. 2022-08-28. Retrieved 2023-12-11.
5. "Manjanggul Lava Tube (UNESCO World Natural Heritage)". www.visitjeju.net (in Korean). Retrieved 2023-12-11.

External links

• Jeju Volcanic Island and Lava Tubes, UNESCO
• Jeju Special Self-Governing Provincial Tourism Association
• Jeju Special Self-Governing Province
• Jeju World Natural Heritage
• Cultural Heritage Administration of Korea