Lake Tianchi Monster
천지 괴물
Legend, unconfirmed: a mystery animal said to live in Heaven Lake, the volcanic crater lake on top of Mt Paektu (Changbai). Since the 1960s people have reported dark heads or backs breaking the surface, and a video was shot from the Chinese side in 2007, but nobody knows what they saw. The lake is more than 380 m deep and frozen for over half the year, so many scientists doubt a large animal could find enough food there.
See it on the 3D globe →At a glance
- Country
- North Korea
- Kind
- Legendary creatures
Quick answers
Where is Lake Tianchi Monster?
Lake Tianchi Monster is in North Korea.
The Lake Tianchi Monster is a legendary creature said to live in Heaven Lake (Cheonji in Korean, Tianchi in Chinese), the crater lake on top of Mount Paektu, also called Changbai. The lake lies on the border between China's Jilin Province and North Korea's Ryanggang Province.
This is an unconfirmed legend. People have reported dark heads or backs breaking the surface since the 1960s, and a Chinese reporter filmed a video in 2007, but nobody knows what was seen. The lake is more than 380 metres deep, and it is frozen for over half the year, so many scientists doubt that a large animal could find enough food there.
The sightings
The first written report is from 1903, when a buffalo-like creature was said to have attacked three people. In August 1962 a man with a telescope said he saw two creatures chasing each other, and more than a hundred people reported sightings. Later reports describe a head on a neck about 1.5 metres long. In 2007 the television reporter Zhuo Yongsheng said he filmed six creatures for 20 minutes. The Korean tradition even calls the lake the Dragon Lake.
The legend versus the facts
No clear photograph or body has been found, and most pictures are from far away and blurry. Scientists note that the volcano erupted in recent history and the lake freezes for most of the year, which makes it a hard place for large animals to live. They think people may have seen natural events, such as floating volcanic rock, or animals that live around Mount Paektu. The monster stays a mystery and a story.
Fun facts
- Heaven Lake is up to 384 metres deep and sits about 2,190 metres above sea level.
- The China–North Korea border runs across the lake.
- The first written report is from 1903.
On the globe
The model shows the crater lake on Mount Paektu with a dark shape in the water. This is a legend, unconfirmed.
Nearby on the globe
Sources
Updated: 2026-10-14