Kumgang-San

(from Korean kumgang, “diamond”, and san, “mountain”), Diamond Mountains, located in the northern section of the East Korea Mountains, in the Korean People’s Democratic Republic. Length, about 80 km; elevation, to 1,638 m. They consist of a series of parallel chains made up primarily of granites and are cut by a dense network of canyons and narrow river gorges. The mountains are distinguished by extraordinary picturesqueness and diverse forms of terrain; there are many waterfalls. Oak and mixed forests grow on the slopes. There are deposits of tungsten, molybdenum, nickel, copper, and iron. Among the ancient monuments are 25 Buddhist monasteries with numerous statues of the Buddha carved into the rocks (the most famous Buddha is at the Mahayon temple; height, 15 m). The mountains also have health resorts and attract tourists.