Mount Kumgang – Diamond Mountain from the Sea

Koreans have revered Mount Kumgang — the Diamond Mountain — for some fifteen centuries, its near-white granite spires, plunging valleys and waterfalls inspiring painters, poets and pilgrims alike. Buddhist hermitages, stupas and stone carvings lie scattered through the landscape, and three temples remain in active use, sustaining traditions of mountain Buddhism reaching back to the 5th century. Topping out just below 1,600 metres, the mountain became a Mixed UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2025.