The Tianchi Lake Monster
In a crater lake at the top of a volcano, tourists have photographed dark shapes moving fast across the water.
What was reported
Heaven Lake is a deep crater lake at the top of Changbai Mountain, known in Korea as Paektu, on the border between China and North Korea. It is frozen for much of the year and is one of the highest crater lakes in the world.
Since the early 20th century, people have reported a large creature in the lake, sometimes with a head like a seal's or a horse's. Groups of tourists have photographed and filmed dark shapes moving quickly through the water.
Explanations offered
Scientists point out that the cold, high lake has very little food, which makes a large animal unlikely. Suggested explanations include boats, swimming animals, waves, and fish introduced to the lake in recent decades. No clear evidence has been found.
- When
- Reports since the early 1900s
- Where
- Heaven Lake, Changbai (Paektu) Mountain, China–North Korea border
- Witnesses
- Tourists and local residents
- Status
- Unconfirmed
Famous cases are real, widely reported events. Each file sets out what witnesses said and the explanations that have been offered, without taking a side.