Wind and stones of Jeju Island

Jeju Island is a volcanic island, dominated by Halla-san (Halla Mountain), a volcano, 1,950 metres high that is the highest mountain in South Korea. The island was created entirely as a result of volcanic eruptions that took place approximately 2 million years ago, from the Tertiary period to the beginning of the Quaternary period during the Cenozoic Era. The island consists chiefly of basalt and lava. It has a humid subtropical climate, warmer than that of the rest of Korea, with four distinct seasons. The value of Jeju Island has been recognized though its designation as a Biosphere Reserve in 2002, as a World Natural Heritage site in 2007 and as a Global Geopark in 2010, making this sub-tropical island the only place on earth to receive all three UNESCO designations in natural sciences. The Island’s temperate climate, natural scenery, and beaches make it a popular tourist destination for South Koreans as well as visitors from other parts of East Asia. Because of the relatively isolated geographical state of the island, the people of Jeju have developed a culture and language that are distinct from those of mainland Korea. Jeju has a matriarchal family structure and a tradition of worshipping s female goddess which is quite rare in the other parts of Korea. The Jeju Chilmoeridang Youngdeung Gut (Shamanistic ritual) which is held in the second lunar month to pray to Grandmother Youngdeung for calm seas, an abundant harvest and a plentiful sea catch, was inscribed on UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2009.