Divine Turtle Mountain and Divine Turtle Bay

Divine Turtle Mountain and Divine Turtle Bay

Divine Turtle Mountain, shaped like a turtle, and the river bay at its foot, which people call Divine Turtle Bay, are also the subject of a touching legend.

Long ago, by the banks of the Yalu River, there lived a family surnamed Ba. The elder brother was named Bawang, and the younger was called Bafu. The two brothers took care of their elderly mother, farming and fishing, and lived a poor life.

One day, the brothers caught an injured large red-bellied turtle from the river. Bafu picked up a knife, ready to kill it, when he noticed the turtle actually shedding tears, drop by drop. Their elderly mother said compassionately, “Son, this turtle must be spiritually gifted. Put it in a vat and raise it. Once it’s healed, release it back into the river.”

Strangely enough, starting the next day, they had stir-fried dishes and rice every day—meals they had never dared to imagine before. They thought it must be the divine turtle repaying their kindness for sparing its life.

From then on, the elderly mother’s family lived a better life. Whenever fellow villagers were in trouble, she would ask the divine turtle for help, and each time it worked miraculously. This soon reached the ears of the cruel and oppressive Wang Bapi. One day, taking advantage of the brothers’ absence, he broke into their home, beat the elderly mother, and stole the turtle.

The elderly mother cried bitterly and eventually fell asleep. In her dream, she saw the stolen turtle return and speak to her: “Tonight, have all the villagers gather on South Mountain. No matter what sounds you hear, do not look back—just run toward South Mountain. Remember, remember!” When the two sons returned, the mother told them about her dream and led the villagers to flee toward South Mountain. As they ran, a thunderous clap sounded behind them, followed by a massive flash of red light across the sky. A young man among the villagers couldn’t help but turn around—and saw a gigantic red turtle churning the waters, drowning Wang Bapi and his family. The young man cried out in fear, and at that moment, the giant turtle pitched forward and instantly transformed into a mountain. This is Divine Turtle Mountain.

The elderly mother burst into tears upon seeing this. She cried and cried, and her tears formed a water bay at the foot of that very mountain, which we now call Divine Turtle Bay.

Gaoshan Town, with a current population of over 4,000, boasts beautiful scenery and a pleasant climate. During the Korean War (1950), Kim Il-sung established his command post here and spent 45 days and nights (from November 4 to December 18, 1950) fighting for Korea’s independence and freedom. A memorial museum of Kim Il-sung’s residence has been built there.