Chinese volcano approved as nat'l geological park

A mountain in northeast China that is home to the world's highest volcanic lake has been approved as a national geological park, sources with the mountain management committee said on Friday.

Mount Changbai, located on the border of China and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), has been officially named the Jilin Changbai National Volcanic Geological Park by the Ministry of Land and Resources, according to the sources.

Mount Changbai is a dormant volcano that has erupted three times since the 16th century, with the last eruption recorded 310 years ago.

Tianchi, a crater lake on top of Mount Changbai, covers an area of 9.82 square kilometers at an altitude of more than 2,100 meters. The lake is the deepest mountain lake in China, with an average depth of 204 meters.

Mount Changbai and Tianchi are famous scenic spots that attract a huge number of tourists from home and abroad.

The China Earthquake Administration set up a volcano monitoring station by the lake in 1997. There have been no signs indicating that there will be volcanic activity in the foreseeable future.