Meanings
alternative Baekdu
- A mountain on the border between Jilin, China and Ryanggang Province, North Korea.
3 more examples
The land border is 636 miles long (1,025 km), most of it with China but the last 11 miles of it at the eastern end, with Russia. The border follows two rivers, the westward-flowing Yalu and the east-flowing Tumen, both of which arise from springs on the slopes of Mount Paektu, the sacred peak that is part of the "Ever-white Mountains" on the northeastern border.
2000, Donald N. Clark, “The Story of the Korean People”, in Culture and Customs of Korea, →ISBN, →ISSN, →LCCN, →OCLC, page 6The Tuman and Yalu rivers dividing Korea and China source from one mountain, Mt Paektu. This volcanic mass of frozen lava smashed out from the wide, elevated planes of dense forest and bogs surrounding it over a million years ago, and has a powerful spiritual symbolism for the Korean people, as indicated in the local tourist literature:[...]Paektu is the backdrop for many of the almighty mosaics and paintings seen across Korea, and its significance for all Koreans is evinced by the dominance of South Koreans in the thriving tourist industry on the Chinese side of the mountain.
2008, Robert Willoughby, “Mt Paektu”, in North Korea (Bradt Travel Guides), 2nd edition, →ISBN, →OCLC, →OL, page 197Article 169. The national emblem of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea bears the design of a grand hydroelectric power station under Mt. Paektu, the sacred mountain of the revolution, and the beaming light of a five-pointed red star, with ears of rice forming an oval frame, bound with a red ribbon bearing the inscription “The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.”
2017, Socialist Constitution of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Pyongyang: Foreign Languages Publishing House, →ISBN, →OCLC, pages 36–37Synonyms: Baitou, Changbai, Ch'ang-pai
Synonyms & antonyms
proper nounA mountain on the border between Jilin, China and Ryanggang Province, North Korea.
Origin
- Korean백두(白頭)
- EnglishPaektu
From Korean 백두(白頭) (Baekdu).
More words from Korean
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Chinese Mandarin 長白山 /长白山, 白頭山 /白头山
- 長白山 /长白山 (Chángbáishán)mountain
- 白頭山 /白头山 (Báitóushán)mountain
Japanese 長白山, 白頭山
- 長白山 (Chōhakusan)mountain
- 白頭山 (Hakutōsan)mountain
Korean 백두산, 장백산
- 백두산 (Baekdusan)mountain
- 장백산 (Jangbaeksan)mountain
Polish Pektu-san
- Pektu-sanmountain
Rhymes & wordplay
Anagrams
Cite this entry
Paektu. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Paektu
“Paektu.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Paektu. Accessed November 4, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Paektu,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Paektu.
Source: Paektu on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.