Jusanjeolli Cliff, Jeju Island, South Korea

Many artists have painted pictures and written poems about the captivating beauty of Seongwipo, a city on the south coastal side of Jeju island. It is a cultural city full of galleries, museums, cafes, and many of the amazing natural landscapes of Jeju island. I visited Seongwipo a couple of times to fully absorb the natural beauty of this coastal city.

One of the popular spots is an impressive pillar rock formation named Jungmun Daepo Haean, Columnar-Jointed Lava (Jusangjeollidae), that looks like a piece of art sculpted delicately with a sharp tool. These columnar joints run for about 2 km along the coast from Jungmun-Dong to Daepo-Dong in Seongwipo city. They were formed by the cooling and solidification of lava flows from the scoria cone of Nokhajiak from 140,000 to 250,000 years ago. Columnar jointing arises from the contraction of molten lava, during cooling, which spills the rock into polygonal columns. These columns typically have 5 to 6 sides, with each being a separate joint. Columnar joints are also called tortoise shell joints, as their hexagonal shape resemble tortoise shells. Columnar joints are formed at around 900 degrees Celsius in basaltic lava.

The land of the volcano, Jeju, is an island of fire, its stones carved into layers and marked by the wind. They are the masterpieces of the gods, shaped by the winds and waves. The sight of waves crashing against the unique rock formations and gigantic rock pillars was both serene and magnificent.