Hantangang River Geopark

As the most representative geological heritage in Yeoncheon, Jaein Falls boasts more beautiful and stunning landscape than any other regions around Hantan River. During Cenozoic quaternary, lava erupted from Ori Mountain and 680 Hill in Pyonggang County, Gangwon-do flew along the old Hantan River and flew backward along the valley flowing along Jijangbong past Gomunri and created Jaein Falls by eroding rocks while the valley is flowing over the hardened rock again.

In Jaein Falls, you can observe the various features of basalt and see river caves and pot holes, gas tubes including representative columnar joint. Falls about 18m in height continually eroded the area under the falls and created made a porthole 5m in water depth. A port hole refers to a deep hole made by vortex (water whirling phenomenon) in recesses or cracks in the rock in the river.

How Jaein Falls were created?

Lava flowing along Hantan River shows the reverse phenomenon flowing backward the river if meeting a small river and Gamaso Valley of Gyodong, Bulmucheon (Bidulginang Falls) of Pocheon, Imjin River and Chatancheon of Yeoncheon are representative areas made by lava backwash. Valley water coming down from jijangbong in the hardened basalt layer created Jaein Falls by eroding basalt and falls will retreat as growing apart from Hantan River in the future. Both Bidulginang Falls including Jaein Falls and Jiktang Falls of Cheorwon correspond to falls made by headward erosion.

※ headward erosion (두부침식, 頭部侵蝕)
It is one of erosion types of river and refers to the phenomenon that a river erodes towards upstream and increases its length. If the ground is lifted or the sea level falls, the erosive power of a river revives and downward erosion becomes active and the erosion proceeds from the base level to upstream. A fall developed in the river gradually changes its location toward upstream and it is the typical example of headward erosion.

Legend of Jaein Falls

There are two legends about Jaein Falls. Once upon a time, there lived a clown couple known to live in conjugal harmony in a village near Jaein Falls. One day, a completely unexpected event happened to a husband, a man of talent walking a tightrope and his beautiful wife. The magistrate of the village order the husband to walk a tightrope in Jaein Falls. It was the magistrate’s trick who had indecent desires for his wife. While walking a tightrope, the husband fell under the waterfall and died because the magistrate cut the rope. The wife, who was forced to give him bed service, bit the magistrate’s nose and killed herself. After that, people called this village ‘Komuiri’ because a person who bit the nose lived here and the name was changed to the present Gomunri.

The story handed down by the literature is different from the legend. A man of talent playing under the fall and boasting his talent made a bet with people.
“Tie a single line on both sides of the cliff and I will be able to pass it.” Telling that they cannot trust him, people made a bet for their wife. Uttering yells of delight, the man of talent walking a tightrope cheerfully and people worried about being deprived of their wife cut the rope. The man who had indecent desires fell and died. After then, this fall has been called ‘Jaein Falls’. As above, with beautiful scenery, a beautiful and sad legend related to a clown is passed down in Jaein Falls.