The Ahobiryong Mountains are a mountain range stretching from north to south in central North Korea

North Korea

The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea , , is a country in East Asia, occupying the northern half of the Korean Peninsula. Its capital and largest city is Pyongyang. The Korean Demilitarized Zone serves as the buffer zone between North Korea and South Korea...

. The range straddles the border between North Hwanghae and Kangwon provinces. The most famous part of the range is located near Kaesong

Kaesong

Kaesŏng is a city in North Hwanghae Province, southern North Korea , a former Directly Governed City, and the capital of Korea during the Koryo Dynasty. The city is near Kaesŏng Industrial Region and it contains the remains of the Manwoldae palace. It was formally named Songdo while it was the...

, the ancient capital of the Koryo

Koryo

Koryo may refer to:*The Goryeo Dynasty of Korea. It is spelt Koryŏ in McCune-Reischauer Romanization.*Koryo, a pumsae in Taekwondo.*Kōryō, Nara, a town in Japan.*Air Koryo, a North Korean airline company....

 dynyasty, located in North Hwanghaew; because of its natural beauty, it is sometimes called the "Kumgangsan

Kumgangsan

Kŭmgangsan , Geumgangsan, or Mount Geumgang is a -high mountain in Kangwon-do, North Korea. Its name means "a firm heart in the face of truth". It is about 50 km away from South Korea's Sokcho in Gangwon-do. It is one of the best-known mountains in North Korea...

" of Kaesong.

Historical and Tourist Significance

This region is home to many historic and scenic spots, and as such is a major tourist attraction. The valley between Mts. Chonma (天摩山) and Songgo (聖居山) is especially famous, as, besides its natural beauty, it is home to the Pakyon Falls, one of the three famous falls of Korea, as well as the Koryo-era Taehungsan Fortress

Taehungsan Fortress

Taehung Castle is a mountain fortress of the early Koguryo period, located outside Kaesŏng, North Hwanghae Province, North Korea. Originally encompassing both Mts. Chŏnma and Songgo, the castle was first founded as a fortress for the defense of the capital, encircled by over 10 kilometers of stone...

, which in turn encompasses two ancient Buddhist temples (Kwanumsa

Kwanumsa (Kaesong)

Kwanŭm-sa is a Korean Buddhist temple located within Taehung Castle on Mt. Chonma near Kaesong, North Korea. The site is one of the National Treasures of North Korea. Named after Guanyin, the buddhist bodhisattva of compassion, this small temple is located in the beautiful valley between Mts....

 and Taehungsa. The Ryongtongsa

Ryongtongsa

Ryŏngt'ong-sa is a Korean Buddhist temple located on Mt. Ogwan in Kaesŏng, North Korea.-History:Founded by the Chontae Buddhist sect in 1027, the temple is believed to be one of the first of the sect's temples in Korea...

 Buddhist temple, famous as the origin place of the Chontae sect, is also located in the mountains at the foot of Mt. Ogwan (五關山). It was once a place of pilgrimage, as it contained the ashes of Uichon, founder of the Chontae sect, but burned down in the 17th century. It was reconstructed between 2001-2005 as an inter-Korean project

The name "Ahobiryong" means "Tiger Leaping Peak" in Korean.