Tourism（旅游）

“Developing tourism actively, strengthening the protection and developmental project construction and management of Changbai Mountains. Work hard to organize the series activities of “2007 harmonious city and countryside tour well.”

——from Report on the Work of Jilin Province Government in 2007

In 1983, When Deng Xiaoping climbed up the Changbai Mountains, he extolled, “I would have deeply regretted in my life if I had missed the chance to visit here!”

During a 1991 inspection of Jilin, President Jiang Zemin composed the lines in praise of Jinlin: “Snow-clad, soft willows bring a wintry river to vivid life; jade-like, rimed trees resemble jade flowers descending from heaven.”

On July 1st, 2004, at 1:18 p.m., it was decided by the 28th conference of the World Heritage Committee that the ruins, tombs of the general and the king at Ji’an were listed in The World Famous Heritage List.

With the development of the economy and society, tourism of Jilin becomes magnificent for the glamorous mountains and beautiful rivers.

Most of the natural scenes of Jilin Province remains their primitive features, and were seldom under the helping of man-made carving. The east area features the scenic Changbai Mountains’ primitive forests, unique volcanic landforms, specific and solid upright scenery. The west area entails grasslands, wetlands, clay forests of Qian’an, crane-watching tours of Xiang hai. From the west to the east, these natural sceneries reveal the magical, straightforward, simple and sophisticated characteristics of Jilin tourism resources.

■ChangbaiMountains—First Mountain in Northeast of China

The Changbai Mountains Nature Reserve in east Jilin Province should be the first natural scenery of Jilin Province, which stretching over thousands of kilos. The Changbai Mountains is famous as “The Five High Mountains” with beautiful and specific sceneries, and is also called as mysterious “First Mountain in the east of the Pass”. Because there are a lot of white pumices and snow on the chief mountain-“Bai Tou Shan”, it got its name “Changbai Shan”. To the people of north China, Changbai Mountains is a “Mother Mountain”, because it is not only the origin of Manchu, but also the cradle of Songhua, Tumen and Yalu rivers. It is the supporting living environment of diverse northeast generations. Now, this “Holy Mountain” has been a protection screen for the eco- environment of some northeast areas.

Changbai Mountains is resourceful, it is a “Solid Resource Treasury”, also possesses the top-class natural sceneries in the world. As a dormant volcano, which has slept for more than 300 years, Changbai Mountains has its specific geographic structure, and these structures made those sceneries with uncanny craftsmanship. Because of the different elevations of the mountains, it forms four sight belts from temperate zone to frigid zone, from the foot to the top of the mountains. This is the most peculiar character of Changbai Mountains. If people want to see these sights on the flat lands, it’s necessary to cross thousands of kilos from south to north. But if in Changbai Mountains, people can enjoy “Four seasons in one mountain, different weathers in less than ten Li” within six kilos of upright distance.

The Tianchi Lake is the most famous spot of Changbai Mountains, and if people miss the chance to see the Tianchi, there should be no significance of coming to Changbai Mountains. Tianchi Lake, which was formed by the volcano, is the border lake of China and Korea, and the deepest and largest volcanic lake in China. Because of its high elevation (height above see level 2194 meters), people called it “Lake of Heaven”. There are 16 mountains surrounded the Tianchi Lake, this made it like a beautiful jade which is beset among the mountains. The weathers are changing quite fast. It is always foggy, and accompanying with sudden rainstorms and hails, making the Tianchi Lake looming through the clouds, like in a miracle. The Changbai waterfall tumbles down from a corner of the Tianchi Lake like a crystal ribbon descending from heaven to form the cradle of the Songhua, Tumen and Yalu rivers. The Great Changbai Canyon, brought to light only recently, is marked for its stupendous grandeur, unsurpassed wilderness and the fact that it is a huge repository of statuesque mountain peaks, exotic-shaped monoliths, quiet ravines, limpid rivers, ancient trees and rare grass and plants. With the time goes, the Tianchi Lake is rendered even more mysterious by rumors about some mysterious phenomenons--- the faint strange wild animals accompanying with the challenging “Dry Dining Basin”, the small Tianchi with entrance but without exit… These have added more fantastic colors to Changbai Mountains, and attracted millions of people who love nature, and like explorations throughout the world to come here.