Let's Enjoy the Mountains(Mt.Changbai)

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Let's Enjoy the Mountains(Mt.Changbai)

China's spectacular mountain landscapes attract the professional climber and wide-eyed adventurer alike. Serious climbers are drawn to the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau to scale the challenging summit of Mt. Everest -known as Mt. Qomolongma in China- the tallest peak in the world. And others naturally gravitate to China's Five Sacred Mountain Peaks, which Han Emperor Wu Di declared sacred in the 2nd century BC.
Given the weather, May is one of the best seasons for climbing up the mountains. So do not hesitate, follow us and let’s enjoy the mountain.

Mount. Changbai(长白山)

Mount Changbai is also called Buxian Mountain, meaning it divine. Mount Changbai is a dormant volcano and is the highest volcanic cone with the biggest spout in the Northeast of China. It was formed about 2 million years ago. According to the historical materials, it has broken forth three times since the sixteenth century. Mount Changbai has a unique and particular geographic conformation and intriguing sceneries. There are more than 30 wonderful scenes which are famous at home and abroad. Ascending on the top of the mountain ranges, you can realize by yourself what was described in a Chinese poem: “Looking on the top of Mount Changbai, you will feel all the other mountains are so small compared with it.” It widens your visual field, and you cannot help acclaiming it as the peak of perfection. Influenced by the vertical topography of the hilly areas, Mount Changbai forms four scenery belts from temperate zone to Frigid Zone from the foot of the mountain to the top. A colorful natural and vertical scenery belt like this is rare even in the world. There are four seasons in the mountain and the weather varies from one place to another.

How to get Mt.Changbai
Mt.Changbai is located in the southeast of Jilin Province and the nearest town is Er’daobaihe town(二道白河镇). So you can first reach Er’daobaihe town and then go to Mt.Changbai.

By air
Yanji airport(延吉机场) is the nearest airport to Mt.Changbai, which is about 3 hours from Er’daobaihe town by bus.
People who are from Beijing, Changchun, Shenyang, Guangzhou and Dalian can choose this way.

By train
You can first get off at the “Antu” railway Station which is located in Antu County(安图县) and then transfer a direct bus to Er’daobaihe town. The bus station is near the railway station.

By bus
People from Changchun, Jilin or Dunhua can take a coach to Mt.Changbai.

Tip:
People from the south of China can first take a train to Changchun the capital of Jilin Province, and then transfer another train or bus to Antu County or Er’daobaihe town.

What to see in Mt.Changbai
There are three ascents of Mt. Changbai, called North Route, West Route and South Route. Each route has their own features, so if you have time, you’d better enjoy all of the three routes. Now, it is spring, so here we only introduce the spring scene in Mt.Changbai.

North Route
This route has most spots and the best infrastructure. The major spots in this route are as follows:

The Heaven Pool(天池)
Mount Changbai Heaven Pool is situated on the southeast of Jilin province and is the interfacial lake of China and Korea. The north part of the lake is in Jilin province. For the pool located is on the top of the volcanic cone of the main peak, the water surface is up to 2150 meters above the level. That’s why it is called the Heaven Pool. The Heaven Pool is the most famous scenic spot in Mount Changbai and is a place where tourists will never miss when traveling to Mount Changbai.

Changbai Grand Waterfall(长白山大瀑布)
Water from Lake Tianchi forms the Changbai Grand Waterfall about 1000 meters below the mountaintop. The spectacular waterfall is over 60 meters high and its roar can be heard as far as 200 meters away. The water ends up flowing into the Songhua River, one of the most important rivers in northeast China.
There are many other lakes and waterfalls in Changbaishan. For example, just by the side of Tianchi, there is a lake called the little Heaven Pool or the Changbai Lake. Several smaller waterfalls go through the forests, bringing drinking water to the birds and animals living there.

Heifengkou(a dark place with a draught)(黑风口)
Heifengkou is well-known all over Mount Changbai. Gale prevails here all the year round. When a breeze blows the top of the mountain, you can hear a gale howling and see sand and stones flying. And at this moment, tourist cannot stand up at all. Instead, they can only creep forward to Heifengkou, where they can have a panorama of Changbai Waterfall. So the tourists usually stop on the scoop. It proves that the infinite sight on the perilous peak.

Thermal springs(温泉)
Thermal springs can bring you another kind of enjoyment. Not far from the Grand Changbai Waterfall, there is an area of about 1000 square meters with 13 thermal springs scattered around. Mt.Changbai. Thermal Spring is esteemed as divine water, which can be used to stretch bones and muscles and make the blood flow and to get rid of coldness and diseases. It has an obvious effect on arthritis and skin disease. If you go there, do make sure you take a bath in them. It is really good for your health, and it is good fun as well!

Forest of Meiren Pines(美人松园林)
Meiren Pines are scientifically named Changbai Pines, which grow in Mount Changbai Er’dao Baihe regions scattered. They belong to ever-green arbors, as tall as 25-30 meters, whose diameter is 25-40 centimeters. The crown of the pine trees are elliptic or triangle or shaped like an umbrella. The lower part of the trunk is brown in the bark and the sliver is in the shape of non-regular rectangular; the upper part is brown-yellow and red-yellow, spliced in flakes and slight counter-crooked. Eye-catching Pines is named after its shape like a beauty. It has the beautiful natural scenery unique in Mount Changbai.

The Little Heaven Pools(小天池)
The Little Heaven Pools are 3 kilometers outside the north of the Changbai Waterfall. They are two little pools in all. One of them is hidden in the sequestered Yue birch forests(岳桦林带), with an altitude of 1780 meters, whose lake surface is in the shape of roundness, with a total area of 5380 square meters. The pool is more than 10 meters deep with dark green water. About 200 meters away from the Little Pools, there is a round pool with quite shallow groundwater, only several meters deep. So it sometimes dries up and exposes the yellow mud at its bottom. Standing on a high position, you can see an azure pool and a red-yellow pool at the same time. The two little pools are like a pair of gold-and-silver cup. The sceneries of the little Heaven Pool have a unique style.

Forest of odd stones (浮石林)
The Forest was in a rift valley which was form because of diastrophism and the eruption of volcano. So forest of odd stones is famous for its elegance, uniqueness, steepness and secret. Besides the stones, there are plenty of waterfalls, streams, flowers and so on in it.

Garden of Northeast Tiger.(虎林园)
The Northeast Tiger is very rare, especially the wild Tigers. But in this garden, you can witness the tigers in bus or walking through the plank road.

West route
This route is not as famous as North Route, but the scene is very beautiful.

The Great Canyon in Mount Changbai(长白山大峡谷)
The Great Canyon is a natural wonder discovered in recent years and is comparable to the Great Canyon in U.S.A. The Great Canyon in Mount Changbai is more than 70 kilometers long. The canyon forms because the eruption and the mud left on the surface of the lavas after the volcano breaks out is washed out by river water and rain. Beijinhe River flows at the bottom of the valley and odd stones stand in great numbers. All in all, there are too many magic, beautiful and lifelike types of scenery.

Garden on the plateau(高山花园)
Mt.Changbai capped with snow all year round and has virtually no living vegetation on top. But in the tundra complex of Mt.Changbai, the situation is totally different. From June to September, the plateau in the west hillside of Mt.Changbai is covered by various flowers. So at that time, you can stand in the ocean of flowers and watc the top of Mt. Changbai covered by snows. It is amazing. So someone considers it as the “garden in the Heaven”.

South route
This route is suitable for the people who like outdoor sports and mountaineering.
If you choose this way, you can follow the following way: Wangtian’e—Stone Forest of Mt.Changbai—Grand Valley of Yalu River—Relic of Charring Wood—the Heaven Pool

Wangtian’e(望天鹅)

Stone Forest of Mt.Changbai(长白石林)

Grand Valley of Yalu River(鸭绿江大峡谷)

Relic of Charring Wood(炭化木遗迹)

Tips:
1. Preparation for your travel

Thick coat:Mount Changbai is of temperate continental mountainous climate. It has a long and cold winter and a short summer. Moreover, the weather changes from time to time. It is windy in spring. So you had better take thick coat, and wear long trousers.
Raincoat: it is dangerous to take an umbrella in the windy mountain.
Necessary medicine . According to your own situation.
It’s quite difficult to find a place in the forest area to encamp, let alone a big hunch of flat cantonment. So make good preparation for it if you want to encamp on the mountain.

2. Fee
The admission fee is RMB100, and you have to buy extra tickets if you want to enter into following spots:

Name of Spots	Fee(RMB)
The Heaven Pool	45
Forest of Meiren Pines	8
Garden of Northeast Tiger	50
Forest of odd stones	30
Thermal springs bath	80

3. Transportation
If your hotel is in Er’daobaihe town, you can rent a car (RMB10 per person) to the North Entrance of Mt.Changbai.
The private cars are forbidden in the Mt.Changbai, so in the Mt.Changbai you have to take the environmentally friendly cars which come and go between the Grand waterfall and the entrances. (Fee: RMB65 per person)

4. take enough cash

5. take enough food and water before you enter into Mt.Changbai

Where to live
There are hotels on and below Mount Changbai. So you can usually find one quite easily. However, the prices for different hotels vary. Generally speaking, if you have a stay in Er’daobaihe town, you’ll pay less, about 200 Yuan for a two-bed room (20 to 80 Yuan fluctuates between in mid-season and off-season); if you ask for a common bed in an ordinary rest house, usually you only need pay about 10 to 40 Yuan . But if you choose to stay inside the mountain gate, we recommend you to pick out a hotel near by the Waterfall Scenic Spot, the price for a two-bed room is 300 to 800 Yuan . For the location is quite convenient and next to Changbai Waterfall. You must reserve a room or a bed in advance in mid-season.
You can order the four or three stars on the website www.ctrip.com.
Here we only recommend some cheap but good hote.
Wangsong Hotel (Youth hostel) (望松宾馆) (see the picture)
It is in the Er’daobaihe town. The charge is about RMB30~60/person, it also has three-bed room.
The owner is very nice.
It can provide you with delicious local food in very low price.
Help you book the train tickets and spot tickets.
There are lots of Backpackers in the hotel, so you can rent the car with them together. And travel with them, it is interesting.
Tel: 0433-5710800
Yuehua Hotel(岳桦宾馆) (see the picture)
In the Mt.Changbai, Near the Grand waterfall, and you can enjoy the thermal Spring in the hotel
Tel:0433-5746069

What can eat in Mt.Changbai
The dietetic characteristics in this region are mainly the Northeast flavor and the Korean flavor. The Northeast flavor majors in pot-roasted dishes, cold dishes dressed with sauce and pickles. If you sip some Kaoliang spirit of the Northeast while having these dishes, you’ll feel joyful and pleased. The Korean flavor takes rice as its staple food and the rice has many breeds. The non-staple food includes soup, soy sauce, pickles and some pickled vegetables, with unique flavor. The Korean pickled vegetables are quite famous, taking orange peduncle, fernery vegetables, cabbages, radishes, cucumbers, and celeries etc. as its raw materials. It tastes crisp and refreshing, hot enough but not too much.
There are lots of thermal springs in Mt.Changbai, so the food boiled by spring is also very famous.

Pot-roasted dishes

Cold noodle

Pickled vegetables

Food boiled by spring

What can by in Mt.Changbai
Mount Changbai is well-known inside and outside of China for being teemed with various kinds of special local products. These products include not only gen-seng, marten and pilose antler but also some precious medicinal materials, such as dang-seng, asarum, tragacanth and magic fungus---glossy ganoderma. The famous and rare vegetables are ferneries, cardoon, mushroom, agaric etc. The advanced wine-making materials are oranges in the southern area, the wild grapes, Chinese goosebeery etc. The famous medicine made of animal organs is mainly from ursine gallbladder. After traveling Mount Changbai, you can have a purchase in the market of mountainous commodities. Gen-seng, agaric or the wild vegetables is all fit for presenting your relatives and friends as a gift. Besides, the wooden painting, Songhua ink stone, An’lu stone carving, azalea root carving, series of products of gen-seng cosmetic etc. are all favored by the tourists.

Gen-seng

Asarum

Agaric

Wild grapes

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