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Home Travel in Jilin Jilin Province
Jilin Province
Travel in Jilin

  Jilin Rime

Jilin Province (jí lín shěng 吉林省) is situated in the central part of Northeast China; and the capital city is Changchun. It borders Heilongjiang Province to the north, Liaoning Province to the south, Inner Mongolia to the west, and Russia to the east. North Korea and Jilin Province are separated by only the Yalu (yā lǜ 鸭绿) River. The name "Jilin" probably originates from Girin ula (jí lín wū lā 吉林乌拉), a Manchu term meaning "along the river" and the literal meaning of the Chinese characters for "Jilin" is "auspicious forest". The terrain of Jilin Province is very complex. The province is densely covered by chains of mountains, numerous rivers and lakes and wide plains, which gives the province plenty of beautiful natural scenery, such as the towering Changbai (cháng bái 长白) Mountains famous for the hot springs, waterfalls and Heavenly Lake on the mountains. The lengthy snowy period (lasts from December to April in next year) in Jilin makes the province a good place to ski and view the magnificent scenery of rime.
 
Overview
The map of Jilin ProvinceSituated in northeastern China, Jilin Province is one of the three regions in the world known for the black earth. It produces a great quantity of grain, minerals, and special products and grows a vast expanse of forests. And it is a world-renowned producer of the China's three treasures of northeastern China - ginseng, mink and pilous antler (lù róng 鹿茸).
Jilin Province is also one of the major forest regions in China. The Changbai Mountains in eastern Jilin, known as the "Changbai Sea of Forests," rise and fall for 1,000 kilometers. The province features 7.769 million hectares of timberland and 41.3 percent of forest cover. It produces 6 million cubic meters timber yearly, the second in China.
Jilin boasts of rich mineral resources. A total of 136 minerals have been discovered, and the deposits of 75 discovered minerals have been ascertained. The province leads other provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities in terms of oil shale reserve, comes out in front in the reserves of chromium, nickel, molybdenum, cyanide, mould-casting sand, refractory clay,  Jilin Roadlimestone, vein quartz, diatomite, speck stone, and gypsum, and has rich deposits of gold, silver, petroleum, natural gas, and coal.
Jilin has abundant tourism resources. There are 12 tourist areas, 349 tourist spots, 92 sightseeing spots, 35 nature reserves, and 8 places of historic interest and scenic beauty, 104 historical sites under state and provincial protection, 21 national forest parks, and 3 provincial tourist resorts. In detail, 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 (qián ān 乾安), crane-watching tours of Xiang hai (xìng hǎi 兴海). From the west to the east, these natural sceneries reveal the magical, straightforward, simple and sophisticated characteristics of Jilin tourism resources.
 
History
In ancient times Jilin was inhabited by various peoples, notably the Mohe (mò hé 靺鞨) and The great wall in Jilinthe Wùjí (wù jí 勿吉). It also formed a part of the Koguryeo (gāo gōu lì 高句丽) kingdom and Jilin Province was under various administrations in different historical periods. It was called Donghu (dōng hú 东胡) in the Qin (qín 秦) Dynasty (221 B.C. - 207 B.C.) and Han (hàn 汉) Dynasty (206 B.C-220 A.D), under the administration of the Liaoyang (liáo yang 辽阳) Xingzhongshu (xíng zhōng shū shěng 行中书省) Province in Yuan (yuán 元) Dynasty (1271-1368), known as Nuzhen (nǚ zhēn 女真) in the Ming (míng 明) Dynasty (1368-1644), it became Jilin Province in the Qing (qīng 清) Dynasty (1644-1911). By the beginning of the twentieth century, Han Chinese had become the dominant ethnic group of the region. In 1932, the area was incorporated into Manchukuo, a puppet state set up by Japan, and Changchun (then called Hsinking), capital of Jilin today, was made the capital of Manchukuo (mǎn zhōu guó 满洲国). After the defeat of Japan in 1945, the region, together with the rest of northeastern Jilin Province MuseumChina, was handed to the communists by the Soviet Union. In 1949, Jilin province was smaller; encompassing only the environs of Changchun and Jilin City, and the capital was at Jilin City, while Changchun was a municipality independent from the province. In the 1950s Jilin was expanded to its present borders. During the Cultural Revolution, Jilin was expanded again to include a part of Inner Mongolia, giving it a border with the independent state of Mongolia, though this was later reversed. In recent times Jilin has, together with the rest of heavy industry-based Northeast China, been facing economic difficulties with privatization. This has prompted the central government to undertake a campaign called "Revitalize the Northeast".
 
Geography and Climate
Jilin lies in the central part of northeastern China, bordering Russia and North Korea in the east and southeast respectively. Jilin has a total area of 190,000 square kilometers and a total Songhua Lakepopulation of 27.3 million capitals is Changchun, which lies 113 kilometers west of Jilin City. Jilin province is rich in natural mineral deposits with 136 different types of minerals, of which 70 have already been extracted. Jilin has abundance of Traditional Chinese medicine resources, with approximately 27,000 kinds of wild plants and 9,000 kinds of medicinal herbs. Also the province is rich in large reserves of oil, gas, coal, iron mine, nickel, molybdenum, talc, graphite, gypsum, cement rock, gold and silver; its reserves of oil shale are the largest in the country. Jilin is highest in altitude in the southeast, and drops gently towards the northwest. The Changbai Mountains run through its southeastern regions, and contains the highest peak of the province, Baiyun (bái yún 白云) Peak at 2691 m. Other mountain ranges include the Jilinhada (jí lín hā dá 吉林哈达) Mountains, Zhang Guangcai (zhāng guǎng cái 张广才) Mountains, and Longgang (lóng gǎng 龙岗) Mountains. Jilin is drained by the Yalu (yā lǜ 鸭绿) and Tumen (tú men 图们) Rivers in the extreme southwest (which together form the border between the People's Republic of China and North Korea), by tributaries of the Liao River along the southern border, and by the Songhua (sōng huā 松花) and Nen (nèn 嫩) rivers, both Zhangguangcai Mountaineventually flowing into the Amur.
Jilin has a northerly continental monsoon climate and the winter is long and severe. The average temperature in January is between -14ºC (6.8 ºF) and -20C (-1ºF), with the temperature in the Changbai Mountain region being below the average. Summer is usually cool with an average temperature 16ºC (60.8 ºF) and 24ºC (75.2 ºF) in July, while it is cooler in some mountain areas. Spring and autumn are windy with changeable weather. The annual average rainfall ranges from 400mm to 800mm.The "Tianchi (tiān chí 天池)" (heavenly Lake) on top of the Changbai Mountain, the southern part of the Tonghua (tōng huà 通化) Prefecture and the areas south of the Laoling (lǎo lǐng 老岭) receive more rain than other places of the province.
 
People and Culture
Jilin Province is also the birthplace of some ethnic groups, such as Manchu, Mongol and Xibo (xī bó 锡伯). Due to geographical position that Jilin Province borders North Korea to the southeast, there are several localities for Koreans. Visitors can experience the unique Korean Korean Peoplecustom in Ji’an (jí ān 集安), a county in Tonghua City.
Jilin is part of Northeast China, so shares many similarities in culture to neighboring regions, such as Er Ren Zhuan (èr rén zhuǎn 二人转), Stilts and Yangge (yāng gē 秧歌). But among its music, or Jilin Opera, is a form of traditional entertainment that Jilin has innovated over its short migrant history. The ethnic Koreans of Jilin have their own distinct culture. See also: Yanbian (yán biān 延边) Korean Autonomous Prefecture, Culture of Korea. The meaningful ethnic culture would never let the travelers down.
 
The Best Jilin Province Attractions
Jilin Province is abundant in tourist resources, including various natural scenery and unique cultural landscapes. About the wonderful natural scenery, situated in east Jilin Province, the Changbai Mountains Natural Reserves is a piece of marvelous land for its towering. The rime is a natural phenomena turning up in the bank of the Songhua River during severe winter. There are also numerous historical sites. Puppet Emperor's Palace, the residence of Puyi (pǔ yí 溥仪), who is the last emperor in the Qing Dynasty, witnessed t he history that Japanese Imperialism took the northeast of China by force and carried out fascist colonial rule. Banruo (bān ruò 般若) Temple, the largest Buddhist Temple in Changchun, is a place to enjoy the wing-buildings in ancient style and experience the religion of Buddhism. The Koguryo (gāo gōu lì 高句丽) Historical Site in Tonghua City has been included on the UNESCO's World Heritage Site List, containing the archaeological remains of three cities and forty identified tombs of Koguryo imperial and noble families. There are many wonderful attractions in Heilongjiang Province the travelers could go.
 Chuangchun Scenery
The Capital of Jilin Province: Changchun City
Changchun (cháng chūn 长春) is the capital of Jilin Province and was formerly the capital of the Japanese puppet state of Manchukuo. And it is a Beautiful forest city, with an urban green-cover-rate of 40%, is standing in the front row among the big cities in China, and an ideal place for the citizens to live and work. The scenery is really beautiful in all the four seasons with light green in spring, Luxuriant green in summer, a riot of colors in autumn and snow white in winter. The best attractions here are such as Jingyuetan National Forest Park (Jìng yuè tán guó jiā sēn lín gōng yuán 净月潭国家森林公园), The Museum of Imperial Palace of Manchu State (wěi mǎn huáng gōng bó wù yuàn 伪满皇宫博物院), The Changchun World Sculpture Park, Banruo Temple and so on.
 
In the south park of Jilin Province: Tonghua (tōng huà 通化) City and Baishan (bái shān 白山) City
This part has not only the perfect nature resources, but the meaningful historical scenery. What’s more, the border scenery is appealing. Visitors flock to marvel at sights such as the Yalu River, folk customs, Road of Ginseng, Volcano Lake in Changbai Mountains and ancient City. The best attractions here are such as Changbai Mountain Scenic Area (cháng bái shān fēng jǐng qū 长白山风景区), Wang Swan Scenic Area (wàng tiān é fēng jǐng qū 望天鹅风景区), Dragon (Chinese Dragon) Bay National Forest Park (lóng wān qún guó jiā sēn lín gōng yuá 龙湾群国家森林公园), Koguryo Cultural Relics Scenic Area (gāo gōu lì wén wù gǔ jì jǐng qū 高句丽文物古迹景区) and so on.
 Scenery in the south and north part of Jilin
In the north part of Jilin Province: Baicheng (bái chéng 白城) City and Songyuan (sōng yuán 松原) City
Due to the advantaged geographic location, convenient transportation and telecommunication and abundant natural resources, especially the grassland and forest resources, there are many national nature reserve in the region and the wonderful scenery wouldn’t let the travelers down. The best attractions here are Chagan Lake Nature Reserve (chá gàn hú zì rán bǎo hù qū 查干湖自然保护区), Xianghai National Nature Reserve (xiàng hǎi guó jiā zì rán bǎo hù qū 向海国家自然保护区), Momogo National Natural Preserve (mò mò gé guó jiā jí zì rán bǎo hù qū 莫莫格国家级自然保护区), Tahu Ancient Town (塔虎古城) and so on.
 
In the East part of Heilongjiang Province: Jilin (jí lín 吉林) City
Jilin City (jí lín shì 吉林市) is the second large city in Jilin Province and also the only city that has the same name with its province. It is rich in its tourism resources. Songhua Lake (sōng huā hú 松花湖) is recognized as the national tourist zone, the Jilin Rimed Trees are praised as one of the four nature wonders in China, and the Longtanshan Deer Farm (lóng tán shān lù chǎng 龙潭山鹿场) is ranked as the national scenic spots in China. The Beidahu (běi dà hú 北大湖) Ski Resort is regarded as the largest and most advanced skiing ground with the most advantageous natural conditions for skiing. The Jilin Meteorite Museum (jí lín yǔn shí bó wù guǎn 吉林陨石博物馆) has on display many samples of iron meteorites and stony iron and well as one of the largest stone meteorites in the world. And The Beishan Park (běi shān gōng yuán 北山公园) is considered an optimum venue for its summer lotus flowers and winter "rimy pines" which combined the wonderful natural scenery and cultural ancient temples.
Scenery in the west and east of Jilin 
In the southwest part of Jilin Province: Siping (sì ping 四平) City and Liaoyuan (liáo yuán辽源) City
In this part, the mountains are beautiful and exquisite. Hada (hā dá 哈达) Summit of Changbai Mountains connects all the mountains, which looks complex and steep. There are fascinating natural scenes and interesting cultural artifacts throughout this region. With the bright lakes, green trees and clear water, it's an ideal place for tourism. The best attractions here Yehenala Ancient City (yè hè nà lā gǔ chéng 叶赫那拉古城), Mountain Gate Tourist Resort (sì píng shì shān mén fēng jǐng qū 四平市山门风景区), Yitong Volcano Group (yī tōng huǒ shān qún 伊通火山群), Hancongding National Forest Park (寒葱顶国家森林公园) and so on.
 
Eating in Jilin Province
The Changchun Restaurant in the Changchun city serves local refreshments, cold dishes, Jilin Fooddumplings, Luandun (luàn dùn 乱炖), Jilin-style dishes, Shangdong (shān dōng 山东)-style dishes and southern dishes with Sichuan and Jiangsu flavors.
Among the famous dishes prepared by this restaurant, braised bear's paw, ginseng soup, banquet dishes shark's fin, swallow's nest duck and ginseng velvet ball are popular with diners.
A sample menu of local delicacies in Jilin City includes ginseng chicken cooked in sand pot, steamed white-fish soup, fresh raw fish dish, assorted frog fat, braised bear's paw, clear soup in hot pot, and bean curd bags.
Many years ago, a frog accumulates transparent fat in the ovary. The fat can be cooked into a very nutritious and popular dish because of the high protein, hormone and vitamin content it contains. The assorted frog fat dish, prepared with the frog fat as the main ingredient, is very popular among diners.
The "Changbaishan (cháng bái shān 长白山) Treasure Banquet" includes famous dishes with unique local flavors which are prepared by very experienced chefs with special local ingredients like ginseng, bear's paw, venison, Feilong (fēi long 飞龙) Bird (Flying Dragon Bird) meat, frog Jilin Foodfat and monkey-head mushroom, all of which are conveniently available in Changbaishan region. The Feast consists of more than dozen dishes, cold or hot, meat or vegetarian, all prepared with special local ingredients. These dishes are not only praised for beautiful color, pleasant smell and delicious flavor, but also known for their nutrition and tonic value.
The details in Local Food of Jilin Province are such as Ginseng Chicken Cooked with Maotai Wine (rén cān jī hé máo tái jiǔ 人参鸡和茅台酒), Braised Deer's Tail (hóng shāo lù wěi bā 红烧鹿尾巴, Pou Sheng Yu (pōu shēng yú 剖生鱼), White Pork and Blood Large Intestine (bái ròu xuè cháng 白肉血肠), Da Cake (dǎ gāo 打糕) and so on.
 
Transportation
Situated in Northeast China, Jilin Province can be reached by air, railway and highway; hence the transportation in Jilin Province is convenient.
By Air
There are two airports in Jilin Province: one is in Changchun, the capital city of Jilin; another is in Yanji (yán jí 延吉) city. These two airports offer flights to dozens of big cities in China, like Transportation in JilinBeijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Xiamen, Xi’an, Dalian, etc. Check the information for Changchun Flight Schedules and China Flights.
By Railway
The traffic of railway in Jilin is very convenient. Covered by 7 railroad lines, travelers can get most part of Jilin Province (Changchun City, Jilin City, Tonghua City and many counties), and Jilin Province is connected with cities in other provinces by railway, such as Qiqihar, Daqing (dà qìng 大庆) city, Harbin City in Heilongjiang Province and Shenyang (shěn yang 沈阳) City in Liaoning Province. Check the information for China trains.
By Bus
There are 35,216 kilometers of highways, including over 500 kilometers of expressways. The province has an excellent rail network, originally built by the Japanese, with Changchun as its main hub. Centering Changchun City, most parts of Jilin Province are linked by highways. Hence, it is available for travelers to get most parts of the province by highway, even some small counties. What's more, travelers also can take buses to get some cities in other provinces like Harbin, Heihe (hēi hé 黑河) City in Heilongjiang Province, Shenyang and Dalian City in Liaoning Province and Ulanhot (wū lán hào tè 乌兰浩特) City in Inner Mongolia.
 The perfect scenery in Jilin