Changchun travel guide
长春
The city seems to have an enduring bond with film: China's first film studio was located here, and it is also home to the renowned China Changchun Film Festival.
10 places · In the guidebook: pages 2214–2223
Changchun, Jilin Province · AI illustration for China Trip
Quick itinerary
Changchun in 3 days
- Day 1
- Day 2
- World Sculpture Park→
- Banruo Temple→
- Former Manchukuo Imperial Palace Museum→
- Nanhu Park
- Day 3
- Diaoshuihu
The feel of the place
- Film
- The city seems to have an enduring bond with film: China's first film studio was located here, and it is also home to the renowned China Changchun Film Festival.
- Car City
- Changchun is known as the 'Car City.' FAW Changchun still leads China's automobile industry.
- Green
- Changchun is also known as the 'Spring City' and enjoys a reputation as a forest city.
Things to see
Changchun World Sculpture Park
2–3 hours · Park entry ¥30; combined park and museum ticket ¥60
Changchun World Sculpture Park was built in 2001 and covers 92 hectares. It is a large modern sculpture park that blends natural landscapes with cultural scenery, guided by the concept of fusing Eastern and Western art. The Changchun International Sculpture Exhibition, held every two years, has earned Changchun the nickname “City of Sculpture.”
Jingyuetan National Forest Park
4–8 hours · ¥30
A landmark scenic spot in Changchun, often called the “sister lake” of Taiwan's Sun Moon Lake. Northern China is known for its white winter scenery, but here spring colours peek through the white snow. The park has Asia's largest man-made forest, and even when the winter greenery fades, you will be captivated by vast stretches of forest draped in silver snow.
Changying Century City
A film-themed amusement park on the western side of Jingyuetan Scenic Area. Attractions include 4D special-effects cinema, 3D water-screen cinema, laser-levitation cinema, dynamic dome cinema, three-dimensional giant-screen cinema, Eagle God Mountain, Cosmic Forest, Dense Forest Castle, Yin-Yang Hut, Century Pearl, Magic Cube Star City, Floating Palace, Flying Dragon Palace, Crystal Mountain, Hero Show Arena, Wonder Palace, Galaxy Palace, Adventure Fort, Mysterious Ancient Tree, Blessing Spring and Joy Island, among others. Don't assume the artificial scenery will be dull. The nickname “Oriental Hollywood” is well earned, and the park has become the top entertainment destination for locals.
3–4 hours · Holiday ticket ¥240
Museum of the Imperial Palace of Manchukuo
The city preserves many relics of the Manchukuo state, most notably the Imperial Palace of Manchukuo and the Eight Ministries (Badabu) complex. The Imperial Palace was where Puyi lived day to day and carried out his political activities.
2–3 hours · ¥70 (includes the Imperial Palace of Manchukuo, the Racecourse and the Museum of the Northeast Occupation History)
Culture Square
Stretching 429 metres, the square features a sun-bird sculpture at its centre, an open-air music stage to the north, and resident pigeons that add colour to the whole space.
1–2 hours
Banruo Temple
One of the four great Buddhist temples in Northeast China and one of the largest Buddhist temples in Changchun. Temple fairs are held on the 8th, 18th and 28th days of the fourth lunar month.
1–2 hours · Free
Nanhu Park
Built in 1933, Nanhu Park is the largest park in Changchun and the second-largest urban park in China, after the Summer Palace. For Northeast China, it has a distinctly Jiangnan charm, with willows along the banks, fragrant flowers and birdsong, zigzag bridges and pavilions. The cleanliness of the lake water, however, leaves something to be desired.
2–3 hours · Free; the park occasionally hosts small ice-lantern or lotus exhibitions, which are charged separately
Guandong Culture Park
Jilin Province's first large garden-style cultural park within the city, combining hot-spring resort, dining and entertainment, cultural exhibitions and conference facilities. It was also the filming location for the TV drama Chuang Dongguan.
4–8 hours
Changchun Film Studio Former Site Museum
Changchun Film Studio was New China's first film studio and the cradle of the country's film industry, achieving seven “firsts” in Chinese film history. It has produced more than 900 feature films and dubbed over 1,000 foreign films. The museum showcases the studio's history, the films it made, the props it used and the stars it sent out into the world, offering a rich and engaging collection.
2–3 hours · ¥90
Getting there & around
Getting There and Away
As the capital of Jilin Province, Changchun is undoubtedly an important transport hub in the Northeast.
Flights
Currently, flights serve more than 20 domestic and international routes, including Beijing, Dalian, Guangzhou, Nanjing, Shanghai, Shenzhen and Seoul in South Korea.
Rail
The Beijing–Harbin, Changbai and Changchun–Tumen railway lines cross here in a large cross shape. Changchun Station handles more than 400 passenger train arrivals and departures a day, making it the third-largest passenger station in the Northeast.
High-Speed Rail
Changchun West is the high-speed rail station. Since the Harbin–Dalian railway opened, the fastest trip from Changchun to Beijing takes 5 hours, to Dalian 2.5 hours, and to Harbin or Shenyang about 1 hour.
Road
National Highway 102 (Beijing–Harbin Expressway) and National Highway 302 (Ulanhot–Tumen) run north–south and east–west. The Changchun–Jilin and Changchun–Yilan expressways provide extensive connections.
Changchun is connected by expressways on all sides, making travel convenient. To visit Jilin and Changbai Mountain, Changchun is a good transfer point.
Local Transport
Changchun's bus network is extensive, with 270 bus routes. Changchun currently has six metro lines in operation: Lines 1, 2, 3, 4, 6 and 8.
Airport Information Hotline
Airport Information Hotline- Phone:
- 0431-77783333
Airport Information Desk
Airport Information Desk- Phone:
- 0431-96665
Eat & drink
Specialty Restaurants
Local Snacks
Food
Changchun's cuisine combines the best of Sichuan, Shandong and Beijing cooking. Local Northeastern dishes include home-style stewed fish, red-braised meatballs, the Manchu Eight Bowls, ginseng steamed chicken and lamb braised with kidney beans, all must-tries in Changchun. Many dishes use Changbai Mountain ingredients such as ginseng and matsutake mushrooms, combining medicinal diet with cooking for good health.
Xiangyangtun
Specialty RestaurantsThe interior has an old-fashioned rural look: private rooms are named after villages, and the walls are covered with old newspapers and vintage propaganda posters. Serves authentic Northeastern home cooking. Recommended: pork ribs stewed with green beans, one-pot dishes, cornmeal flatbread and blood sausage.
- Address:
- 2811 Dongsheng Avenue
- Phone:
- 13384483612
- Opening hours:
- 11：00—22：00
- Getting there:
- Near Jingwei Road (bus stop)
Dongfang Meat House
Specialty RestaurantsIf you're a true carnivore, you've come to the right place. This is a restaurant serving only meat dishes with rice, and especially in winter, it's pure satisfaction.
- Address:
- Intersection of Fanrong Road and Jianmin Street
- Phone:
- 0431-85874888
Dongfang Dumpling King
Specialty RestaurantsLocated by the scenic Nanhu Lake, the restaurant is clean and bright. Besides big Northeastern dumplings, the side dishes are especially good. There are often long queues, so book ahead or go when it's quiet.
- Address:
- Main branch at 3858 Gongnong Avenue, Chaoyang District
- Phone:
- 0431-85693868
Socialist New Countryside (Yueyang Branch)
Specialty RestaurantsDecorated with New Year prints, slogans and old photographs, serving authentic Northeastern flavours. Recommended: pork stewed in the village style (shazhucai), pork ribs with green beans, vegetable dumplings and small tofu.
- Address:
- 1186 Yueyang Street, Nanguan District
- Phone:
- 0431-85666606/85666600
- Getting there:
- Near the west gate of the Animal and Botanical Garden (bus stop)
Li Liangui Smoked Meat Pancake
Local SnacksA distinctively Northeastern snack that originated in Siping, a city near Changchun. It now has chain outlets nationwide.
Lao Hantou Chicken-Broth Tofu Skewers
Local SnacksA flavourful local snack. Lao Han's braised chicken intestines are highly recommended. The Lao Hantou tofu skewers from Yongchang Hutong are said to be the most authentic.
Where to stay
You can stay in the university district near Changchun Film Studio. It is generally safe, though the accommodation is mostly simple small apartments.
Changchun Mingren Hotel
Recommended AccommodationClose to Nanhu Park with a pleasant setting, especially lovely at night.
- Address:
- No. 1 Hubin Road, Chaoyang District
- Phone:
- 0431-81963333
Nightlife
Er Ren Zhuan (two-person comedy duet) is the most popular folk art form in the Northeast. The Er Ren Zhuan performed at Changchun's Heping Grand Theatre, with its new comedic style combining talk, song, character acting, dance and standout skills, has become a distinctive Northeastern cultural brand and a highlight of Changchun's entertainment scene. There are now four performance venues.
In the evenings, citizens often spontaneously perform the traditional Northeastern big yangge (folk dance) at Xinmin Square and Friendship Store in the city centre. The dance is lively and unpretentious, one of the representative forms of folk art.
Day trips & beyond
Source: China Self-Guided Travel 2025 (《中国自助游》, Tianjin Science & Technology Press, Aug 2024), pp. 2214–2223. Translated from the Chinese edition; names and prices follow the guidebook. · Plain text version