# Changbai Mountain travel guide (长白山) Jilin Province · Northeast, China · 7 places Canonical: https://cnatrip.com/en/destinations/jilin/changbai-mountain ## Quick itinerary - **Day 1:** North Slope: Ice and Snow Sports Base → Underground Forest → Xiao Tianchi → Changbai Mountain Hot Springs → Changbai Waterfall → Heaven Lake (Tianchi) → Tianwen Peak → Heifeng Pass → Erdaobaihe Town - **Day 2:** West Slope: Songjianghe → Shuangtizihe → Changbai Mountain Grand Canyon → Alpine Garden → Laohu Back → Heaven Lake (Tianchi) ## The feel of the place Changbai Mountain is a dormant volcano that has erupted three times since the 16th century. Its unique geological structure gives it breathtaking scenery. Because of the vertical change in terrain, the mountain forms four landscape zones from foot to peak, ranging from temperate to frigid, a rare natural vertical landscape in the world. It is aptly described as 'four seasons on one mountain, a different climate every few kilometres.' Changbai Mountain is a natural museum and a storehouse of rare biological resources. It is a major producer of the 'Three Treasures of the Northeast'—ginseng, sable fur and deer antler—and one of the few places on Earth that has been spared major human damage. It is listed as a national key protected area and included in UNESCO's World Network of Biosphere Reserves. Changbai Mountain is the cradle where the peoples of the Northeast have lived and multiplied for generations, the ecological barrier of the three northeastern provinces, and the birthplace of the Manchu people. During the Qing dynasty it was designated a sacred site. ### Check the Weather A visit to Changbai Mountain takes a full day. Check the weather over the previous three days in advance, as it will affect whether you can see Heavenly Lake. ### Choose Hiking Hiking is best. Taking a vehicle saves time and effort, but you will miss many sights. ### Travel Hassles You can enjoy stunning views, but you will have to put up with inconvenient transport and frequent overcharging. ### Trains Are Faster Take the train as far as possible to Baihe near the north slope or Songjianghe near the west slope, as trains are faster. ### Charter a Car From Antu railway station to the bus station, a taxi costs ¥5. Chartering an Oatao car from Antu railway station to Chibei District takes 2.5 hours and costs ¥120. ### Tourist Shuttle Routes 1. North Line: about 35 km in total, six departures daily from Meiren Song Garden in Chibei District, returning after passing the North Scenic Area gate. 2. Loop Line: 128 km in total, three paired departures daily, passing North Scenic Area Gate → Changbai Mountain Tiger Park (Chibei District) → Changbai Mountain Natural History Museum (Chibei District) → Meiren Song Garden (Chibei District) → Baixi Town (Chixi District) → Changbai Mountain Airport (Chixi District) → West Scenic Area Gate. ### Preparation and Enquiries ### Climate and Travel Seasons Changbai Mountain has a humid climate, with frequent rain and snow in spring, summer and winter. Winter is long and cold, with deep snow, usually waist-high, which makes walking difficult. Autumn is the most beautiful season on Changbai Mountain, when you can see stunning alpine tundra landscapes at high altitude. Because of the high altitude and intense UV radiation, the flowers are especially vivid in colour. The best time to visit (early summer) is 3–15 July each year, when wildflowers cover the mountains and Changbai enters its shortest yet most beautiful summer. Although July and August are summer months, heavy rain is frequent. Another prime season (early autumn) is late August to early September, when Changbai in golden autumn is also stunning. ## Getting there & around ### Getting There Changbai Mountain is well connected by air, rail and road. You can fly directly to Changbai Mountain Airport, while travelling by train or bus requires first reaching Chibei District (formerly Erdaobaihe Town) or Songjianghe Town. ### By Air Changbai Mountain Airport is located in Chixi District of the Changbai Mountain Protected Development Zone, with flights to Beijing, Changchun, Shenyang, Dalian, Yanji, Shanghai, Shenzhen and Guangzhou. ### By Rail The railway station closest to the Changbai Mountain scenic area is Baihe Station, only about 15 minutes' drive from Chibei District at the foot of the mountain, with trains to Tonghua, Dalian and Shenyang. From cities outside the province, the best gateway to Changbai Mountain is Antu Station on the long-distance rail line, about 4 hours' drive away. ### By Road Buses from Antu to Chibei District run on two routes: Antu → Yongqing → Songjiang → Erdao, and Antu → Yongqing → Liangjiang → Erdao. ### Stay Safe At Changbai Mountain, many sights have no bus service, so you can only take a taxi or charter a vehicle. Road and vehicle conditions are relatively poor, so always fasten your seatbelt. ### Eco-Friendly Shuttles The Changbai Mountain Administration Committee will close the mountain gates to private vehicles, and eco-shuttles will operate within the scenic area. Eco-shuttle tickets cost ¥85. ### Local Transport Within Chibei District, transport options include 'daoqilü' (bicycles modified by locals), motorcycles and taxis. - **Erdaobaihe Passenger Station** — ## Eat & drink Changbai Mountain produces a wealth of local foods and has a large Korean ethnic population, so here you can enjoy not only delicious local dishes but also authentic Korean cuisine. ### Watch Out for Overcharging Some restaurants keep two price lists, one for tourists and one for locals, so be careful when dining here or you may be overcharged. If the prices seem too high, simply switch to another restaurant. ### Kimchi Kimchi is a side dish handed down through generations by the Korean ethnic group. It is nutritious and rich in various vitamins. ### Northeastern Cuisine Northeastern cuisine evolved from Shandong cuisine and features pickles and preserved vegetables, suiting northern dietary habits. It is strongly flavoured and leans salty. It also reflects the bold, unrestrained character of northeasterners, with big platters of meat, big plates of vegetables and big cups of liquor, very much in the spirit of 'drinking from big bowls and eating big chunks of meat.' ### Korean Snacks Korean cuisine is rich and varied, mostly made from local specialties, and strongly reflects ethnic character. Popular snacks include cold noodles, pancakes, Korean soybean soup, dakgalbi-style rice cakes, shashen (Adenophora root), misang (Korean rice sausage), dog meat hotpot, Korean barbecue, glutinous rice wine and potato pancakes. ### Dog Meat Dog meat is one of the meats favoured by the Korean people. It is usually stewed into soup and was traditionally eaten during the hottest days of summer, as it was believed to be nourishing in the heat. Today it is eaten year-round, but it is avoided at weddings, funerals and festive occasions. To try dog meat at Changbai Mountain, visit a restaurant run by an ethnic Korean family. Only there can you find authentic dog meat. ### Recommended Restaurants ### Local Snacks - **Xiaohuangniu Korean-Style Soup and Rice Restaurant** — A must-visit for beef soup and rice, with a strong ethnic Korean atmosphere. Food arrives quickly and the beef is very tender. (Changbai Mountain Protection and Development Zone Administrative Committee, Chibei District, Baishan Avenue A-8, 13224335888) - **Chuanjie Skewer Street in Erdaobaihe Town** — A snack street devoted to barbecue. The bold local flavours make the grilled food stand out. Be sure to book in advance! - **Restaurant Street in Erdaobaihe Town** — As the name suggests, restaurants line both sides of the street. The shops are small, but the food is every bit as good as in bigger restaurants. The local speciality here is dog meat. ## Shopping The Changbai Mountain Nature Reserve is famous at home and abroad for its wide variety of local specialities. Its rich resources have earned several places the title of “famous hometown”: Fusong County is known as “China's Ginseng Hometown”, Hunjiang District (formerly Badaojiang District) is “China's Forest Frog Hometown”, Jingyu County is “China's American Ginseng Hometown” and “China's Changbai Mountain Mineral Water City”, and Linjiang City has been named “China's Rhodiola Hometown”. Local specialities include apple pears, Fushi, yellow elm mushrooms, matsutake, black wood ear fungus, fiddlehead fern, lingzhi mushroom and Tonghua grape wine. There are also the “New Three Treasures of Northeast China”, rhodiola, forest frog and Bulaocao (Ever-Youth Herb), whose benefits have been confirmed by recent scientific research. ## Where to stay A day trip from Erdaobaihe Town to Changbai Mountain and Heavenly Lake is possible. Besides hotels and guesthouses, there are also family inns to choose from. Finding accommodation at Changbai Mountain is not difficult. Hotels, guesthouses and inns are all available, with prices varying by grade. There are fewer options in the Songjianghe Town area on the western slope. ## Things to see - **Changbai Mountain Scenic Area** (★★★★): Admission North Scenic Area admission ¥105; North Scenic Area full-price combo ticket ¥305 (admission + eco shuttle + round-trip tourist express bus). West Scenic Area admission ¥105; West Scenic Area full-price combo ticket ¥214 (admission + eco shuttle + round-trip tourist express bus); Time needed 1–2 days — https://cnatrip.com/en/places/changbai-mountain-scenic-area - **Heaven Lake (Tianchi)** (★★★★★): Admission Included in the North and West Scenic Area admission tickets; Time needed 2–3 hours — https://cnatrip.com/en/places/heaven-lake-tianchi - **Changbai Waterfall** (★★★★): — https://cnatrip.com/en/places/changbai-waterfall - **Tianwen Peak** (★★★): — https://cnatrip.com/en/places/tianwen-peak - **Tiannü Yugong Pool (Celestial Maiden Bathing Pool)** (★★★): — https://cnatrip.com/en/places/tiannu-yugong-pool-celestial-maiden-bathing-pool - **Alpine Garden** (★★★★): — https://cnatrip.com/en/places/alpine-garden - **Changbai Mountain Hot Springs** (★★★★): Admission Free China–DPRK cross-border tour: Visit Hyesan, Samjiyon, the Great Monument, the Paektu Mountain Secret Camp, Jongil Peak, Ryongmyong Waterfall, the Pochonbo battle site, the Pochonbo Victory Monument, the Ryanggang Provincial Exhibition Hall and more in Ryanggang Province, North Korea. The tour includes a dedicated performance by the Ryanggang Arts University, and you can climb Tianchi (Heaven Lake) from the eastern slope of Paektu Mountain on the North Korean side, taking the cable car to admire the lake. — https://cnatrip.com/en/places/changbai-mountain-hot-springs --- Source: China Self-Guided Travel 2025 (《中国自助游》, Tianjin Science & Technology Press, Aug 2024), pp. 2223–2235. Prices, hours and transport details are as printed in the August 2024 edition and may have changed. Always confirm with the venue before you travel.