Jilin Travel Guide
With borders with the Russian Federation and North Korea, Jilin is China’s most northeasterly province. Jilin is only really visited by those looking for a little bit extra from a China trip.
The capital of Jilin Province is Changchun, situated near the center of the province. It’s 100kms from Jilin City and one of northeast China’s largest cities. There’s little in the way of history in Changchun, being a relatively new city, yet nearby South Lake is fantastic during the summer and winter.
Jilin City is the second city of Jilin and comes with better facilities for tourists than the capital. There are some good hotels, shops, and restaurants here, along with plenty of interesting attractions. Jiangcheng Square is good for people-watching, while Songjiang Road is good for shopping and having fun.
Ji’an is another popular urban center in Jilin; a county featuring many towns and villages. It is one of China’s three border crossing points with North Korea. There are many ancient sites around Ji’an. Yanji, in the Korean Autonomous Prefecture, is another North Korea border point and is a city mostly made up of ethnic Koreans and parks.
Jilin has a different look and feel to China of norm and Korean is widely spoken in some parts. You may find this region somewhat less-friendly than other parts of China as it has only recently opened up to tourism.
One very popular region for the outdoors type to Jilin is Changbai Shan. This stunning volcanic region of the province lies in the south and features the lofty Mount Changbai and its massive crater lake, known as Heaven Lake (Tianchi Lake). It is about four kilometers across and has breathtaking views.
Other areas worth seeing in Jilin are the Jingyuetan National Forest Park, near Changchun, and Songhuahu National Park, with its excellent ski resort near Jilin City. Also here is Longtou Mountain, with its ancient tombs near Ji’an.
There are two airports in Jilin Province; Changchun Longjia International Airport in the capital - also serving Jilin City - and Yanji Airport in the capital of the Korean Autonomous Prefecture. Flights come in from all over China as well as from nearby Asian nations.
Beijing is a 1-hour, 40-minute flight from Changchun, and Shanghai a 2-hour, 20-minute flight. The train journey to Changchun from Beijing takes 10 hours, and about 8 hours by bus.