City: Jilin
Top Things to do in Jilin
Top Hotels in Jilin
- 1. Shangri-La Changchun
- 2. Sheraton Changchun Jingyuetan Hotel
- 3. Hyatt Regency Changchun
- 4. Four Points by Sheraton Changchun, Hi-Tech Zone
- 5. Jinjiang Inn (Changchun Convention and Exhibition Center)
- 6. Holiday Inn Express Changchun High-Tech Zone, an IHG hotel
- 7. Jin An Hotel
- 8. Somerset Zhongmao Changchun
- 9. Abritz Hotel Changchun
- 10. New Century Changchun Grand Hotel
10 Things to Do in Jilin That You Shouldn't Miss
Jilin, formerly romanized as Kirin is one of the three provinces of Northeast China. Jilin borders North Korea and Russia to the east, Heilongjiang to the north, Liaoning to the south, and Inner Mongolia to the west.
Restaurants in Jilin
1. Changbai Mountain
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 245 reviews
Located near the Korean border, spectacular Eternally White Mountain is China’s largest nature reserve with rare sables, tigers and wild ginseng.
Reviewed By YorkHiker - Yorkshire, United Kingdom
I had two days in Changbai in case the weather was bad for one day. I planned to visit the North area and south area. The weather was bad so I only got to see the north area, which has the famous large waterfall.
The park entry system is complex, even with basic Chinese. You need multiple tickets, and there are multiple shuttle bus stops and locations. I didn't see any other foreigners the whole time I was at the mountain.
Heaven Lake was very beautiful, and the weather good enough so I could see most of the crater. The large waterfall is very good, though access is totally restricted to a few crowded view points. The other small lakes with Waterfalls and turquoise water were also nice.
The bad side: The mountain is huge, but access is restricted to a very small area. The edge of the rim was three people deep the whole way. So you had to wait for a gap in the crowd or push your way in. To take a small white taxi to the mountain top I had to wait in a huge horrible mass of people for over two hours. No toilets, people pushing, people fighting, my worst queuing experience in seven months in China and the worst of my life. The bus back down and other shuttle buses also needed queueing for. When I cam back down from the crater lake there was no queue to go up, so maybe go there last or late in the day.
2. Changbaishan Tianchi
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 141 reviews
Reviewed By lorettalau - Hong Kong, China
We started off for Changbai Mountain early in the morning. We waited there at the entrance for our tour guide to get tickets. It was noted that adults at 65 or above would have free admission. However, they had to buy separate tickets for shuttle bus to go up the mountain. Our itineraries included hot spring, Tianchi (crater lake), waterfall and little Tianchi. It was an easy climb with shuttle buses to take you there. Only one had to queue up for at least half an hour for the shuttle to get you to one scenic spot. Most of the tourists visited Changbai mountain would long for the sight of the crater lake. We took a ride on a small van with 10 seats. Each of us would have to buckle seatbelt tight as the van would go up a narrow and steep zigzag road to get to 2700 m above sea level. Your ears would sense the air pressure as the van slowly went up the mountain. Also, we had a fascinating view of the landscape. Wow, what an amazing and breathtaking view up there. It was so lucky that we had a clear sky that day. The lake looked so blue and charming..... Yes, though it took long hours for the whole journey from Hong Kong to reach here, it did worth the visit.
3. Jingyue Pool
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 175 reviews
Reviewed By ManfreddNg - Malaysia
Jingyue Lake is a favourite getaway for city folks in Changchun City .It is a refreshing large parkland and lake less than 25km away.
Swathes of birch ,maple trees and coniferous pines forest surround the scenic Jingyue Lake .It is frozen now with winter sports and sleighs.
Different type of sleighs are available in here. We started with huskies dogs .
After that we rode on a horse sleigh .We drove on a lake buggy and rode on cycle skate too .
The scenic views of Jingyue replicate a wintery alpine ambiance in Europe.The temperate foliage and lake activities are pleasant and peaceful.We enjoyed our visit in this attraction in Changchun City.
4. Wusong Island
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 39 reviews
Reviewed By dtobe - Cologne, Germany
Wusong Island is a place in the countryside among Manchu villages about 50 km outside Jilin City. It is becoming increasingly known for the most beautiful rime (雾凇) in the Jilin area. Mist from the Songhua river freezes on trees and shrubs on cold nights and forms spectacular displays of ice crystals. It's a very worthwhile excursion from Jilin City, although the place is not so easy to reach.
Locals told us the phenomenon usually occurs between December and February. Of course, even then it depends strongly on the weather. To see the rime you'll have to be there very early - between 6 and 9 am at the latest. The most comfortable way is to stay at a countryside inn in Hantun Village (韩屯村) nearby (ask for a traditional kang style bed for a special experience). Then get up at 5:30 am, have breakfast and take the ferry to the island just before sunrise. Having said that, I also found it worth sticking around a bit later. Many tourists had left after an hour or two, so I managed to shoot my favourite photos in the time between 8:30 and 9:30, just before the ice crystals started to disintegrate.
Be aware that the island is used for growing crops in the summer and only a handful of people live there. Except for a woman selling hot drinks in a shack by the ferry there are no facilities. It's essential to dress warm and to wear boots because even without wind the temperature will be some -20 degrees with high snow.
To get to Hantun Village you could drive or take a taxi. We managed to haggle our cab driver down to 150 RMB to take us there. That seems to be the going rate at the moment. If you drive there yourself be aware that the road turns into a dirt track without any roadside lamps before reaching the village. More importantly, snow and mist freeze on the road and the resulting ice is extremely dangerous. We almost had an accident - even with our experienced driver.
5. Mao'er Mountain National Forest Park
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 33 reviews
Reviewed By luslancy d - Yanji, China
the moutain is a little bit far from our city, it's the only place to climb a moutain,so when festival or other rest time,there would be gethered many people.at the top of the moutain,there would be a whole scenery of the city ,village,and fields.for our locals,it's available
6. China and North Korea Tumen Port
Overall Ratings
4 based on 26 reviews
Reviewed By Pan-Bong H
Yon can ride a high-speed train (Hexiehao) and then a taxi to get there from Yanji. you can see the northen part of North Korea (Namyang City). When I visited there, It was prohibited from taking pictures since North Korea was sanctioned from the recent shooting of a missile. You can see a bridge and a railroad bridge over the Tumen River, which are the most important channel of goods transported between two nations.
7. Changbai Mountain Ski Area
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 29 reviews
Reviewed By Bob C - Beijing, China
ChangBaiShan Ski area, quite nice but Best in the world, or Best in Asia as they seem to think of themselves as evidenced by their advertising? I don't think so sorry.
While the skiing was good and fun I thought the runs were a bit short. Lots of corduroy on the 1st days, a mix of man made and natural powder a meter deep on the wilder trails.
There are 3 lifts from in front of the hotel 'town' area. The E, F & G lifts. E is a 8 person enclosed chair going to the top of the E trails both Blue intermediates but real short. I was practicing skiing fast and it took exactly 1 minute to get back down to the lift.
F is a 6 pax enclosed chair going to the top of a couple of Green beginner slopes.
G is an 8 pax gondola to the top from where you can do a couple 'Black' runs and a few Blues.
Also from here you have access to the top of the L slopes which have their own chair lifts but these had not opened yet. You can also get to the S slopes, 4 Black and 2 Blue all with their own Gondola.
The grading system in China seems a bit generous. And not accurate. So while I would find the G1, G2 & S2 Black trails nicely groomed and quite easy. I found the deep powder of the S5, S6 past my skill level. So, I would suggest they adopt the diamond system to differentiate between the levels of the Black trails.
Anyway,we had fun and its only a 90 minute flight from Beijing and not as cold as the other NorthEast China Ski areas. The coldest it got during our 7 days was about minus 29C (-20F) and the warmest -1C in snow (+30F).
If you're going to ski in China this place is good.
8. Changbaishan Fairy Bath Pond
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 11 reviews
Reviewed By Daniele-Donati - Florence, Italy
Changbaishan is not an easy place to head for. The airport is at least two hours far away from the Northern entrance of the scenic spot. There is no public bus going there. The only way to get to destination is hiring a car or taking a taxi. The cost is around 400 RNB. You need to ask your hotel if they can help you find a shared taxi well in advance.
The entrance ticket is very expensive. All in all three tickets need to be bought: the main one (125 RNB) plus the ticket for the bus (85 RNB) plus an additional ticket for the heavenly lake (80 RNB). The whole area is huge. Therefore purchasing the bus ticket is really necessary.
The place is awesome. It is very well maintained and the bus service is perfect. Along the way there are four main stops: 1 - the forest 2 - the Emerald lake (where you can find a buffet restaurant for your lunch break) 3 - the small heavenly lake 4 - the waterfall.
The heavenly lake is on a different direction. You need to catch a different mean of transportation which is a van. FYI the price of 85 RNB covers both the bus and the van.
going around is easy. The waiting time at every bus stop is very short since buses are frequent.
The best month to visit Changbaishan is September. July and August are rainy months. In case of a heavy rain the scenic spot is closed.
9. Beida Lake Ski Area
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 10 reviews
Reviewed By ffrige - Shanghai
It takes a little longer than an hour by car to reach the skiing area from Jilin city. The roads are clean and safe to ride. The parking lot is right in front of the "ski hall" where you can rent all sorts of skiing equipment: skis, snowboards, goggles, helment, boots, tube rings for ice sliding,...
Prices are reasonable: 350RMB for 4hrs skiing (equipment plus lift pass) and 60RMB for the tubes for 1hr (but no one checks this time, as this lift requires no card!). The skiing slopes range from begineer to advanced and are well mantained, although the side protections are very simple and not always present. Many ski teachers are around and can be hired for lessons. Two hotels are open right by the entrance of the park but we didn't sleep there as we drove back to Jilin in the evening. There is also a small restaurant to have a simple but warm meal. I only wished they had more for children: the tubes are fun but besides that there's not much else for the little ones. A big ice castle by the parking lot is also fun to climb and slide down a couple of times.
10. Puppet Emperor's Palace (Wei Huang Gong)
Overall Ratings
4 based on 187 reviews
Reviewed By Alexandra F
The emperor's palace was undergoing restoration when we were there. However they only restore one building at a time, so there was still lots to see. The palace grounds are covered in paths, with beautiful flowers, sculptures and Fountains. Inside the palace are many historical exhibits. Almost everything is written in English and Chinese. Everyone behind a counter can speak English fluently enough that you do not need to be able to speak Chinese.
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