Forest Sea in the Valley of Changbai Mountain

Forest Sea in the Valley of Changbai Mountain

The Valley of Changbai Mountain – located 5 kilometers east of the Changbai Mountain Ice Rink and north of the Dongtian Waterfall. The valley walls are 50 to 60 meters high, with trees growing in three layers. This crater forest is named "Valley Bottom" and is commonly known as the Underground Forest. The valley floor stretches 2,500 to 3,000 meters from north to south and is mostly covered with coniferous forests. The Valley Bottom Forest is one of the major scenic spots of Changbai Mountain and also the first attraction when entering from the northern route.

The Valley Bottom Forest is the lowest-altitude scenic area in Changbai Mountain. From the Dongtian Waterfall, a forest path extends 1,000 meters northward into the dense woods. Towering ancient trees and scattered massive rocks fill the valley, while natural stone steps on the eastern wall lead down to the valley floor. Along the way, you can find precious plants native to Changbai Mountain such as grassy orchids (also called "immortal grass"), and occasionally spot wildlife like sika deer, wild boars, and black bears coming to the stream for water.

Inside, countless unnamed coniferous trees grow densely and endlessly; tree trunks as thick as several people’s hugs stand sturdy and straight, reaching toward the sky. Among the ancient, solemn trees are also slender young saplings, yet both old and young alike display a rugged natural beauty and a wild, untamed vigor. Sunlight filters through the thick foliage and casts onto the forest floor, resembling an old, imperfectly preserved painting—speckled and dimly lit. The soil in Changbai Mountain is mostly volcanic ash, rich in nutrients but overly loose, causing tree roots to be relatively shallow. Occasional storms often uproot them. A storm in the 1980s devastated thousands of trees here, leaving their remains strewn across the land—uprooted, snapped in half, fallen over, or blocking paths. Though lifeless and decaying, none have lost their fallen posture. As it is illegal to alter anything in the nature reserve, no matter how large or high-quality the fallen timber is, no one dares to remove it. Some trees have thus lain there for over a hundred years.

Wrapped in layers of moss, mounds of sand swell into round, bluish ancient burial mounds; hard stones take on the appearance of soft cushions. Even uprooted stumps transform into multi-limbed monsters, revealing a fierceness rarely seen in their usual state. Everything seems full of life, yet everything also appears rusted and worn; everything exists in reality, yet everything also feels beyond the mortal world. Space is sealed off, time is hidden away. Countless people come and go—but how many who leave ever return?

The forest is secluded and ancient. Pine needles, moss, and dead branches cover the ground. Beneath the pine needles and moss, crisscrossing rock fissures are often hidden—you could easily step into one and find it hard to get out. Fallen trees lie scattered everywhere: some hang upside down from mountain peaks, bare branches like claws; some stand firmly rooted on cliffs as if nothing has changed; some are old and decayed; others lean precariously against other trees, nearly fallen but not quite. Yet all around these dead branches and decaying trunks, thousands upon thousands of vibrant trees grow unimpeded, an endless sea of green that is impossible to block. At the edge of the dense forest lies a prominent, broken canyon. The canyon is unfathomably deep, and its floor is shrouded in mist. Although the trees here are just as tall and upright as those above ground, looking down reveals only an undifferentiated mass of deep green and a tangle of tree tops. According to records, the Valley Bottom Forest of Changbai Mountain is a crater forest. It was formed when parasitic craters accompanying the main volcano’s eruption were later fractured, cut, and sculpted by crustal movements and collapses. It stretches about 3 kilometers from north to south, with cliff walls about 50–60 meters high—steep and perilous. Wild animals often roam the valley floor, making it easy to get lost if you venture too far. For safety reasons, tourist organizations strictly prohibit entry without a local guide.

Changbai Mountain

Wangtiane Scenic Area

Heaven Lake of Changbai Mountain

Chengcha River

Changbai Mountain International Natural Ski Park

Changbai Hot Spring Group

Changbai Stone Forest Scenic Area

Baiyun Peak

Changbai Mountain Plateau Ice and Snow Sports Training Base

Tiger’s Back

Secluded Valley Forest

Changbai Mountain Waterfall

Changbai Mountain Northeast Tiger Forest Park

Niulang Ferry

Changbai Mountain Cold Spring

Changbai Mountain Grand Canyon

Little Heaven Lake of Changbai Mountain

Changbai Mountain Volcano Group